Many US military bases, including Pearl Harbor, didn't have firework celebrations on the 4th due to - Polidicks

[quote](CNN) - Even as the automatic spending cuts of the sequester continue to lack the major repercussions originally anticipated, there will be a glaring example of their impacts visible above many U.S. military bases this Independence Day. Multiple bases, including Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii and North Carolina's Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base have been forced to cancel their July 4 fireworks displays in order to save money, according to Time. In canceling its fireworks, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam expected to save some $55,000. The at least 25-year tradition at the base has typically drawn some 13,000 people annually. Instead, the base will be holding a beach fest for the Fourth, according to Grace Hew Len, director of public affairs.[/quote] [url]http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/04/no-july-4-rockets-red-glare-for-some-military-bases/[/url]

I was going to suggest they used timed fuses on artillery shells instead, but I realised it wouldn't be pleasant to have metal shrapnel flying all over the place. [editline]8th July 2013[/editline] July the 5th and your face looks like a Cenobite.

[QUOTE=Sgt Doom;41360967] July the 5th and your face looks like a Cenobite.[/QUOTE] heh

In South Korea they were just postponed due to rain...

Truly the end of our great nation...

I thought this is what budget cuts meant?

The moment I read this I was hurt. I have friends in family in the military, and fireworks are a tradition for the 4th. Not only that, but we can afford to send the Obama's on a $100M adventure to Africa, but can't afford a simple $25k firework show for each base, totaling up to less than $250k? I'm tired of seeing the military make sacrifices for this administration.

[QUOTE=Fetret;41361560]I thought this is what budget cuts meant?[/QUOTE] These aren't the right cuts to make. You should never sack something that can help improve morale.

This and telling soldiers that their average rations are being cut back? What the fuck man. Here's a budget cut, all senators and congressmen, $20,000 a year. The President, $30,000 a year.

Could've borrowed some North Korean rockets :v:

The budget cuts are not at fault, the people managing the money are, they should check their priorities. Billions of dollars are being wasted on useless projects, but instead the cuts end up at military bases that are running just fine otherwise. Why would you cut celebrations? They need to do something about the entire structure of the US military. - Of course the military bases can't do this.

cutting the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels was a bad idea too. In times like this, the LAST thing you should cut is something that can boost morale. If you want to save money, I dunno, don't fly the Air Force One so much stateside. Obama can commute with a smaller aircraft, that 747 costs a ton of money to operate.

No money guys. Budget cuts. Then... "Oh, we must send all these weapons and spend money to give them to Syrian rebels." Let's toss a couple billion there! No problem!

[QUOTE=TaiwanesePrick;41362026]cutting the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels was a bad idea too. In times like this, the LAST thing you should cut is something that can boost morale. If you want to save money, I dunno, don't fly the Air Force One so much stateside. Obama can commute with a smaller aircraft, that 747 costs a ton of money to operate.[/QUOTE] I think the point is to create shitty morale, so there's a bigger pressure from the public and personnel to bring back funding. It'll be a major talking point in the next presidential election i bet, it almost was one this last one.

So really whats going on is whoever is managing the military's budget is protesting the cuts by cutting a few dollars here and there on the more public/ fun stuff the military does, while they continue dumping money into useless over budget projects. They have plenty of money to go around, why cut out a few pennies on the morale boosters compared to the billions they waste on other things.

[QUOTE=muffinmastah;41362781]So really whats going on is whoever is managing the military's budget is protesting the cuts by cutting a few dollars here and there on the more public/ fun stuff the military does, while they continue dumping money into useless over budget projects. They have plenty of money to go around, why cut out a few pennies on the morale boosters compared to the billions they waste on other things.[/QUOTE] That's pretty clever of them, because then the entire nation thinks that the military is doing badly and that the cuts are evil and mean, resulting in more support of politicians who do not want to cut spending in the military. It's pure politics.

The cuts closed all of our pools, the movie theater, hobby shop, fishing area, and pretty soon at the end of this month the bowling ally. As someone who lives in the dorms without a car it really sucks trying to find a place to hang out with friends. Even a few Squadrons are getting cut out or moved to a different base. Which really affects the local economy since that's why the town surrounding the base was growing larger in the first place.

Jeez l33tkill, that bites man. Here at Campbell, everything is somewhat intact, except a lot of the civilian workers are getting furloughed. I can't make physical therapy appointments on certain days, and they don't even operate on Fridays anymore. A lot of the "fun" stuff is going to be restricted soon, I can tell. It's only a matter of time.

[QUOTE=SKEEA;41364073]Jeez l33tkill, that bites man. Here at Campbell, everything is somewhat intact, except a lot of the civilian workers are getting furloughed. I can't make physical therapy appointments on certain days, and they don't even operate on Fridays anymore. A lot of the "fun" stuff is going to be restricted soon, I can tell. It's only a matter of time.[/QUOTE] I guess theres always off base activities for you two if you're near an actual town or city. I would imagine if you're at fort hood and they started closing down places where you can spend your down time, you'd be shit out of luck.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;41361751]This and telling soldiers that their average rations are being cut back? What the fuck man. Here's a budget cut, all senators and congressmen, $20,000 a year. The President, $30,000 a year.[/QUOTE] This so hard. Just tie their wage to the average salary of a US household and maybe then they'll try to improve the country instead of just trying to keep their 6 figure job.

[QUOTE=spiritlol;41365976]This so hard. Just tie their wage to the average salary of a US household and maybe then they'll try to improve the country instead of just trying to keep their 6 figure job.[/QUOTE] the amount of money politicians make without their salary is absurd. i guarantee that if you cut every senator's/president's salary down to 0$ they'd still make more than 10x the average american. example: [url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/tax-day-showed-obamas-boo_n_540121.html[/url]

[QUOTE=Kybalt;41366101]the amount of money politicians make without their salary is absurd. i guarantee that if you cut every senator's/president's salary down to 0$ they'd still make more than 10x the average american. example: [url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/tax-day-showed-obamas-boo_n_540121.html[/url][/QUOTE] The point of a higher than average salary is so that it's not impossible for lower class to get into office, or even worse, so that any and all politicians are susceptible to bribing.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;41361751]This and telling soldiers that their average rations are being cut back? What the fuck man. Here's a budget cut, all senators and congressmen, $20,000 a year. The President, $30,000 a year.[/QUOTE] should be 0$ a year and have the government pays for their basic supplies and a home near the place

Cut expenses on troop welfare and important traditions instead of unncessary military contracts... of course.

[QUOTE=TaiwanesePrick;41362026]cutting the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels was a bad idea too. In times like this, the LAST thing you should cut is something that can boost morale. If you want to save money, I dunno, don't fly the Air Force One so much stateside. Obama can commute with a smaller aircraft, that 747 costs a ton of money to operate.[/QUOTE] Air Force one is any aircraft with the president on board, not a specific aircraft.

sure it was a terrible idea to cut the funding for something like this. but to act as if the US military didn't need/won't survive with budget cuts is laughable to say the least.

This shit's straight political. The people managing the funds are protesting the budget cuts by cutting things that the soldiers enjoy in order to drive down morale and make a point. It's pretty friggen reprehensible. [QUOTE=SKEEA;41364073]Jeez l33tkill, that bites man. [B]Here at Campbell, everything is somewhat intact, except a lot of the civilian workers are getting furloughed. I can't make physical therapy appointments on certain days, and they don't even operate on Fridays anymore. [/B]A lot of the "fun" stuff is going to be restricted soon, I can tell. It's only a matter of time.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=l33tkill;41363328][B]The cuts closed all of our pools, the movie theater, hobby shop, fishing area, and pretty soon at the end of this month the bowling ally. As someone who lives in the dorms without a car it really sucks trying to find a place to hang out with friends. [/B]Even a few Squadrons are getting cut out or moved to a different base. Which really affects the local economy since that's why the town surrounding the base was growing larger in the first place.[/QUOTE] Getting rid of the civilian contractors brings the military to a standstill (especially when in a training environment or preparing for deployment). Getting rid of entertainment and stress relief drags morale down. So not only can people not get what they need done, they have no way to kill stress while they stagnate, leading to a bunch of pissed off, uncooperative soldiers. These are [I]essential[/I] programs and services, and the only reason to cut them as opposed to any of the other areas of our massively overbloated military budget is to try and force the government to repeal the budget cuts by grinding the military's effectiveness to a hault. It's essentially a strike.

[QUOTE=wakeboarderCWB;41361604]The moment I read this I was hurt. I have friends in family in the military, and fireworks are a tradition for the 4th. Not only that, but we can afford to send the Obama's on a $100M adventure to Africa, but can't afford a simple $25k firework show for each base, totaling up to less than $250k? I'm tired of seeing the military make sacrifices for this administration.[/QUOTE] holy shit this is satire right?

[QUOTE=l33tkill;41363328]The cuts closed all of our pools, the movie theater, hobby shop, fishing area, and pretty soon at the end of this month the bowling ally. As someone who lives in the dorms without a car it really sucks trying to find a place to hang out with friends. Even a few Squadrons are getting cut out or moved to a different base. Which really affects the local economy since that's why the town surrounding the base was growing larger in the first place.[/QUOTE] Jesus, only thing we've lost is our theater, along with some squadrons on their way out(guard/reserve taking over, etc) On topic, there wasn't a show at my base, and pretty much all the counties in the local area have a firework ban. We drove roughly an hour out, made friends with some locals, and went into the middle of nowhere in the corner of sketchyville to launch some of ours.

scumbags just cut all the senators' and obama's pay by 100K, even then they'll still be loaded