US Navy Announces Brutal And 'Deeply Regrettable' Cuts
Here are some cuts in detail:
- Shut down carrier air wing two (CVW-2) in April. Gradually stand down flying in at least three additional air wings with two more reduced to minimum safe flying levels
- Cancel deployment of at least six other ships
- The carrier U.S.S. Nimitz is losing its escort destroyer out to CENTCOM area of operations
- Renogotiation of investment contracts. All areas are affected, but three in particular are — Procurement for the Virginia-Class submarines, reactor power units, and the joint high-speed vessel.
- Four Blue Angels appearances will be cancelled, and media marketing will be curbed as much as possible under contractual obligations
The fifth graph of the message is when things get really stark:
5. Actions we have taken to date will continue, to include those affecting the deferral of maintenance for U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln; the deferral of repair work for U.S.S. Miami and U.S.S. Porter; the delayed deployment of U.S.S. Harry S. Truman and U.S.S. Gettysburg; the civilian hiring freeze; the planning for civilian furloughs; and the reduction of all training not related to the readiness of deployed or next-to-deploy forces.
That's a bunch of hurting boats, to include the Truman, a Nimitz class super carrier that was due to go out to the Persian Gulf.
The Navy needs to cut $10 billion under sequestration, and hopes these measures will help them hit that total, reported Sam Felman of The Navy Times.
Mabus ended the message with a doe of reality:
The lack of legislative solution to avoid sequestration is deeply regrettable. That said, we must endeavor to deal with the situation as we face it, not as we wish it could otherwise be.