Critics: Army transformation costs should be in budget, not supplemental

The Army is counting on lawmakers to approve $12 billion for transformation initiatives as part of the Pentagon's forthcoming $80 billion fiscal 2005 wartime supplemental spending request, an item Pentagon leaders directed to be included in the supplemental.

Critics say the money, part of the Army's $57 billion share of the emergency supplemental, could have been built into the regular fiscal 2006 budget slated for delivery to lawmakers Feb. 7.

"They've decided to hide $12 billion that belongs in the annual budget in the supplemental," said Christopher Hellman, director of the Project on Military Spending Oversight at the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation. "That's dirty pool."

Hellman noted an internal Pentagon budget proposal dated Dec. 23 indicates the Army will budget for these "modularity" initiatives -- part of which involves a plan to develop new medium-weight brigades, which attempt to strike a balance between unarmored light brigades and armored heavy brigades -- in the regular budget cycle beginning in fiscal 2007. The document states such costs are to be paid for with supplemental funds.

But Hellman says the Pentagon cannot have it both ways. "It's either an emergency item or a budget item," he said. "These guys are getting into some really, really bad habits."

Sources close to the Pentagon say the 2006 budget request does not include money for the effort, nor for costs associated with ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. One source said Pentagon planners assume a second supplemental spending package will be approved for 2006 to cover any gaps the regular 2006 budget -- expected to total more than $400 billion -- fails to address.

Some advocates argue the supplemental funding for Army transformation is justified. "These costs aren't being hidden, they will be four-square in front of the Congress" when the supplemental is delivered to lawmakers next month, said one former Pentagon official.

During a White House background briefing on the proposed supplemental Tuesday, one official said the spending request would address more than just immediate operating costs, taking into account needs for new equipment as older vehicles and weapons systems increasingly wear out faster than anticipated.

The official added that some funding would go toward the Army's plan to break its current 33 deployable combat brigades into 43 or more, as well as a plan to break 15 deployable reserve brigades into 22 or more.