Wasted Funds

Jim Fausone

Veterans Disability Lawyer

So I am no fashion expert.  I suspect most guys just toss on what is in the closet and hope it does not clash too badly.  Uniforms are supposed to be functional, not clash with the environment, create esprit de corps and be distinguishable.  But when I read about the government’s continuing attempt to reinvent the military uniform it drives me batty.  Eight years ago DOD spent $5 billion on a heavily-criticized universal camouflage pattern (UCP).  Nobody liked it and the pattern did not work in Afghanistan.  Someone said it was only camouflage if you were hiding in a gravel parking lot.   Now the Army is back at the drawing board looking for a new design that’s estimated to cost another $4 billion.

So here is my comparison.  A veteran with a 50% disability receives about $12,000 a year, which is not much to live on and support your wife and child.  We are going to blow $9 billion on fashion choices in a decade.  That would cover the annual cost for 750,000 veterans to receive benefits.  Sometimes I think the government’s priorities are screwed up.  Are you a fan of the UCP or do you want it gone no matter what the price?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-hero-project/articles/2013/10/14/the-army-s-5-billion-new-uniform-already-being-replaced.html