President Obama on Monday asked the Congress to provide $671 billion for the Defense Department in Fiscal 2012. This request includes $553 billion in discretionary budget authority to fund base defense programs and $118 billion to support overseas contingency operations, primarily in Afghanistan and Iraq. “This budget represents a reasonable, responsible and sustainable level of funding, the minimum level of defense spending that is necessary, given the security challenges we are facing around the globe,” said Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The OCO portion is $41.5 billion below the Fiscal 2011 request of $159.3 billion because it reflects the planned withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by the end of December and a modest decline in funding for Afghanistan operations. Stay tuned for more coverage of the Pentagon’s Fiscal 2012 budget proposal. (DOD release) (DOD webpage for Fiscal 2012 budget documents)
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.