How will defense cuts affect you?

Opinion: September 10, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

By Steven P. BUCCI

Heritage Foundation

Today, Washington is abuzz with wonky discussions on potential mandatory budget cuts that will hit on Jan. 2. The process is called “sequestration.” It is so technical that right now you may be tempted to dismiss it as “inside Washington baseball.” Sadly, it isn’t.

The Department of Defense (DoD) budget is set to absorb the lion’s share of the New Year’s cuts, which will go into effect if steps are not taken to stop them. DoD makes up about 11 percent of federal spending, but will eat 47 percent of the cuts.

Several concerned congressmen and senators have begun to do “road shows” to raise awareness of the issue. Their main focus is on the communities that will be most directly hit, those around the big federal military facilities. Think Fayetteville, N.C., San Diego and Norfolk, Va. The message to these folks is primarily an economic one, and one that focuses on the dangerous effects on the defense industrial base.

What about you? What about all those Americans who don’t live near a fort or a base, or have jobs that support defense? No big deal, right? Unfortunately, you would be dead wrong.

Overall effect

Two prominent experts in the field of homeland security — one a former assistant secretary of defense, the other a retired three-star general from the National Guard — discussed this issue recently at The Heritage Foundation. They pointed out an overlooked effect of the cuts. That would be the ability of DoD to fund the National Guard when they’re under the command and control of their state governors.

Title 32 is funded by DoD and is currently the most prevalent way to use the Guard when you have a problem. It allows the cash-strapped states to use their assets as they see fit (which is normally the most effective way), but to allow DoD to pay the salaries of the troops. Wildfires? Call out the Guard, ask for Title 32. Floods? Title 32 again. Major catastrophic event across multiple states (such as a big earthquake in the Midwest, or a series of coordinated terrorist events)? Title 32 is still the way to go. It leverages the local know-how and connections with key local assets, but allows the cost to be handled by the feds.

National Guard

If sequestration hits, the ability of DoD to provide these Title 32 funds will go away. All that discretionary ability to help your governor to use your state’s National Guard assets will evaporate. The governor will be forced to make the call to send help or not, based on his or her own budget.

Sequestration is not a “Washington” issue. It will hit any one of us, regardless of where we live or what we do, and it will hurt. These cuts must be reversed. This is no longer an academic or theoretical discussion, but one that will have potentially devastating effects on every American.

Steven P. Bucci is senior research fellow for defense and homeland security at The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.