Defense secretary calls for military to tighten its belt

Ike warned about military industrial complex

Defense Secretary Robert GatesDefense Secretary Robert Gates says the nation’s military, like the rest of the nation, must rein in spending.

Gates spoke Saturday at the Eisenhower President Library in Abilene, Kan. Eisenhower had warned the nation not to let the military industrial complex take over.

Army Times reported that Gates said health care costs are rising dramatically as are the costs of new weapons systems. He said providing health care to veterans is a “sacred obligation.”

Noting that typical annual spending increases are 2 to 3 percent, he said, “It is highly unlikely that we will achieve the real growth rates necessary to sustain the current force structure.” he said, noting that typical spending increases are 2 to 3 percent.

His estimates did not include the cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which are likely to top $1 trillion a year by the end of 2010. The 2011 budget request for other spending is $550 billion.

“The goal is to cut our overhead costs and transfer those savings to force structure and modernization within the programmed budget,” he said.

On Friday, Gates urged the Congress not to give the military more than it asked for, the Washington Post reported.