Money News

The "budget race" continues .... er, not to be seen left not wanting for budget dollars:

item: Army, Marine Corps Short $5 Billion for New Armored Vehicles in FY-08
item: Navy Outlines $5.6 Billion in Unfunded Needs
item: SOCOM Requires Additional $391 Million in FY-08 For Body Armor, Weapons
item: Army Details $10.2 Billion in 'Unfunded Requirements' for 2008

item one-time bonus for re-up: Every Marine who re-enlists before Sept. 30 will get at least $10,000, including those who already re-enlisted this fiscal year, according to a Corps-wide message released Wednesday.

item build-up: The service is in the midst of adding 22,000 Marines to its ranks — about 5,000 leathernecks a year — by 2011, for a total of 202,000 Marines.

BUT ...

The number of waivers granted to Army recruits with criminal backgrounds has grown about 65 percent in the last three years, increasing to 8,129 in 2006 from 4,918 in 2003, Department of Defense records show.

While everyone focuses on other aspects of the OUSDF's 'policy shaping' of pre-war intelligence, here are the Comptrollers budget figures.