Analyst's note:  Force erosion of our military has already started in both people and equipment.  The U.S. Air Force is now unable to retain pilots, despite being offered large bonuses to remain.  Our Air Force gives us a major edge on the battlefield.  The U.S. Army, U.S. Navy & U.S. Marines are also loosing competent and capable people.  Our military forces see writing on the wall .... with this Obama administration.  No it is NOT all sequestration.  Those left to fight for our nation's freedoms will NOT be ready to deploy, and if deployed will suffer extended causalities.  Our military forces will soon be UNABLE to support even ONE contingency operation.

Is this the change and transparency or hope and change that we need. I think not! 

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WASHINGTON – As if to dramatically illustrate repeated claims top generals have made to WND of a purge of senior officers and a degradation of military readiness under President Obama’s leadership, stunning testimony at a recent Senate committee hearing shows America may soon be unable to fight and win a war.

The Air Force is having problems retaining its pilots, even though they are being offered big bonuses to remain, senators learned at the Nov. 7 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

The problem appears to be partly from sequestration, which has imposed budget limitations on pilots’ ability to get in both the requisite flying time and the training needed to fly the next generation of aircraft, according to Air Force Secretary Eric Fanning.

He expressed grave concern about the trend toward budget cutbacks.

Likewise, at a recent Defense One Summit in Washington, Fanning warned that “we’re going to have flying hour issues for the foreseeable future,” a reference to the reality that pilots must fly a certain number of hours to maintain their ratings on various aircraft.

But Fanning said each U.S. squadron will be subject to rolling groundings of two to three months.

However, for the pilots, the issue isn’t just financial, as they have been offered major cash bonuses as an incentive to stay.

However, Fanning said, “pilots aren’t taking them.”

[....] Officers who have questioned the administration’s actions, including social experimentation and sequestration, have quietly been removed, according to retired Army Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin.

Boykin, a founding member of Delta Force and later deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence under President George W. Bush, has expressed concern to WND over the number of high-ranking officers being relieved of duty, “and not necessarily relieved for cause.”

Referring to recent reports that Obama has purged some 197 officers in the past five years, Boykin said the reports suggest these officers were suspected of disloyalty or disagreed with the Obama administration on policy or force-structure issues.

“Morale is at an unprecedented low,” Boykin added. [....]