Defense Department officials and military leaders warned in the months leading up to sequestration that the March 1 budget cuts would severely inhibit their readiness capabilities. Two months later, we're seeing firsthand just how serious they were.
According to Vice Admiral William Burke of the U.S. Navy:
| "Due to reduced training and maintenance, almost all of our non-deployed ships and aviation squadrons are soon going to be less than fully mission capable and not certified for major combat operations. That's about two-thirds of the fleet." |
The Marine Corps is reporting similar readiness issues, with Lieutenant General William Tryon estimating that half of non-deployed units are at "unacceptable" levels of readiness:
