GOP Rep Kinzinger: US Military Is ‘Approaching a Readiness Crisis’

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) argued that the military is approaching a “readiness crisis.”

Kinzinger said, “I think it’s probably approaching a readiness crisis.”

He further stated that sequestration caps have created a situation where the military is “robbing Peter to pay Paul. And so, it’s like — it’s the old bathtub theory. You have a full bathtub, you can pull the plug from it, it’s not going to be empty immediately. But you walk back in and realize it’s empty and it takes you a while to fill that bathtub back up. So, this is approaching a readiness crisis and something we have to take very seriously in Congress.”

Kinzinger also argued that the issue of fatal non-combat accidents are partially an issue of training and partially an issue of old equipment. He also stated that there is a problem with military culture, how promotions are given, and the amount of time spent on “checklist items” added by Congress and military leadership. Kinzinger also said the US is asking more of a smaller Navy.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett