The devil is always in the details, as we will likely see with the recent fiscal year 2010 budget outlines by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Gates’ road map for the budget spends $1.4 billion per day, an increase of about 4 percent over FY09. Now he has to convince Congress of his direction and the outcomes. While a number of well-known programs face the ax—many coming as no surprise—spending on military health care and family care appears to be holding steady. While it will take some time for the particulars to be announced, the budget plans indicate a funding increase of about $900 million. Medical research and development could also see $400 million in new funding, continuing a trend of increased funding in the area.
One focus of this increased spending should certainly be programs helping those with brain injuries and psychological health issues. These programs have not seen the levels of support that they warrant. Funding needs to be done not on a supplemental basis but be institutionalized into the base budget.
FY10 should see the full implementation of a comprehensive TBI registry, including a single point of responsibility for tracking incidents and recovery. In addition, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence for psychological health and traumatic brain injury will be dedicated in the late fall of 2009. Overall spending will see an increase of about $300 million. DoD is expected to spend more than $47 billion in FY10.
Where exactly will all of this money go? As the new editor of Military Medical/CBRN Technology, I will be working with our correspondents and our other contributors to understand just what the details of the new budget will be. But as the reader, you may know best of all the merits of many of the individual aspects of the forthcoming budget.
Please feel free to contact me about just where you see the devil in the new budget, as well as any comments or suggestions about MMT.
Ted McKenna, Editor This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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