Defense officials typically enter the end of each fiscal year with at least one goal in mind: spend the rest of the military’s budget by any means necessary.
I have a problem with the breathless tone of this piece. There is definitely waste in government spending, but a September spike does not prove it. In any budget plan there are higher and lower priorities, and you don't fund the lower priorities until the must-have items are taken care of. September is when you finally see how much is left over for the things like furniture. Often you are in a situation where you could make do with the old furniture and wait another year, but you do need to upgrade sometime. September is simply when you achieve clarity on how much is available for furniture, and send that money out the door without risking any impact to the "must buy now" programs. So again, while there is definitely waste in government, this pearl clutching expose about a September spike is really a dis service to readers, because it diverts attention from more hidden problems.
Is there a breakdown somewhere for individual purchase prices? Or the breakdown of distribution between the different departments? I think that is more important than just the overall spending sticker shock. To even attempt to make a suggestion of budget ideas those decisions would be key. The expensive purchases for high ranking officers quarters isn’t really upsetting to me because they aren’t owned by an individual but become part of the property. I’ve had the experience of visiting certain prestigious quarters and it’s really more like part of history and honor. I could even understand the surf and turf with proper justification and signed off by a person that is willing to accept accountability in a budget audit. I’m wondering though if some of the items were purchased from a business that has a 400% markup from any other competitor.
troops eat luxury king crabs and pianos? dude did you just read 1st para or skim the article to write this comment? read the article properly man, its not saying that the money went to troops it went to everything but troops lol
STEVE DO REAL TROOPS GET THE FOOD OR IT FOR UPPER CLASS AND THOSE WORKING AT PENTAGON who canEAT MEALS FROM THEIR OWN PERSONAL WALLETS ? Does the troops all the furniture to site on, AND DO THEY THE ICE CREAM MACHINES AND SLUSHIES AND SUCH?
After all the recent discussions with more information from the actual troops and veterans regarding the practice of ‘Friday Steak-night’, do you have any follow up? Stats are great but so is a little context!
If you're angry about troops getting fed while they're busy putting themselves on the line for America, maybe you should remember how much money the Biden administration spent on hotel room, "culturally sensitive" meals, healthcare, cellphones and EBT cards for ILLEGAL ALIENS!
These staggering figures and the US Department of Defense’s full-steam-ahead spending are emblematic of a crumbling empire taking its final bow before exiting stage left. Underneath the painful “we are winning” speeches, Trump and his soulless cabal of warmongering lunatics know that America is finished and that it’s over for them, and that at this point in time they have nothing to lose.
It reminds me of a famous quote by the late Frank Zappa, American composer, musician, and film director:
"The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater."
Great observation. I'm no fan of Elon, but I was under the impression DOGE wasn't allowed to look at/cut DoD pentagon spending. And this in part, lead to Elon throwing the tantrum, quiting, getting a black eye, tweeting Trump was on the epstein list and then apologizing like a punk.
I'm not a fan of his and don't stay up to date on him or DOGE. But this is what I passively saw.
You buried the lede! A significant cause of this is that Operations & Maintenance (O&M) funding is limited to 1-year. This is compounded by the continued reliance on Continuing Resolutions to fund the government rather than passing a budget. Congress can fix this easily.
"Some of the huge bill went towards food orders fit for a king. The military spent $103.7 million on meat, fish and poultry, including $16.6 million on ribeye steak and 147 orders of lobster tail for $6.1 million.
"Orders of blueberries, ice cream and doughnuts also exceeded $100,000.
"And of course, the military needs the latest technology. In September that included 130 iPhone 16 Pro Max devices, part of $5.1 million spent on Apple products.
"Another $211.7 million went toward new furniture, and $24.4 million was spent on books and newspapers.
"There were also orders for car footrests totaling $36,000."
This happened in September 2024 and it's disgusting. Oh, wait, that was during the Biden Administration. That's different.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO THE PRESIDENT WAS OR IS THAT A FKING WASTE OF TXPAYERS money THAT COULD INSTEAD BRING DOWN THE AMERICAN DEBT OR FEED THE POOR AND HOMELESS.
Look, I used to buy copier paper at the end of the year; it was the closest thing to cash you could get. I'd fill an entire room in the barracks with it. Then, half way through the next year when budgets got tight, I could give it out to other military organizations for favors. "Hey, I'm missing 3 flack jackets. I also can't seem to get 50cal for my guys to qualify. Can I trade you 5 boxes of copier paper? Done deal."
I'm guessing most of the lobster was eaten by the troops. No General Officer with any sense would eat better than the troops, especially not with cell phone camaras the way they are. Naval ships are the only places where officers eat separate from the troops that I know of. And quite frankly, the vast majority of General Officers are straight shooters in my experience. It's when they retire you've got to watch out for them; calling in favors with the guys they promoted on behalf of the Military Industrial Complex.
Contracts? not really my lane, though they might use the contract as a way to roll the money into the next year and then use that savings for something else since it's all fungible. The system will never be perfect. maybe 80% efficient at best. I lived it for 30 years and am only mildly concerned.
There should be a rule that every dollar spent by the defense department (or any department) not spent directly on defense (or on that department’s explicitly stated purpose) should automatically be deleted from the next budget, with hearings for cases to prove line items as justified and reasonable operating expenses, to be accepted and incorporated into the next budget only by a two-thirds majority of Congress. We are talking about taxation, after all.
A full half of my annual expense goes to pay my health insurance premiums. A full half. I am comfortable in that I have food and shelter, but I am not eating crab nor lobster. I doubt most Americans are. Why are any of my tax dollars paying for the frivolity of others?
I have a problem with the breathless tone of this piece. There is definitely waste in government spending, but a September spike does not prove it. In any budget plan there are higher and lower priorities, and you don't fund the lower priorities until the must-have items are taken care of. September is when you finally see how much is left over for the things like furniture. Often you are in a situation where you could make do with the old furniture and wait another year, but you do need to upgrade sometime. September is simply when you achieve clarity on how much is available for furniture, and send that money out the door without risking any impact to the "must buy now" programs. So again, while there is definitely waste in government, this pearl clutching expose about a September spike is really a dis service to readers, because it diverts attention from more hidden problems.
Is there a breakdown somewhere for individual purchase prices? Or the breakdown of distribution between the different departments? I think that is more important than just the overall spending sticker shock. To even attempt to make a suggestion of budget ideas those decisions would be key. The expensive purchases for high ranking officers quarters isn’t really upsetting to me because they aren’t owned by an individual but become part of the property. I’ve had the experience of visiting certain prestigious quarters and it’s really more like part of history and honor. I could even understand the surf and turf with proper justification and signed off by a person that is willing to accept accountability in a budget audit. I’m wondering though if some of the items were purchased from a business that has a 400% markup from any other competitor.
There is nothing wrong to feed our troops, they appreciate the meal, they make it available for you to feast
troops eat luxury king crabs and pianos? dude did you just read 1st para or skim the article to write this comment? read the article properly man, its not saying that the money went to troops it went to everything but troops lol
STEVE DO REAL TROOPS GET THE FOOD OR IT FOR UPPER CLASS AND THOSE WORKING AT PENTAGON who canEAT MEALS FROM THEIR OWN PERSONAL WALLETS ? Does the troops all the furniture to site on, AND DO THEY THE ICE CREAM MACHINES AND SLUSHIES AND SUCH?
I never heard any soldiers or sailors complain so I don't know
I WISH THE TROOPS WOULD GET ALL STUFF THAT WAS NAMED GOD BLESS OR TROOPS
$98,300 for a grand piano and $26,000 for a violin? I thought we were supposed to be tightening our belts!
After all the recent discussions with more information from the actual troops and veterans regarding the practice of ‘Friday Steak-night’, do you have any follow up? Stats are great but so is a little context!
If you're angry about troops getting fed while they're busy putting themselves on the line for America, maybe you should remember how much money the Biden administration spent on hotel room, "culturally sensitive" meals, healthcare, cellphones and EBT cards for ILLEGAL ALIENS!
TRUMPS 2 SONS SPENT A TON OF MONEY WHILE WENT TO DUBAI I IT WAS FANSCY SPORTS CARS AND HOTELS AND DINNERS AND ON FLIGHTS AT TAXPAYERS MONEY
U are not wrong. As a veteran, I participated in "use it or lose it" spending almost annually for 24 years.
These staggering figures and the US Department of Defense’s full-steam-ahead spending are emblematic of a crumbling empire taking its final bow before exiting stage left. Underneath the painful “we are winning” speeches, Trump and his soulless cabal of warmongering lunatics know that America is finished and that it’s over for them, and that at this point in time they have nothing to lose.
It reminds me of a famous quote by the late Frank Zappa, American composer, musician, and film director:
"The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater."
Great observation. I'm no fan of Elon, but I was under the impression DOGE wasn't allowed to look at/cut DoD pentagon spending. And this in part, lead to Elon throwing the tantrum, quiting, getting a black eye, tweeting Trump was on the epstein list and then apologizing like a punk.
I'm not a fan of his and don't stay up to date on him or DOGE. But this is what I passively saw.
You buried the lede! A significant cause of this is that Operations & Maintenance (O&M) funding is limited to 1-year. This is compounded by the continued reliance on Continuing Resolutions to fund the government rather than passing a budget. Congress can fix this easily.
Can you believe this as well?
"Some of the huge bill went towards food orders fit for a king. The military spent $103.7 million on meat, fish and poultry, including $16.6 million on ribeye steak and 147 orders of lobster tail for $6.1 million.
"Orders of blueberries, ice cream and doughnuts also exceeded $100,000.
"And of course, the military needs the latest technology. In September that included 130 iPhone 16 Pro Max devices, part of $5.1 million spent on Apple products.
"Another $211.7 million went toward new furniture, and $24.4 million was spent on books and newspapers.
"There were also orders for car footrests totaling $36,000."
This happened in September 2024 and it's disgusting. Oh, wait, that was during the Biden Administration. That's different.
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2025/01/28/waste_of_the_day_pentagon_posts_most_expensive_month_since_2008_1087219.html
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO THE PRESIDENT WAS OR IS THAT A FKING WASTE OF TXPAYERS money THAT COULD INSTEAD BRING DOWN THE AMERICAN DEBT OR FEED THE POOR AND HOMELESS.
And yes, the steak and lobster does go to the troops, especially deployed troops. At least there's that.
Can't disagree but if you dont use it, and you need the money next year, you're screwed. So you play the BS game. Former Navy officer.
Where can I find the primary sources for these numbers?
But WHY DO THEY GET THAT IF THEY DON'T NEED THAT MUCH TO BEGIN WITH.
Look, I used to buy copier paper at the end of the year; it was the closest thing to cash you could get. I'd fill an entire room in the barracks with it. Then, half way through the next year when budgets got tight, I could give it out to other military organizations for favors. "Hey, I'm missing 3 flack jackets. I also can't seem to get 50cal for my guys to qualify. Can I trade you 5 boxes of copier paper? Done deal."
I'm guessing most of the lobster was eaten by the troops. No General Officer with any sense would eat better than the troops, especially not with cell phone camaras the way they are. Naval ships are the only places where officers eat separate from the troops that I know of. And quite frankly, the vast majority of General Officers are straight shooters in my experience. It's when they retire you've got to watch out for them; calling in favors with the guys they promoted on behalf of the Military Industrial Complex.
Contracts? not really my lane, though they might use the contract as a way to roll the money into the next year and then use that savings for something else since it's all fungible. The system will never be perfect. maybe 80% efficient at best. I lived it for 30 years and am only mildly concerned.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME UNDERSTAND SOME.
Was the crab, lobster and sushi for high-ranking officials or rank-and-file?
WTF. 🤬
There should be a rule that every dollar spent by the defense department (or any department) not spent directly on defense (or on that department’s explicitly stated purpose) should automatically be deleted from the next budget, with hearings for cases to prove line items as justified and reasonable operating expenses, to be accepted and incorporated into the next budget only by a two-thirds majority of Congress. We are talking about taxation, after all.
A full half of my annual expense goes to pay my health insurance premiums. A full half. I am comfortable in that I have food and shelter, but I am not eating crab nor lobster. I doubt most Americans are. Why are any of my tax dollars paying for the frivolity of others?