Congressional supercommittee mustn't undermine military

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told members of the House Armed Services Committee that additional cuts to military spending would devastate the nation's defense, according to an Oct. 14 Star-Telegram story.

Congress' deficit-cutting supercommittee is searching for ways to get our federal deficit under control. Many areas of the budget are under review, including national defense, which accounts for about 20 percent of federal spending.

Congress has already cut $460 billion from the defense budget over the next decade; this month, the congressional supercommittee could allow an additional $500 billion in cuts.

On Wednesday, the chiefs of all four military branches told the House Armed Services Committee that further defense cuts would be a "catastrophic" blow to their ability to protect the nation.

As a general manager who works locally in the defense industry, I heartily agree with Panetta and the chiefs that additional cuts would be a serious mistake.

I work for Parker Aerospace's Stratoflex Products Division, headquartered in Fort Worth. Our division is a world leader in fluid conveyance systems for the aerospace market and supports most aircraft in production in the world today. Our products include a broad array of hoses and hose assemblies and fittings, joints, valves, hydraulic fuses and regulators.

Parker Aerospace employs more than 537 in Fort Worth and Mansfield and 5,600 nationwide. The jobs we offer are well-paying, with good benefits in a positive work environment. In this time of high unemployment, these are the kind of jobs that make our state and country strong and healthy, economically and industrially. These are the kind of jobs we need to keep.

I firmly believe that Congress should preserve funding in the budget for defense, space and civil aviation and should resist calls for additional cuts. Such cuts would have a deleterious effect on the aerospace industry, degrading America's military capabilities and threatening our nation's position as a world leader in aerospace while sacrificing hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs.

Our country has more than 1.5 million Americans serving in uniform, is involved in wars in two nations and risks terrorist attacks from a variety of sources.

To meet these challenges, the military needs the advanced, life-saving technology and equipment that the aerospace and defense industries provide.

However, significant defense cuts hamper our ability to supply the military with these tools. With the F-35 joint strike fighter in test flight, for example, no manned military airplanes or helicopters are in development for the first time in 100 years.

Deep cuts to space and civil aviation programs, specifically NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration, would have an adverse effect on our nation as well.

NASA allows the United States to retain its space leadership in the world.

Both NASA and the FAA play a key role in the planning and execution of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, which promises to transform air transport.

We at Parker ask for the support of our local U.S. House member, Rep. Kay Granger, and the community in preserving funding for defense, space and civil aviation. Let's retain our leadership in the global aerospace industry.

Raj Gupta is general manager of the Stratoflex Products Division of Parker Aerospace in Fort Worth.