NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20051101.aspx

Pissing It All Away

November 1, 2005: Talk about pissing away our defense dollars. Citing a non-existent water shortage aboard U.S. Navy ships, Congress wants the navy to spend $2 million to have a Michigan company adapt its “water-free” urinals for ship board use. To add insult to injury, Congress wants the navy to take the money from its operations (ships at sea for training) and maintenance (keeping the ships in good shape) money. This, unfortunately, is so typical of how Congress uses the defense budget to take care of their friends and supporters, at the expense of the troops.

Actually, nuclear powered carriers and subs don’t have a water shortage problem – they’ve got lots of fresh water all the time, courtesy of nuclear power and desalination equipment. Destroyers and cruisers both do OK in the water department. It’s only amphibious ships that can have a problem, and then only when they’re carrying a full load marines. But there are many discomforts of living on an amphibious ship, and taking more frequent showers ranks rather far down on the list.

Yea for the congress! :headbang:

Ever been on board ship? We had water shortages every so often, because the boilers water has to be very pure, and sea water is not usable for anything but firfighting - which is why I had that big red seastrainer next to my rack. Saving purified water is not a bad idea at all - if your Main Space goes DIW, ie, engine quits, for you land lubbers, then all your desalination quits, too. In older ships, this happens more and more, and the one thing the US Navy has is older ships!
Nuclear power helps a lot, and perhaps that isn't the same problem, (never served on a nuke ship), but in the oil fired variety, this might not be a bad idea, saving oil, wear and tear, etc.
$2 million? In DC that's a sneeze....look at all the money we piss away through th UN....

Ever been on board ship? We had water shortages every so often, because the boilers water has to be very pure, and sea water is not usable for anything but firfighting - which is why I had that big red seastrainer next to my rack. Saving purified water is not a bad idea at all - if your Main Space goes DIW, ie, engine quits, for you land lubbers, then all your desalination quits, too. In older ships, this happens more and more, and the one thing the US Navy has is older ships!
Nuclear power helps a lot, and perhaps that isn't the same problem, (never served on a nuke ship), but in the oil fired variety, this might not be a bad idea, saving oil, wear and tear, etc.

If the Navy was asking for them, I'd say great. But, as I understand it, some congress critter from Michigan is looking to swing a bit of pork his way at the Navy's expense.

$2 million? In DC that's a sneeze....look at all the money we piss away through th UN....

True, true, all to true. But the $2 million is for research. To replace them's going to cost alot more. And $2 million plus the cost to fix a problem the Navy may not want to fix might well be spent on, mmm.... say a salary increase so we can keep experienced people in.