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Military.com Forums Hot Topics & Current Events In the News Gates Promises Halt to AF Personnel Cuts|
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Member |
RE: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,169577,00.html
Why stop the cuts, doesn't this fit in with Obama comments to reduce the Armed Forces! |
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Member |
You know they say history repeats its self......well I was part of the last Democratic draw down back in the mid 90’s, it hurt everyone.…….the best of the best got out of the Air Force, what was left was people who were not as marketable in the civilian world.
It left a huge void in the Air Force to which we still have not recovered from. Democrats dislike the military plain and simple. Osbama will make Clintons cuts look like child’s play and his assertion of getting a military man, as his VP is a sad attempt to pacify Americas Warriors!! |
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Member |
If I said it once, I said it many times. You dont cut the military ever. We are in a strain due to the fact that the Military drew down in the 90s, now lets blame Bush for straining our miltary. idiots.
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Super Member |
One thing, not all of the best of the best got out of the Air Force or the other branches. Those that didn't want to put it really on the line, in a peace time military, the toughest military to be in, got out. Yes, there were the "no loads" that stayed in but you have those at all times, not just during a draw down. The real true "dedicated" men and women stuck it out, because they knew, that they would be needed to man the walls, even for the inconsiderate that would think them "no loads" and "non hackers" that could only survive in the military... They put up with people looking down their noses at them, the long separations from their loved ones, equipment shortages and no money for spare parts. They watched their brothers and sisters die from bad equipment and no training, but they held on, because they knew, deep down inside themselves, that the "sunshine" patriots were all gone and THEY now had to hold the line, till the nation came to it's sense once again... IMHO... Respectfully, SUNLINER81 |
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I can only speak of my experience and about 6 other Air Force Cops who got out in 1994-1996. When we started using .22 ammo at the range instead of 5.56, we didn’t have blanks to activate our MILES Gear and when we didn’t do our yearly desert training I knew the Clinton administration wasn’t giving me the tools my men and I needed to fight a real war. As you know you fight how you train, and we were not training at all. The seven I speak of are now all in senior rolls in Law Enforcement and located in Tampa and Orlando and work for those respective PD’s. The Military needs to be maintained and not cut again!! Thanks for you service SUNLINER81!! |
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New Member |
A Job in the Pacific
General LeMay left CBI in January 1945 to take up his new command at the XXIst Bomber Command, the Mariannas..He then commanded the B-29 bombing raids that turned Tokyo into a Horizon-to-horizon bonfire, and he supervised the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.. Built to Destroy Japan "B-29s belonged to the Twentieth Bomber Command; they were the most advanced airplanes of their time, with a range of well over 5,000 miles, and were at the disposal only of General "Hap" Arnold and President Roosevelt in Washington..They had been built specifically to destroy Japan, and the closest safe bases the United States could locate for their design and distance capacity in 1943 had been China..Thus, they arrived in Chentu from over The Hump in the Spring of 1944 divorced from all local command and control, either Stilwell's, Chennault's or Chiang's..They were a pure strategic instrument, the best the Air Force could put into the sky - and watching them prepare to hit stretched my horizon along with that of our generals.. He Learned from Caleb Haynes LeMay flew with Col.Caleb V. Haynes, another CBIer when Haynes established the World War II North Atlantic ferry routh from Gander, Newfoundland, to Prestwick, Scotland.. ..Later, LeMay joined Haynes when Haynes established the South Atlantic ferry route - the route used by most crews ferrying aircraft to CBI.. |
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New Member |
Finally, we have an actual SecDef! The US armed forces are our country's bread and butter. America stands today because of its military strength and reach. Cutting personnel should never be on the table. If the Government wants to save money targeting wasteful spending and programs is the wise thing to do. As for the political aspect, both Rep and Dem have allowed the reductions of forces. Clinton started it in the 90's and Bush/Rumsf kept on cutting(2002 AF force shaping)!
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20 day Suspension 25 July 2008 Fin moderator |
Obama has actually said he plans to increase the number of Marines and Army. But yes, continue to post lies. Building a 21st Century Military * The Problem: The excellence of our military is unmatched. But as a result of a misguided war in Iraq, our forces are under pressure as never before. Obama will make the investments we need so that the finest military in the world is best-prepared to meet 21st-century threats. * Rebuild Trust: Obama will rebuild trust with those who serve by ensuring that soldiers and Marines have sufficient training time before they are sent into battle. * Expand the Military: We have learned from Iraq that our military needs more men and women in uniform to reduce the strain on our active force. Obama will increase the size of ground forces, adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines. * New Capabilities: Obama will give our troops new equipment, armor, training, and skills like language training. He will also strengthen our civilian capacity, so that our civilian agencies have the critical skills and equipment they need to integrate their efforts with our military. * Strengthen Guard and Reserve: Obama will restore the readiness of the National Guard and Reserves. He will permit them adequate time to train and rest between deployments, and provide the National Guard with the equipment they need for foreign and domestic emergencies. He will also give the Guard a seat at the table by making the Chief of the National Guard a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. |
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Super Member |
Actually, the very first cuts came under Bush "41"... Politicians, both parties, have always used the military as their example of, "See, I'm cutting the fat and giving cash to the special interests!". Time for that unjust, unwise, hypocritical CR-P to stop!... You will always have the Military Industrial Complex crowd, out shouting their, "the military is the monster" cr-p. That's the one piece of advice that Eisenhower gave, that they believe, to the point of paranoia! Yes, it was and is a good warning, just that when people get paranoid to the point that they curl their toes every time they go to bed at night, so the MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX MONSTER, won't get them, that it goes beyond a reasoned warning from a President to coming administrations, TO UNREASONED PARANOIA DESTROYING THE NATIONS ABILITY TO DEFEND IT'S SELF!... IMHO... Respectfully, SUNLINER81 |
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Member |
Reducing the Air Force over the years was only a natural progression due to the increased efficiency of weapons systems. We all know that from the numerous bombers it took to destroy a target in WWII, we now have one aircraft using a smart bomb to accomplish the same mission. One F-22 can destroy a flight of enemy fighters over 100 miles away without ever being detected. The point I'm making is that reduction in the AF was a rational act; however, the current leadership took it a step too far when they started reducing forces beyond acceptable levels in order to pay for an increase in weapons systems (F-22), which was not in keeping with budget restraints placed on them. I believe a 20,000 personnel reduction freed up $1B. The turmoil of these personnel reductions had an impact on retention and morale of the junior officer and lower grade enlisted troops. We have seen major violations of procedures, maintenance, and safety, especially in the nuclear area and thankfully, Dr. Gates and his advisors, recognized the consequences and made the necessary personnel changes to a more oriented team leadership and away from the fighter pilot mentality. It appears from reading AF blogs that the majority of the force, whole heartedly approve of Dr. Gates' actions. Being retired for over 32 years, hopefully, we'll see the old comradery and "can do" attitude that was prevalent in my day.
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New Member |
Thank goodness for a voice of reason.....Our AF troopers are performing in an outstanding manner with half the troopers needed. I was sick watching the lips of AF/CC and AFSEC about how we needed to cut personnel to get a new weapons platform in the air.
Hopefully Gen Swartz will take the time to set the stage and make this right. Drive on AF and check six! |
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Highly Experienced Member |
LOL Oh, boy...Obama never said that. He said that he'd cut wasteful defense spending - and there's plenty of that. If he is elected, and brings our troops home, is that "reducing the Armed Forces"? If you have a fact to provide, please do - not some partisan paranoia. |
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Super Member |
How about outlining some of the "fat" that needs to be cut or some of the areas of excess spending that need to be cut... Respectfully, SUNLINER81 |
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Highly Experienced Member |
Consider all the money that's being pumped into Iraq, that wouldn't be difficult. How much of our military spending is related to maintaining the logistical support for that effort? Toward maintaining the infrastructure for our forces there? We have spent close to $700 billion in "supplemental funding" alone. Lot of dosh, brother. |
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Super Member |
Supplying the troops in combat is not fat... What else?... Respectfully, SUNLINER81 |
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New Member |
What about those of us who were caught up in force shaping in 2006. I was in a critical AFSC and forced out. The AFSC is still critical would they allow me back in the Air Force. I transferred to the Army because of force shaping to keep my retirement, but if I could come back I would. Does anone have any idea?
John Hunter |
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New Member |
Jap Fighters Let Him Down
.The mission LeMay chose was the bombing raid of 108 B-29s against the Japanese coke ovens and steel mills at Anshan, Manchuria, on Sept. 8, 1944..Anshan was a high-priority target.. ..LeMay's reason for selecting Anshan, however, was that intelligence reports stated the Japanese were using their best fighter aircraft to protect the Anshan complex..The Japanese plane was powered by a new, in-line, liquid-cooled engine..LeMay said he wanted to see that fighter in action.. ..He was disappointed..Over Anshan, the Japs had miscalculated the speed of the B-29s and only one fighter got close enough to touch off a burst of machine gun fire.. ..His aircraft was hit by flak..Two crew members suffered minor shrapnel injuries.. B-29s Were Fuel Cannibals A B-29 had to make seven flights over The Hump carrying gasoline to enable a China-based B-29 to make one bombing mission over Japanese territory.. ..After the war, LeMay wrote that "it was bad logistics, wherein our greatest share of flying effort had to be expended in bringing gas to those Chentu strips....We must accept the fact that there can be no sustained and intensive effort by any bombers who have to feed their own fuel to themselves.." Only One Way - My way LeMay was the first to admit that his hardnosed approach did not win him any popularity contests with pilots and crews..He insisted that crews maintain full training schedules between missions..He also changed B-29 tactics by ordering different bombing formations (the B-29 formation had been a four-plane diamond), and by ordering day-light missions.. ..His nickname was "The Iron Eagle.." The Iron Eagle Old CBIer, Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, who commanded the XXth Bomber Command at Kharagpur, India, from August 1944 to January 1945, died at March Air Force Base on October 1, 1990..He was born on November 15, 1906, in Columbus, Ohio.. Hap Arnold Said "No" When he learned of his assignment to CBI, General LeMay went to Grand Island and stayed there until he was qualified as a B-29 aircraft commander..He had flown missions in ETO and insisted he be allowed to fly B-29 missions from B-29 bases at Chentu, China.. ..Gen. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold said "no" LeMay insisted and Arnold said "no" again and again..But "no" was an answer LeMay would not accept.. .."I've got to fly at least one mission at the start," LeMay pleaded, "or I won't know what's going on.." ..He persisted until Arnold relented and said: "OK, Curt, but only one mission..No more.." A Different Breed of Men I met General LeMay at his new headquarters in Kharagpur in September 1944, shortly after he arrived to take up the new B-29 command..I was a United Press War Correspondent and I hope to get a few quotes from the new commanding general.. ..LeMay's headquarters was the warden's residence at the India penitentiary the British had turned over to the command.. ..LeMay was smoking a pipe, although he became famous later for his cigars.. ..His previous command had been in ETO..After being associated with English civilians at his headquarters, the sight of India civilians was somewhat shocking to him.. ..We walked over to a window just in time to see an India worker squat against a wall to relive himself.. .."What kind of a country is it," LeMay asked, "where men squat to piss??" A Word That Sounded Real LeMay believed that the old RAF word "prang" for an aircraft crash should be used everywhere.. "'Prang' is what a crash sounds like," LeMay said.. |
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New Member |
Again..A great missed opportunity for "Change" due to the great bureacratic military machine whereby the left hand continues to not know what the right hand is doing.Senate Armed Forces Commiitee member Carl Levin has said that cuts will be coming to a DOD location near you.This would be a great opportunity to RETURN THE AF BACK TO THE Department of the Army.I was an Army Recruiter at the start of OIF and I can't count the number of kids who refused to join the Army because they felt that the AF was easier and didn't go to Iraq or Afghanistan (Even AF Recruiters would tell them that to get the sale). many of our MOS's are actually taught by the AF and vice versa and BRAC has forced many AF and Army personnel to share military installation space. The DOD cuts would be a lot less severe if we returned the AF back under DOA and got rid of redundant jobs and positions. The Marines have done very well under the Department of the Navy and saves billions by letting the Navy handle healthcare.Fratricide would also be reduced and U.S. Air superiority would strengthen under one total command. AF military and civilian leaders proved to be incompetent and as a result were given the "boot"..now would be a perfect time to completely overhaul the whole system and prevent further erosion of the AF.
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How many security guards does the Air Force need? Seems as though every other person in the AF is a security guard. Roll the AF back into the Army.
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies." - T. Jefferson |
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Military.com Forums Hot Topics & Current Events In the News Gates Promises Halt to AF Personnel Cuts
