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Member |
RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,154885,00.html
Joey Galloway needs to retire and keep his unhelpful comments to himself. |
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40 DAY WARNING 8-13 NEMESIS |
I hope Joe never stops. For every Gaffney, Bresnahan or North, there should be at least one Galloway.
I am afraid that only a mutiny, along the order of the one that stunned the French in World War I, will stop the determined efforts of the NeoCon Chickenhawks and the armchair Rambos from pursuing this Global War on Terrorism the way we have up to this point. If we do attack Iran, that may also prove to be the breaking point. I don't believe that the Navy and AirForce have enough assets to sustain the intensity needed to break Iran with AirPower alone. Today, we have been put on notice that missile defense systems, installed in Poland and the Czech Republic, would mean a confrontation with Russia on the scale of the Cuban Missile crisis. The Chickenhawks probably think that Putin is bluffing, and the Rambos are saying "Bring it on!" But our military simply isn't ready for this; and don't expect NATO to join us in that kind of fight. It took total destruction of Germany and near total destruction of Japan before the chauvinist and militaristic mindsets in those two countries were broken. I hope that reason and morality can regain control of our nation's leadership before we get that far. |
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Member |
Hey Art,
Glad to see you online. The bottom line is that we just don't have enough people. It's time to face the facts and bring back the draft. |
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Member |
Oh...that's real smart, bring people on board that don't want to be in the military...Commanders and shirts will be spending all their time dealing with them instead of the troop that needs help. |
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Member |
Whoa, Your profile shows you are on active duty with the air force. Perhaps you'll feel differenly when you are snagged for a tour in Iraq only to find yourself on temporary duty with the U.S. Army driving a 6x6 truck dodging IEDs. Both navy and air force personnel are being loaned to the army for truck convoy duty to supplement driver shortages. LOL.  |
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40 DAY WARNING 8-13 NEMESIS |
Thank you AirForceAggie:
Having served during the draft era, I do not fear the draft like so many of the veterans who have served since then. Having a draft would enable the United States Military to manage better many of the demands of the Global War on Terror. The problem is that the American people will not tolerate a draft in which the wealthy and the well-connected could evade service entirely or at least avoid service in combat zones. The wealthy and well-connected will not tolerate a draft that would not afford them ways to avoid service altogether or at least to avoid combat. Had President Bush requested that the draft be resurrected in 2002, I believe that a majority of the American people would have supported it; and that the Congress could not have resisted. But 4-5 years of mismanagement and corruption since then have broken the bonds of trust between President Bush and the American public. A draft is simply out of the question now. |
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Member |
I agree, with this Prez still in office anyway.
This part of Joe's article was the one that jumped off the page for me:
And it isn't going to get any easier, as anyone can see that those numbers are a trend, one which is now skyrocketing. You cannot run any armed force without seasoned, trained and experienced commanders both in the field, and off. I think the people would support a draft, if it was a nationwide service thing, where all 18 year olds serve two years of their life doing something for our Country and our people. If they do not want to serve in uniform, fine. They can still give their service to the country... ALL of them, equally. It worked in WWII, and it can work again IF a strong leader can explain it to the nation with courage and above-average communication skills. Sadly, that means not until AFTER the next election. |
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Member |
A total of 35 percent of the West Point Class of 2000 left the Army in 2005; 46 percent of the Class of 2001 left in 2006, and a staggering 58 percent of the Class of 2002 left active duty when their obligation expired this year.
Those figures are mirrored among officers who are commissioned through university ROTC programs, with attrition rates now at a 30-year high. The Army Reserve reports that the situation is even worse for critical ranks and specialties: The Reserve has only 58 percent of the sergeants first class it needs, 53 percent of the needed captains and 74 percent of needed majors. "We Have a Problem Houston"...Too Say The Least! Mr. Galloway's comments are Right On The Mark! 12383113 posted that "Mr. Galloway should retire and that his comments are unhelpful". Unhelpful to Whom? 12383113 seems to be confused by facts and statistics. When military units have a serious accident or major problem, they "Stand Down" to investigate and correct the problem(s). If we don't seriously begin to address the points made by Mr. Galloway, we will not have a viable Armed Force. Let's hope Admiral Mullen takes the Junior Officer comments to heart and begins the process of solving some of the problems...Which in many cases is above his Pay Grade. |
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Member |
It isn't just the long, multiple deployments and the disruption those deployments create to a military members personal life that are causing people to get out. People know they risk getting killed or seriously maimed and then who is going to take care of their families? Each deployment means another chance that this may happen to them. These deployments interrupt career paths and promotion opportunities. It interrupts any college ambitions the members may have. All of the benefits the service members signs up for can't be realized by being deployed. They need to be home to take advantage of them.
The lifecycle of major weapon systems have been drastically decreased because of the increased OPSTEMPO. The result being service members having to rely on older equipment to execute the mission. It is all of these factors, and many more, that are causing the manpower shortfalls. |
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Basic Training |
A few months ago remarks like this from Galloway would have drawn irrational personal attacks, attacking his hate for George Bush and America and his lack of military service.
Now it has become so bad, even the nut cases have retreated. I wish I could feel better, but all I don't see any progress towards victory or even an "end of major combat operations,' in either Battlefield Iraq or Battlefield Afghanistan. Why can't the most powerfull military force in the history of mankind even keep Iraqi and Afghan children fed? It's a war crime not to. I wish I had some hope that these endless wars would end. |
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Member |
I got a lot of respect for Joe after watching WE WERE SOLDIERS, ONCE AND YOUNG. On this topic, he is right on the money. How long can they keep saying, GIVE ME MORE TROOPS, GIVE ME MORE MONEY, GIVE ME MORE TIME.?
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Member |
Why? I thought he was having a good year for Tampa! |
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Member |
There is a pool of qualified Americans that could easily fill the ranks of our stretched-thin military (Army to be specific.)
That pool consists of millions of Americans who've supported the war effort from the beginning, but have yet to put their beliefs into action. They know who they are.. Just a small % of these folks, or their draft-age kids, could easily augment our brave military forces - if they just signed up! A yellow magnet stuck on the back of a car just doesn't do it; neither does "go shopping" as the President encouraged us to do way back when. Instead, 4th and 5th tours are just over the horizon for many soldiers and Marines. If this is a war, as we're told, then why is just a small segment of American involved? Why not take the $ being paid to privateers and invest it in those who are truly earning it? And weren't we supposed to be paying off our war debt via oil revenues/profits from Iraqi oil? Looks like a catch-22.. |
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Member |
We are so screwed.
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Member |
As opposed to the hs dropouts and felons we have now? Most of the disciplinary problems during the Vietnam era weren't with the draftees. It was the post-Vietnam all volunteer army of the 70s that was the problem. Back then, you had all of the people who were hs dropouts and lower standards because no one wanted to be in the Army in the years immediately after Vietnam. Check your history before you mouth off. |
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Member |
You're right. Draftees are getting a bad rap by some folks here. I knew draftees during Vietnam. They weren't happy to be there, but did their duty honorably and well. I've asked my own 19 year old son what he would do if there were a draft. The boy's the original question authority, but he said if called he would go and he'd do what he had to do - end of story. |
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Member |
Great Article Joe! Great and sad. We need National Service as a right to citizenship.
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Member |
It costs the taxpayers a few hundred thousand dollars to put one cadet through West Point.
If most of them leave after five years, are we really getting our money's worth? |
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"Has Been 6" |
Joe's remarks concerning the attrition of Officers from the ranks following their commitment of attendance at the USMA, falls in the category of whatz new? It is not unusual for USMA graduates to leave in the % of #s Joe has indicated. There is a great education and opportunity that one has upon leaving the ranks following their duty, and it comes right back into the community.
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Member |
Hi Art and Aggie, I was one of those dropouts that served in Vietnam who came back in 71, my enlistment was up in 73 and the average Vietnam Veteran was pushed out to make room for the All Volunteer Army which sucked for a lot of us including officers who wanted to stay.  |
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