U.S. Army Soldiers participate in tactical range training using M-9 Berretta handguns on Normandy Range Complex in Basra, Iraq, July 15, 2009. The Soldiers are assigned to Company B, 445th Civil Affairs Battalion. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt Chrissy Best
Army Times: Army shrinks to smallest level since before World War II
The Army’s latest headcount shows that nearly 2,600 soldiers departed active service in March without being replaced, an action that plunges manning to its lowest level since before World War II.
During the past year the size of the active force has been reduced by 16,548 soldiers, the rough equivalent of three brigades.
Endstrength for March was 479,172 soldiers, which is 154 fewer troopers than were on active duty when the Army halted the post-Cold War drawdown in 1999 with 479,424 soldiers, the smallest force since 1940, when the active component numbered 269,023 soldiers.
Barring unexpected delays, the Army is well-positioned to achieve, or exceed, its budgeted end-strength of 475,000 soldiers by Sept. 30, the end of fiscal 2016.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: With a smaller force (and getting smaller) .... calls for a major reform of the U.S. Army are now making the rounds .... Modern Warfare: Why the U.S. Army Must Reform (Phillip Lohaus, National Interest), coupled with the hope that technology also will make-up the difference in the future .... US Army 2025-2040 will be shaped by leap forward technology (The Next Big Future).
12 comments:
June, 1939, US Army, 180,000 men.
That's sadly crazy. Roman Empire always said " if you want peace, prepare war". Before WWII US was not that powerful and the war came. Do we want that again? Haven't we learn anything? That's really discouraging.
For the 17th year in a row, ( not including the US's nuclear weapons, the CIA and other Paramilitary Goups, the costs of the 17 ongoing wars) the US spends more money on the Military that the other top 11 Military spenders, combined.
If you include all the "off book" and special appropriations, the US spends more than the rest of the top 62 Military spenders, combined.
All what you say is right, Jay, but many of these countries are not facing the same responsibilities and not the same threat as we have.
Russia and China know perfectly that our power is coming first by our creativity which is the result of our freedom. They dream to stop that.
What is the cost of freedom?
What many American's call "responsibilities", most of the Rest of the World, call Empire.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/23/gough-whitlam-1975-coup-ended-australian-independence
Off book appropriations, DOE, Intelligence, medical and retirement costs, foreign military aid, political deals with foreign governments .... yup .... the US spends more than the rest of the top 62 Military spenders, combined. I did a post on this same topic about 2 years ago .... can't find it (the problem of having 73,000 posts in this blog) but I do recall the number .... if one adds the entire national security budget and all things military .... the true budget for protecting the U.S. is slightly north of $1 trillion/year. No one comes even close to that .... not even Russia/China combined .... and everyone knows that. So does it cost $1 trillion to protect our freedom? The real answer is no .... unfortunately .... there is no one in Washington who is willing to question if this financial commitment makes any sense .... let alone starting a debate on what should be our international priorities that would require such funding.
Empire .... yup .... that is a responsibility the U.S. should avoid .... it is a "shitty" responsibility, especially in today's world.
They don't teach enough Gen. Smedley Butler in school anymore,
"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902–1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler
Yes, but how many soldiers are still in the budget as pensioners?
None, the VA Costs, post Military Schooling and benifits, and Government Pensions are all carried "off the Pentagon books" in the US.
Don't cry about the pensioners.
For one they are not. They are on reserve until age 60.
They can go to defined contribution instead of defined benefit.
Until they do, quit crying.
You do not control the SLOc unless you control enough of the literal.
Some people have obviously not played RISK
Post a Comment