Much Larger Army
I just read that Fred Thompson is proposing increasing the size of the Army to 775,000 people. Here is where I read the story: http://www.startribune.com/10215/story/1546788.html
Wow! I believe this is really important. This would drastically reduce the strain on Soldiers from long deployments... and would get us back in line with the size of the military that would be appropriate for a nation our size, with the demands being placed on us.
I should note that this is not an endorsement of Thompson (or any other candidate). I understand that most candidates, from both parties, are talking about increasing the size of the Army. This, however, is the most robust proposal I have heard. A larger Army would reduce the total number of deployments for all of us, and might also shorten the length of deployments.
Wow! I believe this is really important. This would drastically reduce the strain on Soldiers from long deployments... and would get us back in line with the size of the military that would be appropriate for a nation our size, with the demands being placed on us.
I should note that this is not an endorsement of Thompson (or any other candidate). I understand that most candidates, from both parties, are talking about increasing the size of the Army. This, however, is the most robust proposal I have heard. A larger Army would reduce the total number of deployments for all of us, and might also shorten the length of deployments.
posted by Christian | 9:34 PM
5 Comments:
It is good to see you back at the key board. What would it take to get the army numbers up to where Fred Thompson would like them to be. I was not aware they have been turning many down for enlistment who have expressed an interest in joining. Is it a question of higher wages and/or increased incentives. I would hope it would not mean lowering minimum acceptance minimum enlistment standards.
I hate to use the "D" word, but it may be in our future. I'd hate to see it more than the next person. I would hate to be fighting alongside a guy who doesn't want to be there. He or she would be a liability to us all. I know that bringing the troops up that much will require to get more advertising and more recruiters out there. They already have trouble making their monthly numbers. Joining it times of war is the first thing that people think about, those who join up now know that they will be deployyed before too long. Lowering the minimum elistment standards would be dangerous.
I was going to ask how could you increase the number of troops without a draft? Maybe a higher salary (as, in my opinion, the US Armed Forces personnel aren't paid enough to do what they do)? Of course, this would entail raising taxes (which most people don't like). I'd be for it if it meant they got a pay raise. What levimarine says about lower enlistment standards is true: you don't want me out there as an infantryman with no depth perception, do you?
Indeed Matt, that is dangerous, but ASVAB scores are also something that is at risk to be lowered. I mean, it's still pretty easy to make an ASVAB score to get in, but by lowering the overall ASVAB, you'd have to change up some of the score qualifications for jobs. I would not want to be in the same USMC Military Police company with someone who scored any lower than a 100 on their GT.
In addition, the PFT standards would drop. I'd be training with someone who is 10-15 pounds heavier, and cannot finish the 2-mile in the allotted time. I would be enraged, and I would be hostile. It's dangerous for the whole company, and the whole of the service.
Hey,
I'm emailing random people about this. (No, I'm not some bot.)
I wrote a review for the LA Times recently that might interest you. The premise is that, after five years of war, almost no fiction has been written about it. It's as if the publishing elite has buried it's head. (In NYC, you'd barely know we were at war.)
Meanwhile, comic books have taken up the slack. They're actually writing a lot about Iraq and the Middle East—yes, in a scholcky, comic-book style, but they're doing it.
Here's the link.
Graphic novels & Iraq
http://www.latimes.com/features/books/la-bk-maury23dec23,0,2868712.story?coll=la-books-headlines
Best,
Laurel Maury
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