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Vaunted 101st Airborne ‘Screaming Eagles’ crippled by budget cuts
Fox News ^ | Published March 09 | Jennifer Griffin, Lucas Tomlinson

Posted on 03/09/2017 10:36:30 AM PST by Strac6

EXCLUSIVE: One month into the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, the U.S. military conducted the longest combat air assault in history, with roughly 4,000 soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division going deep into enemy territory at night in Mosul.

Today, many are questioning whether operations of that magnitude could be conducted after budget cuts have stripped the nation’s premier air assault division of its helicopters.

MORE at link

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS:
For 80 years, the American military mission was to be able to fight one major land war battle, hold in another, win the first, then move the forces from the first major battle area/war to win in the second.

That was to happen in WWII, but MacArthur's "island hopping" strategy and the atomic bombs prevented the need to bring the troops from the ETO to invade Japan.

Today, in 2017, we are not nearly capable of that. For example, should Putin move west through the former Warsaw Pact nations, short of going nuc we would have absolutely no capability to stop him.

For example the currently issued Sov issued 9M113F-2 (Kornet-M/Kornet-EM) is man portable and an absolute Abrams killer. It has a range of 8KM in it's anti-armor role and 10KM with a thermobaric warhead.

Even worse, we simply don't have the deployable troops, especially in the "heavy" / armor divisions, nor the logistics to move them.

We are down to pre-WWII levels, thank you Obama, and as soon as ordered to deploy, 10% would get pregnant!

As my old First Sergeant would say, "Ain't That Effing Outstanding!"

1 posted on 03/09/2017 10:36:30 AM PST by Strac6
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To: Strac6

Hard to believe we’re $20 trillion in debt and anything’s underfunded.


2 posted on 03/09/2017 10:39:23 AM PST by Wolfie
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To: Strac6

I think Trump would do better to address shortages in manpower, pay, supplies and restocking the shelves initially. You need what you got ready to fight rather than what you want in the future. After a resupply and refit, then start building.


3 posted on 03/09/2017 10:39:46 AM PST by sarge83
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To: Strac6

Trump would do better to reduce the numbers of Generals to WWI levels and reduce their staffing to USMC levels. There is no shortage of funding. What there is is rampant corruption. 2 Star Army and AF Generals travel around with 20 man entourages. A Marine Brigadier flies coach. By himself. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.


4 posted on 03/09/2017 10:48:31 AM PST by Seruzawa (I keel you Vorga feelthy.)
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To: Strac6

Well then....that must be why they’re “Screaming”.....


5 posted on 03/09/2017 10:48:43 AM PST by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: Wolfie

Hard to believe a dirt bag like Beau Bergdahl was in an airborne unit.


6 posted on 03/09/2017 10:51:45 AM PST by lodi90
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To: Wolfie
Don't get me started. The mismanagement of this country's wealth, i.e. tax payers’ monies, is beyond infuriating.
7 posted on 03/09/2017 10:56:01 AM PST by Chgogal (I will NOT submit, therefore, Jihadists hate me.)
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To: Strac6

My Army Son just returned from another deployment in Kuwait/Iraq with the 101st. Most people are shocked when I tell them the $$ amount each soldier spends out of their own pocket for supplies before shipping out. Average is around $2000 per deployment. The military has really cut back on what is standard issue to the troops.


8 posted on 03/09/2017 11:12:32 AM PST by EC Washington
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To: Wolfie

>Hard to believe we’re $20 trillion in debt and anything’s underfunded.

Harder to believe We’ve allowed D.C. to *borrow* and SPEND $4T\yr. Course, the concept of individual Rights and responsibility went the way of the do-do, over 100 yrs. ago.

‘Underfunded’, to D.C. = any body\thing\etc. allowed to keep $.01 of their own $$.

Get back to me when we’re running under a Constitutionally authorized\followed budget. I PROMISE, it won’t cost $4T\yr. either.


9 posted on 03/09/2017 11:18:33 AM PST by i_robot73 ("A man chooses. A slave obeys." - Andrew Ryan)
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To: EC Washington

600 billion military budget the most many times over in the world and our own guys have to buy their own equipment for deployment. Time to drain the swamp.


10 posted on 03/09/2017 11:23:47 AM PST by miliantnutcase
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To: EC Washington

My son was in Iraq with the 101st... back in 04..I know it’s changed. Let’s pray our Eagles get what they need with Mattis and POTUS.


11 posted on 03/09/2017 11:28:21 AM PST by SE Mom (Screaming Eagle mom)
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To: miliantnutcase

Air force generals getting rides in Learjets and their recruits in luxury hotel level “shacks” for starters...


12 posted on 03/09/2017 11:51:42 AM PST by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
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To: lodi90

Airborne in name only. Only a few are on any form of jump status.


13 posted on 03/09/2017 12:16:24 PM PST by Theoria (I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive)
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To: Wolfie

Most Federal spending is on entitlements.


14 posted on 03/09/2017 12:24:08 PM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: Strac6
It sure is funny how nobody is pointing a finger at Obama for this. i guess you just have to allow malfeasance from village idiots.
15 posted on 03/09/2017 12:48:28 PM PST by Dogbert41 (Jerusalem is the city of The Great King! Forgive my misspelling when on my tablet)
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To: Seruzawa
Don't leave out the Navy. I am for a 50% across the Military cut of Flag Officers. Especially REMFs.

There are also a lot of would be Flags (i.e, O6’s) that should also be cropped.

16 posted on 03/09/2017 1:01:53 PM PST by where's_the_Outrage? (Trump the anti politician. About time!)
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To: EC Washington

As I understand it, all the vertical foregrips on the rifles, with the built-in flashlights and lasers, binos, the good boots, the good goggles, the really breathable undies, all the good TA-50 stuff comes our of their pockets.

That sucks.


17 posted on 03/09/2017 1:09:09 PM PST by Strac6 ("We sleep safe in our beds only because rough men stand ready to visit violence on the enemy.")
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Oh I don’t doubt that the Nav has plenty of corruption too. I’m just not as familiar with it as the Army and AF. However those littoral combat ships are an excellent example.


18 posted on 03/09/2017 1:32:24 PM PST by Seruzawa (I keel you Vorga feelthy.)
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To: Wolfie

The greatest spender of them it all on anti-Republic causes and the MB.


19 posted on 03/09/2017 2:11:36 PM PST by mcshot (MSM = MST = Main Stream Thash. They report all but the truth.)
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