I was in the 82 Abn Div in 1973 when 90 Captains in that one division got pick slips (RIF'd as it was called) (Reduction in force). My roommate, also a Captain in 73 was deployed to Vietnam for his second tour. At least they waited for him to return to Ft Bragg before they notified him. Only a few days later I might ad.
Though I didn't get pink slipped, I was amazed and deeply saddened at how many combat veterans, fantastic company commanders, and brothers in arms were shown the door.
It took the Army 10 + years to recover from that self created short sighted mess the political class created. But then again, the welfare program and other entitlement vote buying schemes kept growing just like today.
I was in Vietnam in the spring of 1972 when half the pilots in my helicopter battalion were sent home with a sixty day RIF notice. We had been receiving aviators from other divisions standing down up until then, so feast became famine instantly. When the NVA initiated their Easter Offensive at the end of March, each of us was flying many more hours daily due to pilot shortage.
In the spring of 1973 there was another RIF of captains, again with a 60 day notice, affecting mostly combat arms, and separating combat experienced officers who maybe lacked a year of college.
Then in 1975 with the fall of Saigon there was the `War of 1812’ RIF which for the first time since then affected Regular Army officers.
Morale was low throughout the 1970’s. I was in the National Guard where the only combat vets were aviators so that was a trip.
Ronald Reagan turned military morale completely toward the upside within a year of taking office. It was wonderful to see. I was in Germany at the time.
My Dad barely survived the post-WWII drawdown & stayed on active duty to serve in Korea & Vietnam.
RIFs are never pleasant but it’s impossible not to see the hand of an unsupportive commander in chief this time.