Posted on 12/10/2024 7:46:03 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET
Service academies arose back when we believed engineers in the military that our armed forces demand. Very few service grads receive engineering degrees. They now receive degrees in less mission-essential fields like political science and economics, even as we need engineers more than ever.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Pay off a percentage of the college loans AFTER their 4-5 year service commitment is completed.
Certain sacred cows just seem to disappoint. Just like the Kennedy’s and the Royal family. Time to respond and cut them down a notch.
Colin Powell was a 90 day wonder. Al Haig was promoted over 240 other generals. How does one show they’re better than the next in those organizations? MacArthur made big mistakes.
Yeah, but at least their football teams are good again.
Taxpayers paying hundreds of thousands of $s to pay for a degree in psych.
Makes no sense.
If we want to radically change the federal budget, and in particular how much of it is now required just to pay the interest on that debt, spending cuts can and will help, but not enough unless we outright reduce the amount of the existing debt and that will not be done unless federal assets, in paticular a lot of federal land, is sold off. All other measure will only slow the rise of the debt, not outright reduce it - because the size of the debt is just that large.
If a person had proportionately the same income to debt problem the federal government has, it would be a no brainer, they’d sell whatever assets they could to outright lower the debt.
We also have state maritime academies in NY, MA, ME, CA, and MI. The California Maritime Academy has seen a drop in enrollment from 1000 to 700 and has just merged with Cal Poli.
The state academies also have NROTC programs and can provide marine engineers and deck officers to both the Navy and Coast Guard. The maritime academy in Maine also has an excellent program in International Business and Logistics that can train supply corps officers for all the branches of the military.
Full disclosure: I taught in the IBL program at MMA from 1997 to 2020.
I am retired from the Air Force. I can see a lot of savings if we do some things that are almost politically impossible.
1. Roll the US Marine Corps into the US Army. All ground forces should be in the US Army.
2. All airplanes should be in the USAF.
3. All ships should be in the US Navy.
4. Generals/Admirals in major commands only. Deputies/immediate replacements can be O-8s (one star). All the rest should be O-6s (Colonel/Captain).
5. Move all bases/forts/stations to rural areas when possible. Sell the expensive suburb real estate and roll the profits back into the DOD budget.
6. Bring back a national service requirement. Either 1 year training in a military, non-technical skill—if you want technical training you can commit for 3 more years—or national service working in an urban area cleaning up, a forest doing fire control or a hospital as an orderly. CCC level corps for whatever the country needs. Perhaps border guard.
None of this will ever be done because of reasons—some good, some bad, some political, traditional or other.
For above —one star - O-7...
I thought the academies were for leaders?
In that case, the UK’s classic PPE is indeed probably most valuable.
Engineers are doer-bees.
I’d put those forts and bases along our borders.
Colin Powell was an ROTC graduate, not a “90-day wonder”, i e Officer Candidate School.
The Air Force and Navy already started doing this, this year for the F-35. They have done it in the past for other type ratings too.
The Army rotary flight requirements are unique. AF rotary wing pilots train at Fort Rucker.
What would congress do if they couldn’t freely spend our money? They all love to throw money at perceived problems and needs. Its their “solution” to everything and they love touting it to their constituents.
Getting them to accept the notion of doing lest and being responsible and prudent spenders is going to be a very tough sell.
“1. Roll the US Marine Corps into the US Army. All ground forces should be in the US Army.
2. All airplanes should be in the USAF.
3. All ships should be in the US Navy.”
#1 - agree
#3 - agree - roll the Coast Guard into the Navy
#2 - disband the USAF and repurpose it to the Space force.
The reason is that the air support mission for the Army and Navy differ quite a bit. Army planes don’t need to land on carriers and Navy planes are not suited to ground support missions (generally). The DoD has to spec out two different design extensions when ordering aircraft - very expensive.
Ditch the Air Force Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy. They serves little purpose. The better pilots and officers come from civilian schools anyway. If short on officers, the other two academies can cover it.
As a graduate of the service academy adjacent to which the author lives, I can state that the majority of graduates receive degrees in engineering & science, including electrical, aerospace, mechanical engineering & systems engineering, mathematics, computer science, physics. The number of “bull” majors is relatively small and has been shrinking for years.
>>The better pilots and officers come from civilian schools anyway.<<
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On what data or information do you base this statement?
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There was a documentary/investigative report fone years ago about buildings and land all over the country, random government owned land, not even in use at all.
The problem is when anyone mentions the possibility of selling government land most people think that means Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. They don’t think random vacant land with old buildings or just random land scattered all over.
Experience.
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