Posted on 01/06/2005 9:30:48 PM PST by Former Military Chick
Army leaders are considering seeking a change in Pentagon policy that would allow for longer and more frequent call-ups of some reservists to meet the demands of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, a senior Army official said yesterday.
Reservists are being used heavily to fill key military support jobs, particularly in specialty areas, but Army authorities are having increasing difficulty limiting the active-duty time of some normally part-time soldiers to a set maximum of two years, the official said. He described the National Guard's 15 main combat units as close to being "tapped out."
To avoid pushing reserve forces to the breaking point, the official also said, a temporary increase of 30,000 troops in active-duty ranks that was authorized last year will probably need to be made permanent, especially if U.S. troop levels in Iraq remain high. He said significant troop levels may be required in Iraq for four or five more years.
The official declined to be named because of the political sensitivity of the troop issue and the lack of decisions. But he said that the Army probably will ask Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in the next several months to change the policy on mobilization of reservists. "It's coming," he told a small group of Pentagon reporters. "I think we're going to have this discussion this spring."
The news comes as the Bush administration confronts rising controversy over the shape and size of the U.S. military, particularly whether the active-duty and reserve forces are robust enough to meet the many demands placed upon them. Soldiers and their families are also expressing frustration at repeat deployments to Iraq and tours of duty that have already been extended.
About 40 percent of the 150,000 troops now in Iraq have come from reserve ranks.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
When one of these dudes speaks on the record, then I'll start considering the validity.
"When one of these dudes speaks on the record, then I'll start considering the validity"
Wake up!!! Everyone else has been extended!! If they don't extend the reservists, I would be very surprised!! The Dems backed George in a corner during the election. Just like the George the first, No new taxes, George the second, No Draft!
I would rather have a draft and get some of our Street Gangs employed. They like to ambush people, nows their chance!
Just what we need. Gangsters with military training.
They should be having this discussion right now. Did the Bush admin ever increase active duty and reserve military quota's from the reduced levels of the clintoon admin??
I suspect one of GW Bush's stupidest moves may turn out to be his proclamation of no military draft while he's president. Does anyone believe the US can actually defeat 1 billion blood-crazed, demonic, psychopathic muslims on the cheap with a repeatedly re-deployed force of 130,000 marine/army troopers? If out of a population of 260M we can muster a volunteer force of only 200,000, we need the military draft.
Yea, but you see, having spent 21 years in the military and having been a Drill Instructor, I can gurantee you that they may go into bootcamp as little Gangsters, but I assure you they come out Americans. Very good Citizens in fact, because they no longer have their heads up their backsides!!
We used a draft for WWII.
I was drafted and served honorably during Vietnam. I worked in military personnel management, and do NOT recall draftees being any more or less difficult, than volunteer enlistees.
It appears the relatively small size of our military is resulting in extensions, for regulars and reserves. This may, in turn, be making service less attractive.
Or maybe we need to pay the military people at a high enough rate, that the supply is high enough to avoid the draft?
Just curious. Does the military have procedures for removing the real antisocial psychopath type?
It's a scary thought that we could train antisocial criminals the arts of efficient killing.
Agree however, I'd add politicians sons. Jeb's son looks pretty healthy don't you think?
Now we get into cost/benefit analysis. At what point does a draft become cheaper? At what point does the military become a gang of mercenaries? At what point do we decide it's cheaper to hire soldiers from India or other impovershed nations?
My father-in-law did in Normandy.
Yes. They are administratively discharged as unfit for military service. Happens all the time.
Reserve recruiters are doomed.
How high would you like to go? Let's take for a moment a 20 year old Army Private, E-3, married, in Iraq with a paratroop unit. His base pay is $1641, his housing allowance is $504, he gets $250 per month separation pay and $150 a month in jump pay. Total is $2545 per month or over $30,000 per year. Not bad for a 20 or 21 year old out of high school.
God knows my point is not to begrudge the troops the pay that they get. They earn every dime and more. But money is not the answer. I would be amazed if you can find more than a handful that enlisted for the money, and most military people I served with would be highly insulted if people thought that they were in it for the bucks. People join for reasons not remotely related to salary, and thinking that if you can only increase the salaries to a certain level and that'll get you all the troops you need will probably do nothing but get you people enlisting for the wrong reasons.
Yes, we the Drill Instructors are trained to be Drill instructors. The pressures of Bootcamp are challenging both physically and mentally. These challenges bring outthe good and the bad, makes a person look at themselves. Evaluate themselves, and how they will handle that presure. Those demands are usually basic int nature but we understand it as HARD LOVE!
It's amazing how after just 9 weeks, the metmophasis is complete or nearly complete. Usually it doesn't take this long. ALlof the failures of the schools come out also. Many can't read, they go thru remedial reading,same with math. Many personalities are weeded out, not just discharged either. Some are, with recommendations for further medical/psyc treatment. They are identified.
Bootcamp is for everyone, Marine Bootcamp is the toughest.If you make it through any of the MIlitary bootcamps, you have gained a tremendous amount in self esteem and character building and Patriotism! This is why I believe the Draft should be brought back. It gives the person a sense of direction and confidence. A 2 year hitch is fine, Long enough to find yourseld and get your feet on the ground and short enough that it doesn't feel like a life time.
I don't think that is too far away either.
LOL, very funny!
Bump, very true, Marine Corp Boot Camp was the best thing that ever happened to me, even thought at the time I thought I had died and gone to hell.
No Exemptions?? Fine with me! There are no exemptions if you join the reserves only for ROTC after they have contracted with the Army. My son is going through this now.
He joined the reserves because he wanted, He wanted to complete Enlisted Boot camp. This is not a requirement for ROTC. He wanted to prove to himself that Enlisted Bootcamp was OK. It was, but he was in excellent physical condition.
He returned from Bootcamp and went on a ROTC unit exercise. During the exercise he broke his arm. Hasn't contracted for ROTC yet, but should in the next few weeks. Arm prevented him from being deployed to Iraq. He was pretty upset about not being able to go.He's back in College now.
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