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Recruiting is hard up. I could be retired before some people even enlist. That's scary. It's too bad it came to this, but the personnel shortage is on the brink of disaster. It's a shame that the military didn't fix retention at the right end, and instead is just looking to pull more people off the streets in the hope they stay in long enough to be replaced. Even that's a losing strategy, but at least its sustainable.

The only way to really fix this is to attract the right kind of soldiers, and to do the right things to keep them in. We don't do either anymore.

"Recruiting is hard up."

I agree. I retired at 38 after 20 years and I can't imagine a 39 year old in basic training keeping up with an 18 year old. Not to mention taking orders from someone young enough to be your son. There are exceptions but on the whole I think this is a bad idea. Old bones don't heal as fast as young ones.

"It's a shame that the military didn't fix retention at the right end, and instead is just looking to pull more people off the streets "

They should have treated us better. Now they know. During the RIFs many vets were treated like garbage while at the same time many were kept in just to keep the rainbow pretty. Go find the REFers and make them patrol!

It's too bad it came to this, but the personnel shortage is on the brink of disaster. It's a shame that the military didn't fix retention at the right end, and instead is just looking to pull more people off the streets in the hope they stay in long enough to be replaced. Even that's a losing strategy, but at least its sustainable.

Unfortunately, nobody will realize this until several years have past. The worst to come out of this, is the loss of institutional knowledge. That's something that is very hard to measure, and I'm sure it probably hurt us in some way in Iraq (I'm referring to the cuts Clinton made, where a lot of people retired early or left earlier than they would have, and took a lot of knowledge with them). With a further loss of institutional knowledge, it will definitely hurt us down the road.

The military needs to work harder on retaining the people it already has.

You're correct, we're in tough shape, especially the National Guard. Let's put aside arguements for now that the Guard is being misused (I think it is by the way). I'm a company commander in the Massachusetts National Guard. All the officers in the 79th Troop Command just had a meeting last Saturday. The first topic of discussion? - Recruiting and retention. We're so chronically short in Massachusetts that the whole state is going to be restructed to better match the 2000 soldier deficit. It seems we've given up on recruiting the 2,000 we need. I'm lucky to be in aviation, our numbers are pretty solid because of the extra pay, more exciting mission, and generally higher skilled MOS requirements. The infantry however, is getting slammed. I don't know thw answer, but the benefits the stae is giving for new recruits are substabtial. $15,000 sign-on bonus for starters. But hey, too many kids are lazy cowards these days, it's tough to reach them. Add in beligerent guidance councelors that hatwe the military and that's one tough nut to crack. I worry about old-fashioned Patriotism. I did my time on active duty, 8 years, all while ass-face Clinton was president. I left the military, feeling I had done my part for 8 years, more than most people anyway. The 9/11 happened, and I couldn't in good conscience stay away. The Army spent millions training me to fly Blackhawks. Even though I served 2 years beyond my 6-year obligation, I still felt guilty that I wasn't a part of the war on terror. So here I am with a wife a newborn son (3 months) and I'll probably get sent to Iraq. Don't want to go (because of my young family) but I will do my duty. I will alsi keep trying to steer young people into the military. Our future depends on it.

end of vanity.