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To: R. Scott
I agree the author was non-specific. Looking at the last section of his commentary, I think it has do with the current chaos caused by the personnel non-policy impacting certain groups in the Reserves and Guard. These include but are not limited to indeterminate mobilization release dates for a relative handful on occupation specialties, serial call ups of personnel with certain specialties, meager support infrastructure, short notice activation combined with 'I dunno' response to important questions relative to equipment shortages, deployment schedules, etc. and 'could care less' attitude from both CONUS bas personnel and theater reception groups as to fill of required equipment as well as lack of basic (very basic) soldier comfort items.

The GOWT has gone on (three years and five months) nearly as long as the Civil War ( four years and a couple months if you count until all former parts of the CSA were occupied) or WW2 (American phase three years nine months) and appears to be headed towards exceeding the duration of those conflicts and possibly the record of the Viet Nam War. Unlike the first two of those conflicts a relatively small slice of America has been carrying the long haul in this war. Also due to the 'peace dividend' downsizing of the regular armed forces from 1991 to 2000 the reserves and guard have been used in a way no one foresaw. Not mobilized for a specific conflict but used as hole fillers in an open ended conflict of indeterminate duration and geographic scope. The result is that the Army and marines in particular are badly stressed institutions and at the grunt level starting to show the wear and tare. So I am not surprised that there are a fair number of very angry middle aged men wearing the uniform.
148 posted on 02/16/2005 8:53:26 AM PST by robowombat
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To: robowombat
Also due to the 'peace dividend' downsizing of the regular armed forces from 1991 to 2000 the reserves and guard have been used in a way no one foresaw.

It was foreseen. The Guard and Reserve was integrated into the regular forces to act as a brake on going to war. If a large segment of the population (guard and Reserve) were called on it should be politically unacceptable. In this case the brake didn’t work.
Being retired active Army, I find it difficult to empathize with those who did not read and head their contract.
149 posted on 02/16/2005 9:27:33 AM PST by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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