America’s Military Is in Much Worse Shape Than You’d Think

Daily Signal ^ | March 25, 2016 | John Sullivan / Justin Johnson

[Pan_Yan]

America’s military is dangerously weak and unprepared today, and it’s not getting better. At least that’s what top military leaders told Congress recently. Unfortunately, the testimony of these top generals and admirals did not get the attention it deserved.

For the last 15 years, the United States military has not prepared for conflict with a near peer competitor like Russia or China. General Mark Milley, chief of staff of the Army, shared his worries with Congress, explaining that the Army would be able to handle a serious conflict but “not at a level that is appropriate for what the American people would expect to defend them.”

In other words, because soldiers are not adequately prepared, the U.S. Army would either be late to arrive to a conflict (due to more time for training) or they would send soldiers into harm’s way unprepared.

These are not issues isolated to the Army. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Robert Neller, when commenting on the ability to meet requirements in a major conflict, said the Marine Corps “would be able to do that but probably not within a timeframe that current plans call for [them] to arrive to participate in that conflict.”

[longfellowsmuse]

Is there anyone listening?

[Rennes Templar]

Now let’s see, I recall one presidential candidate has been saying this repeatedly - oh yes, Donald Trump.

[MeganC]

But at least our military is far more sensitive and GLBT tolerant than ever before and isn’t that the most important thing here?

[Smokin' Joe]

What concerns me is the sheer amount of equipment worn out, destroyed, 'donated', captured from donees, and the spares consumed keeping the remaining equipment going.

How many hours can you put on an airframe? How many miles of desert road or bush can a chassis (tracked or wheeled) withstand?

And then there is the wear and tear on the troops.

Reductions in force size (especially naval) are a concern, and then there is the ever present spectre of social experimentation and its dangers to combat readiness, from the lowest recruit to the JCS.

[vetvetdoug]

With the Secretary of the Navy the limp wristed Ray Mabus, it is no wonder the Marines and Navy are suffering efficiency. In order to be promoted to the top of these services one has to be pro female or gay with Mabus at the helm.

[blueunicorn6]

Have everyone in the military claim to be a fake pig farmer.

That’s worth $50,000 each.

[CatOwner]

A large majority of people in the US have been led to believe we don't need much in the way of a military. Good luck convincing them otherwise. It will likely take an event, like North Korea launching towards the US, before the citizens *might* sit up and take notice.

OTOH, if it doesn't impact their favorite reality TV show or their latest electronic gadget or their paycheck and benefits from the US government, they still won't care.

[gaijin]

Gender sensitization training for Univ-level ROTC.

[gaijin]

Use of Army Pregnancy Simulator during PT:

[combat_boots]

Yup

[gaijin]

[VTenigma]

Yeah but, the military industrial complex is fat and happy.

[Don Corleone]

In other words, because soldiers are not adequately prepared, the U.S. Army would be late to arrive to a conflict

Can you say,"Benghazi?"

[PLMerite]

Somebody’s gonna be “sore in the morning,” if you get my drift.

[corkoman]

What % of US service women are pregnant right now?

[22202NOVA]

Let’s hope we don’t have to fight one of these emerging countries.

[M1903A1]

I’m reminded of something I read years ago (maybe it was here on FR?), of Reagan’s discussing how he had called a meeting of the Joint Chiefs shortly after his inauguration. He knew the military had been neglected since the end of Vietnam, he wanted to face down the Soviets, and he asked them what they needed most. He was expecting to hear of some new weapon system...instead, one of the Chiefs slammed his hand down on the table and said “REFILL THE BINS!”

[DMZFrank]

I fear we are losing the institutional memory of having faced enemies that are capable of defeating us on the battlefield. We have not faced such an enemy since the summer/winter of 1950 on the Korean Peninsula. The names of Task Force Smith, the 1st Battles of Taejon and Seoul, the Pusan perimeter the ambush of the 2nd Infantry Division at Kunu-Ri the destruction of Task Force Faith and the 80 mile withdrawal from the Chosen Resovoir seem but distant memories. The cultural marxists now in charge of the Obama administration are indulging in the sort of social experimentation SURE to result in defeat or serious setback against an enemy capable of projecting the sort of battle field power that would lead to the battlefield reverses that the US Armed Forces suffered at Kasserine Pass, the opening phases of the Ardennnes Offensive, the Hurtegen Forest, the Rapido River, the US Strategic Bombing Campaign, the 1st Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, (Savo Island) or the Rangers at Cisterna in Italy. Over a decade of facing an enemy that is only capable of terrorist/guerilla warfare that can be largely countered by elite specops units has us fighting the last war, and would not be suitable against any enemy capable of projecting real battlefield conventional power.

Only a feckless, unserious nation that is oblivious about facing an enemy capable of inflicting these sorts of battle field defeats would contemplate such a disastrous notion as placing women into the first team of ground combat units whose task is to close with, engage and destroy similar enemy units. Sheer and utter madness!!!!

[detective]

I know people in the military so it is not worse than I think.

It is worse than the people who believe the MSM think.