Obama Will Put Half a Million Military Personal out of work

President Obama - fulfilling his campaign promises since 2008... crush or savage... er... I mean create or save jobs...

President plans to cut half a million troops and says US can't afford to wage two wars at once

The mighty American military machine that has for so long secured the country’s status as the world’s only superpower will have to be drastically reduced, Barack Obama warned yesterday as he set out a radical but more modest new set of priorities for the Pentagon over the next decade.

After the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that defined the first decade of the 21st century, Mr Obama’s blueprint for the military’s future acknowledged that America will no longer have the resources to conduct two such major operations simultaneously.

Instead, the US military will lose up to half a million troops and will focus on countering terrorism and meeting the new challenges of an emergent Asia dominated by China.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 85629.html

This would never have happened if the military was unionized.

"Barack Obama supports plans to increase the size of the Army by 65,000 troops and the Marines by 27,000 troops. Increasing our end strength will help units retrain and re-equip properly between deployments and decrease the strain on military families."


http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter ... ine-corps/

This cycle has been going on since there was an organized US military. After WWI we enjoyed a "peace dividend" and cut the military. With the start of WWII we had a fight in Tunisia called Kasserine Pass. It cost us lots of lives and equipment because our forces were poorly trained, poorly led and poorly equipped.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_ ... erine_Pass

After WWII we enjoyed another "peace dividend" and cut the military. With the start of the Korean War we had a fight called the Battle of Osan (fought by Task Force Smith). Again, poorly trained and equipped US forces took heavy casualties.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Osan

I don't know that we had such a decisive event at the beginning of the Vietnam War but I suspect it took some time for US forces to get back on their game and start kicking butt.

Arguably, I would say that Presidents like Reagan and Bush got us ready for fights like Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm I and II and Afghanistan.

We can talk about what happened early on in Somalia another time but let's just say it wasn't a lack of training.

We will now begin to draw down big time as Operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom end. We will take that "peace dividend" and spend it on other important things. The best thing you can hope for is that it isn't a husband, wife, son, daughter, nephew, niece or grandchild that is involved in the next Kasserine Pass or Task Force Smith.

Who was it who said, "those who ignore history are bound to repeat it?" We are repeating history as I type this and these mistakes will be paid for again in the future with American blood. I cite history as my proof.

The Economist last week talked about the drawdown happening in Europe. The other members of NATO are not liking this at all. American bases and infrastructure help to train other countries working together in Afghanistan and other places.

So not only is the US getting weaker, but so is Europe and a power vacuum is being formed.
In the 19th Century, it was Pax Brittania, patrolling the seas. In the 20th Century, it was Pax Americana, as American fleets circled the world. Who will take over? Russia? Nope, they have less than 20 seaworthy capital ships and few overseas naval bases.
China? Maybe, but they have little naval experience.

So, why don't the Europeans come to the US and train here? Many of the citizens of those countries resent our being there. We can get rid of the resentment by leaving and create jobs here to support the infrastructure of the training and surrounding communities.

Re Korea: Not only were there poorly trained troops that were ill-equipped, but there weren't enough of them. The ROK wasn't trained much and also had nothing in the way of equipment and ran like crazy. The ones that did stay were annihilated. The UN troops had mortars and shells that BOUNCED off the Russian tanks because they were old technology. It was a slaughter for the non-Communists for months. And it didn't help to have MacArthur, that megalomaniac, sitting in Tokyo blaming everyone but his inner circle for the crisis.

That's what we'll be facing again when the next little "police action" starts.

A society who goes deep into military debt and tries to imperialistically control others, in the name of safety and "own interests" is another history of failure that I don't want our nation to repeat.

2wlady wrote: So, why don't the Europeans come to the US and train here? Many of the citizens of those countries resent our being there. We can get rid of the resentment by leaving and create jobs here to support the infrastructure of the training and surrounding communities.

Re Korea: Not only were there poorly trained troops that were ill-equipped, but there weren't enough of them. The ROK wasn't trained much and also had nothing in the way of equipment and ran like crazy. The ones that did stay were annihilated. The UN troops had mortars and shells that BOUNCED off the Russian tanks because they were old technology. It was a slaughter for the non-Communists for months. And it didn't help to have MacArthur, that megalomaniac, sitting in Tokyo blaming everyone but his inner circle for the crisis.

That's what we'll be facing again when the next little "police action" starts.

That happens now. Ft Bliss TX is a prime example, the German Army has a large number there. They have enough that they built a German School, housing, etc. (Come Oktoberfest, it is alot of fun.) They are there training on the various missle system for self defense. There are a some other countries there also. Last time I was there I also saw some from other countries also.

plaidvillain wrote: A society who goes deep into military debt and tries to imperialistically control others, in the name of safety and "own interests" is another history of failure that I don't want our nation to repeat.

It worked for 60 years in America's case, possibly more than 100 if you want to go back to the Spanish American war.

Yep..The military is just a giant jobs program who's job it is to kill people. Lets create jobs here, jobs that are in all our comminities not just in the communities where the weapon factories are. Good jobs that create good things we can actually use like safer roads, better schools, health care for everyone..etc..etc..etc. Pure Capitalism died in 1929 people- ever since then our government has pumped dollars into our economy every year to stabilize it. Republicans want to invest that money in war and war production, while democrats want to invest the money in things we can use..Things that enrich all our lives. We need to take the guns outta the troops hands and replace them with shovels..Its time to rebuild America!

This is long overdue

Vice Lord wrote: Yep..The military is just a giant jobs program who's job it is to kill people. Lets create jobs here, jobs that are in all our comminities not just in the communities where the weapon factories are. Good jobs that create good things we can actually use like safer roads, better schools, health care for everyone..etc..etc..etc. Pure Capitalism died in 1929 people- ever since then our government has pumped dollars into our economy every year to stabilize it. Republicans want to invest that money in war and war production, while democrats want to invest the money in things we can use..Things that enrich all our lives. We need to take the guns outta the troops hands and replace them with shovels..Its time to rebuild America!

This is long overdue

The military is no where near being just a giant jobs program, but then I would expect nothing less from someone like you. Our job is also not to kill people that is a secondary part of the job. Funny how we follow the orders of the civilians over us. We do as ordered. Since this is the United States, we are ruled by civilian authority. The Republicans do not want to invest in only Defense, but you keep your head in the sand. Funny how the Sec of Defense for quite a few years tried to get project cancelled and bases closed but the DAMN CIVILIANS in DC stopped most of it on both sides cause it would effect thier states and district. So quit tellling your stories again.