Comments on: Is The Army Headed For Collapse? http://donklephant.com/2007/04/02/is-the-army-headed-for-collapse/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:33:07 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: bob in fl http://donklephant.com/2007/04/02/is-the-army-headed-for-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-300099 bob in fl Sat, 07 Apr 2007 04:54:41 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/04/02/is-the-army-headed-for-collapse/#comment-300099 To begin with, current retention & recruitment rates are not adequate to solve the problems of an Army & Marine Corps already stretched too thin. For starters, it takes about a year to properly train a new soldier. And the lower standards for enlistment means those new recruits will create a less professional fighting force, which will create an even bigger loss of experienced non-coms & junior grade officers. The Army is badly bent, heading for complete breakdown if conditions do not improve in the next few months. Speaking of history: Looking back to the past several Presidents & their administrations, it is those with prior experience in the armed forces who make better decisions concerning when to fight & how to do the job if conflict is warranted. To begin with, current retention & recruitment rates are not adequate to solve the problems of an Army & Marine Corps already stretched too thin. For starters, it takes about a year to properly train a new soldier. And the lower standards for enlistment means those new recruits will create a less professional fighting force, which will create an even bigger loss of experienced non-coms & junior grade officers.

The Army is badly bent, heading for complete breakdown if conditions do not improve in the next few months.

Speaking of history: Looking back to the past several Presidents & their administrations, it is those with prior experience in the armed forces who make better decisions concerning when to fight & how to do the job if conflict is warranted.

]]> By: DosPeros http://donklephant.com/2007/04/02/is-the-army-headed-for-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-295689 DosPeros Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:21:06 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/04/02/is-the-army-headed-for-collapse/#comment-295689 This is the most interesting quote from the story: <blockquote>The lesson from this sad story is simple: When you fight a long war with a long-service professional Army, the force you begin with will not get any larger or better over the duration of the conflict.</blockquote> I don't agree with that statement. I think better statement be: The lessons from this sad story is simple: When you fight a long war with a long-service professional Army, the cost to maintain the force increases the longer the conflict goes. This is the most interesting quote from the story:

The lesson from this sad story is simple: When you fight a long war with a long-service professional Army, the force you begin with will not get any larger or better over the duration of the conflict.

I don’t agree with that statement. I think better statement be: The lessons from this sad story is simple: When you fight a long war with a long-service professional Army, the cost to maintain the force increases the longer the conflict goes.

]]> By: TM Lutas http://donklephant.com/2007/04/02/is-the-army-headed-for-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-295465 TM Lutas Tue, 03 Apr 2007 19:41:17 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/04/02/is-the-army-headed-for-collapse/#comment-295465 All snark aside, the fix for too few available bodies is an increase in authorized end strength. So who is proposing that? Have the Joint Chiefs forwarded a proposal to Congress for that? Have any of the veterans on the Hill done it on their own? Something doesn't fit with this story. All snark aside, the fix for too few available bodies is an increase in authorized end strength. So who is proposing that? Have the Joint Chiefs forwarded a proposal to Congress for that? Have any of the veterans on the Hill done it on their own? Something doesn’t fit with this story.

]]> By: DosPeros http://donklephant.com/2007/04/02/is-the-army-headed-for-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-295135 DosPeros Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:13:05 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2007/04/02/is-the-army-headed-for-collapse/#comment-295135 Well then, what we should obviously do is cut off funding. Well then, what we should obviously do is cut off funding.

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