View Full Version : The Clinton Years
Scimitar
10-26-2008, 16:31
I would be interested in hearing from some of the QPs; ground truth on what happened at the grass roots level during the Clinton downsizings? What effects where there in SF on a day-to-day basis?
S
I would be interested in hearing from some of the QPs; ground truth on what happened at the grass roots level during the Clinton downsizings? What effects where there in SF on a day-to-day basis?
S
The timeline really started with the fall of the CSSP. Under Bush the elder the US saw Peace in our time, no need for a large conventional force.
The downsizing was well under way when the first Gulf War kicked up. A number of units that went to the desert knew they were going to be axed after the war. A-10s were saved by that war.
To be fair Clinton only speeded up and deepened what was already underway. Although he and his friends - seemed to take great pleasue in doing so.
Not much of a negative impact for SOF units, money was short but you went anyway.
Team Sergeant
10-26-2008, 17:31
Not much of a negative impact for SOF units, money was short but you went anyway.
You mean besides nutering the military, which included Special Forces officers and Sr. NCO's.
If I recall correctly we instituted the dreaded "risk analysts" under bill "blowjob" clinton and fired everyone that had anyone in their unit "injured" for any reason.......
Training got to the point I was told by a battalion Commander that we had to "walk through" each and every individual that was going to take part in a shoot house live fire. I then asked the LTC where the training value was if they already knew where the bad-guys were before they entered? That's when I was "dismissed".:rolleyes:
We took some tough hits during that time.
TS
Does anyone still have the "Army Values" card that everyone had to carry after Bill got his bayonet polished?
Eagle5US
10-26-2008, 19:33
Hmmm...
-pallets of team gear left behind so we could take MRE's that we had to purchase then had our separate rations taken
-$2 / day per diem (for water)
-runs to Jim's Pawn and Gun with the team fund for ammo for training
-risk assessment matrices to walk from the company area to the woods across the parking lot; including specified actions and medical response should someone "sustain injury negotiating the numerous curbs in the 7th SFG(A) parking area"
great times:rolleyes:
Eagle
Hmmm...
-pallets of team gear left behind so we could take MRE's that we had to purchase then had our separate rations taken
-$2 / day per diem (for water)
-runs to Jim's Pawn and Gun with the team fund for ammo for training
-risk assessment matrices to walk from the company area to the woods across the parking lot; including specified actions and medical response should someone "sustain injury negotiating the numerous curbs in the 7th SFG(A) parking area"
great times:rolleyes:
Eagle
Going on 45 day missions with $2k in opfund...
The risk assessments really took the cake...
Dozer523
10-26-2008, 22:27
The fall of the Soviet Union was the worst thing that ever happened to me. The "Peace Dividend", anyone remember that crock? I'll vouch that the begining of the bad times started with Bush the Elder. 1990 there were three or four of us thinking about how and where we going to throw the O-4 promotion party when we got called into the commander's office one by one. At least we got the rest of the day off.:boohoo SF took it in the shorts after Vietnam too. I met a Reserve full-timer at SWC who told this awful story about getting passed over after 74. He had two or three tours and had "been there". But when Infantry Branch had to thin the ranks it seemed the "bluer" you were the safer you were (according to him). The Aviators got tagged pretty hard after Vietnam too I understand. As for Clinton, ,from the outside, looking back it appeared that except for the "don't ask, don't tell" foolishness, Bill seemed to treat the military pretty well. (But I was on the outside looking back. Of course the "salad days" were President Reagan after the bleak Carter years. Time will tell about these days when all this ends. It will, too. Someday.
Hmmm...
-pallets of team gear left behind so we could take MRE's that we had to purchase then had our separate rations taken
-$2 / day per diem (for water)
-runs to Jim's Pawn and Gun with the team fund for ammo for training
-risk assessment matrices to walk from the company area to the woods across the parking lot; including specified actions and medical response should someone "sustain injury negotiating the numerous curbs in the 7th SFG(A) parking area"
great times:rolleyes:
Eagle
I still miss it thou:D
The Reaper
10-27-2008, 08:39
Ah, the Klinton era....flashback to "America Held Hostage, Day 1" (till the Fairness Doctrine is reinstated and the nasty right wingers and their popular shows are taken off the air).
Most of the bad personal stories involved Hillary, though there is no one saying if Bill hit on female service members like he did everyone else. As I understand it, Hillary did.
At various times, Hillary asked military officers in uniform to act as waiters during formal dinners and told then LTG Barry McCaffrey not to wear his uniform when visiting the White House. Rumor was, she and LTG Claudia Kennedy were pretty close though.
Bill and Hill started off with the crazies and leftist policies, like "don't ask don't tell", and after two years of mismanagement, cost a lot of Dim Congresscritters their jobs, so Newt and company stiffed most of the stupidity for the next six years while balancing the budget.
It could happen again, though it might take a while longer to win the Senate back.
They can't help it, regardless of the centrism of many Dim Congressional members, they will be forced to vote with the libs the majority of the time. Wait and see what they do to Joe Lieberman if they no longer need his vote.
Dim leadership is already talking about cutting the DoD budget by 25%. Not too long before we have to start bringing in our own office supplies and toilet paper again.:rolleyes:
Not looking forward to this train wreck. A lot of good people are going to get hurt and huge amounts of money are going to be given to those who did nothing to earn it.
A few more votes in the right places could make a huge difference next week.
TR
TOMAHAWK9521
10-27-2008, 10:13
Wasn't there something about the Clintons, the warriors for socialized health care, being responsible for seriously damaging health care coverage for military dependents?
At various times, Hillary asked military officers in uniform to act as waiters during formal dinners and told then LTG Barry McCaffrey not to wear his uniform when visiting the White House. Rumor was, she and LTG Claudia Kennedy were pretty close though.
A few more votes in the right places could make a huge difference next week.
TR
According to wikipedia, Claudia Kennedy is Obama's likely Sec. Def. nominee. When people think it doesn't matter much who is president (obviously no one on this site) because he doesn't do all that much, they need to remember all of the people that a president puts in key jobs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Kennedy
According to wikipedia, Claudia Kennedy is Obama's likely Sec. Def. nominee. When people think it doesn't matter much who is president (obviously no one on this site) because he doesn't do all that much, they need to remember all of the people that a president puts in key jobs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Kennedy
Holy smokes, Janet Reno II... :eek:
Also too, didn't a lot of guys, particularly SF, hold off and stay in, when they hit 20 years, before retiring, just so they wouldn't have Bill's name on their Retirement "Thanks for Serving" Certificate?
I seem to remember reading that some place.
Team Sergeant
10-27-2008, 12:59
Also too, didn't a lot of guys, particularly SF, hold off and stay in, when they hit 20 years, before retiring, just so they wouldn't have Bill's name on their Retirement "Thanks for Serving" Certificate?
I seem to remember reading that some place.
I tore mine up, it was a thanks for your service from "bill blowjob clinton" that was just handed to me by MG Boykin and threw it into the trash before I left the theater.
I think most in the theater saw and heard me tear it up...:D
My wife looked at me in sheer horror wondering what I just tore up and threw away.....;) When I told her it was Slick willies thank you she relaxed.
Team Sergeant
According to wikipedia, Claudia Kennedy is Obama's likely Sec. Def. nominee. When people think it doesn't matter much who is president (obviously no one on this site) because he doesn't do all that much, they need to remember all of the people that a president puts in key jobs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Kennedy
I'd put my money on Colin Powell being Sec Def, if Obama is elected, just so he can say F' You to the Bush adminisration once and for all.
I still personally believe McCain is going to pull this out, and there will be a riot of epic proportions in Chicago next Tuesday night.
anyone remember what Operation it was that Clinton wanted to land 130's on an aircraft carrier??
What about Half-Bright's comment: "What good is a military if you can't use it?"
Reaper: I heard the same about Claudia kennedy and Hillary. VERY close....:eek:
I still personally believe McCain is going to pull this out, and there will be a riot of epic proportions in Chicago next Tuesday night.
Yeah, I have a feeling the CPD is not looking forward to election night...
hunteran
10-28-2008, 00:14
I'd put my money on Colin Powell being Sec Def, if Obama is elected, just so he can say F' You to the Bush adminisration once and for all.
I still personally believe McCain is going to pull this out, and there will be a riot of epic proportions in Chicago next Tuesday night.
I hope, scratch that, PRAY that you're right. All I know is that I'm DEEP behind enemy lines here in Chico CA (hell, I live with an Obama lemming) and if he loses, people ate going to flip out.
Slantwire
10-28-2008, 08:45
I still personally believe McCain is going to pull this out, and there will be a riot of epic proportions in Chicago next Tuesday night.
I can live with that. Very easily.
I'd put my money on Colin Powell being Sec Def, if Obama is elected, just so he can say F' You to the Bush adminisration once and for all.
I still personally believe McCain is going to pull this out, and there will be a riot of epic proportions in Chicago next Tuesday night.
They are deploying us to the hot spots just for that very reason. The prediction is there will be some rioting even if BHO wins. Remember when the Pistons won the NBA championship.
Dozer523
10-28-2008, 12:53
anyone remember what Operation it was that Clinton wanted to land 130's on an aircraft carrier??
http://www.theaviationzone.com/factsheets/c130_forrestal.asp#videos
Actually it DID happen. Se this link. But it wasn't Clinton. I guess JFK gets the credit. Here is an excerpt (With pictures and a video):
"When one reviews the encyclopedic range of accomplishments by the C-130 Hercules and its valiant aircrews over the years, surely one of the most astounding took place in October 1963 when the U.S. Navy decided to try to land a Hercules on an aircraft carrier. Was it possible? Who would believe that the big, four-engine C-130 with its bulky fuselage and 132-foot wing span could land on the deck of a carrier?
Not only was it possible, it was done in moderately rough seas 500 miles out in the North Atlantic off the coast of Boston. In so doing, the airplane became the largest and heaviest aircraft to ever land on an aircraft carrier, a record that stands to this day."
Was there an operation plan that considered using this idea?
greenberetTFS
10-28-2008, 14:48
I tore mine up, it was a thanks for your service from "bill blowjob clinton" that was just handed to me by MG Boykin and threw it into the trash before I left the theater.
I think most in the theater saw and heard me tear it up...:D
My wife looked at me in sheer horror wondering what I just tore up and threw away.....;) When I told her it was Slick willies thank you she relaxed.
Team Sergeant
TS,
I sincerely believe you guys had to put up with more s**t during "slick willies" administration than anyone should have had to. How you all manage to put up with it and still do an outstanding job in spite of it is a credit to your country......
GB TFS
They are deploying us to the hot spots just for that very reason. The prediction is there will be some rioting even if BHO wins. Remember when the Pistons won the NBA championship.
stay safe.