Old 03-20-2012, 10:01   #1
Arma Viri
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Current US Military Reform

Gents, it's been a while!

I have a question for you. Do you think Dempsey is doing a good job in following up Schoomakers reform? I find it risky to slash an army and restucture it the way he is doing right now. America is a big nation, with a big army. And a big army has big capabilities. I wouldn't narrow and pin the way of doing business. A big army needs to be able to fight big wars. You cant do that with Stryker brigades and Combined Arms brigades. The armoured and mech inf muscles are being virtually eliminated. Dangerous... We must not forget that the threats of 2009 arent the threats of 2012. Ambitious China is growing, North Korea is becoming increasingly hostile, so is Iran. Not exactly insurgent type threats you can club fairly easy.

I'd apprecite your comments. I'm worried about the direction the US Military is heading.

Oh, and before anyone starts throwing the book on "lack of experience": I'm working at JCOS level in my country by now (Ops Policy, Requirements Determination and Planning, to be more specific). I'm envolved in decisions that are being made at the very top of the CoC.


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Old 03-20-2012, 14:27   #2
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This board is different than most. Posts like this contribute nothing and lead to a lack of discipline on the board by encouraging dogpiling. -Thanks

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Old 03-20-2012, 17:32   #3
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Originally Posted by Arma Viri View Post
Gents, it's been a while!

I have a question for you. Do you think Dempsey is doing a good job in following up Schoomakers reform? I find it risky to slash an army and restucture it the way he is doing right now. America is a big nation, with a big army. And a big army has big capabilities. I wouldn't narrow and pin the way of doing business. A big army needs to be able to fight big wars. You cant do that with Stryker brigades and Combined Arms brigades. The armoured and mech inf muscles are being virtually eliminated. Dangerous... We must not forget that the threats of 2009 arent the threats of 2012. Ambitious China is growing, North Korea is becoming increasingly hostile, so is Iran. Not exactly insurgent type threats you can club fairly easy.

I'd apprecite your comments. I'm worried about the direction the US Military is heading.

Oh, and before anyone starts throwing the book on "lack of experience": I'm working at JCOS level in my country by now (Ops Policy, Requirements Determination and Planning, to be more specific). I'm envolved in decisions that are being made at the very top of the CoC.

Why do you think this is Dempsey's call as the CJCS?

You do realize that when the civilian leadership tells the uniformed leadership that your budget is cut, your options are limited to working with it or resigning, correct?

TR
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Old 03-20-2012, 19:41   #4
Arma Viri
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Why do you think this is Dempsey's call as the CJCS?

You do realize that when the civilian leadership tells the uniformed leadership that your budget is cut, your options are limited to working with it or resigning, correct?

TR
Of course it's not Dempsey making all the calls. I am aware of that. The Sec tells him what he must do. I just don't think it is the wise decision to lighten the overall force by creating all kinds of hybrid units. One could also reduce though retain initial capability. that would be a matter of checking who holds the oldest rights. Which in the case of the Tankies is 1st Cav and not 1st Amd. So 1st Amd gets slated. At least you retain one full size tank division. And it kinda sorta hurts to see 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Inf being transformed into weird 'combined arms' brigades because the leadership wants the military to be a modular force. Which I find a flawed decision from a strategic pov. America is a big nation, it needs the capacity to fight regular vis a vis regular. DoD leadership is stripping the US military of it's full coverage of the battlefield capability. We have seperate branches of service for a reason. Reasons that have been made up by military theorists and strategists and other subject matter experts who happen to be way smarter then 'politicians' who only run for office for their own benefit. What your leadership is doing right now is destroying the military alltogether! I fully understand the need to balance the budget and all that. you guys have a debt of... what is it? 15 trillion by now?? So the urgency to take appropriate measures is there, it's just that I'm not happy about the fact it's being done at the <Bde level. Because that is the very level where you shouldn't stir up the hornets nest. For instance, how do you plan on picking a fight against a regular opponent that calls up an amd div with a Bde that consists of Bn's made up of 2 Tk Coy's/2 MechInfCoy's and a "light Inf Bn" (whatever that may be, be it Abn/Aaslt or other extremely vulnerable and difficult to sustain unit). This whole combined Arms concept might work well in a CIS or kicking the shit out of bandits in Africa (you guys still have to settle some scores in Mog man, what these [.......] degenerates did with the bodies of your brethren is unforgivable....), but I hardly consider it an option against a well equiped, highly structered, regular opponent with no BS war fighting capability. WTSHTF you want escalation dominance aka the heavy iron to take care of business. My bottom line is: if you want to downsize, go ahead, but at least retain initial capability in Bde strength. Don't mix units making them effectively weaker and more vulnerable. Yes, WW2 had its fair share of Combined formations -in fact they were invented back then, but we must not forget that the differences in technology were marginal at best, and we fought rather different back in those days. Today is a hole different thing. The idea is to make the force leaner, but meaner. Which means cut to free up money that can be invested in better equipment, since alot of what you have dates back to the Reagan build-up. Virtually all of that equipment has been worn out by now and neds to be replaced.

Btw, tell me something. Why is it the US isnt so inclined to buy from abroad? Is this blind patriotism or does it really have to with the creation of jobs in the US? I understand the Arty wanted the PZH2000 but Rumsfeld said it's not gonna happen. Is that correct? Man, I've seen her in action, worked with it. She's a beauty! M109 doesnt even come close... (I've fired it, I know how it works) So instead of escalating R&D budgets over and over, maybe the US should really start looking for nice stuff which is already there? Su-35S's anyone?
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Old 03-20-2012, 20:07   #5
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Btw, tell me something.
Oh, gawd...STOP...you're killin' me. I spent 7 years in NATO - 4 of them at Embassy and EUCOM WHNS levels - and fully understand how it all works on an international scale.

Let me know when the NL decides to do something worthwhile besides billing us to use their ports periodically as a POE to send our forces to do something in their behalf or pretending to be us in celebration of our efforts to liberate them during Operation MARKET GARDEN.

Troll.

And so it goes...

Richard
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Old 03-20-2012, 21:13   #6
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What is your concern - that we won't be capable of pulling your fat out of the fire the next time the Germans or the Russians threaten to disrupt the pot party in De Wallen? Our military may be going through one of the inevitable cycles suffered by institutions subject to the whims of politicians, but until it's on par with yours (somehow I doubt you'll rise that far nor will we fall the equivalent distance) don't presume to lecture. I'll worry about our military when the SEIU is organizing on military bases. (Oh wait - they already do that in the NL.)
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Old 03-21-2012, 05:44   #7
Arma Viri
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What is your concern - that we won't be capable of pulling your fat out of the fire the next time the Germans or the Russians threaten to disrupt the pot party in De Wallen? Our military may be going through one of the inevitable cycles suffered by institutions subject to the whims of politicians, but until it's on par with yours (somehow I doubt you'll rise that far nor will we fall the equivalent distance) don't presume to lecture. I'll worry about our military when the SEIU is organizing on military bases. (Oh wait - they already do that in the NL.)
Are we going to throw mud at each other? Ever wonder how popular your country has been since 2000? Cowboying your way into other peoples oil fields and sucking them dry like some leach, God bless America the greatest Christian nation on the planet blablabla with it's friggin PORN industry, crippling infrastructure, failing education system, the list goes on. everywhere you are a misnomer making a mess of it all and leaving other people to clean up after you. Like small children... That even includes screwing your own country -it's not even yours cause you guys are ALL import, you wiped out most of its rightful owners- God must hate America, I'm sure of it. You guys need China to bail you out with that 15 trillion debt! And yes, we have all kinds of Trade Unions, that actually DO something for their people. ever wondered what a union actually does? Why are so many people in the US suffering from poverty, poor health, lack of education etc. Because there is nobody who is standing up for them.
But let's drop all that crap, I'm way above all that man....

What's with all the hostility??? I have tried to figure you people out for many many years, but I still haven't. That's okay, it only confirms the image I already had about Americans. Why can't you have a simple debate? Why is it that you lads always feel the need to fuck other people up? You're doing a terrible job with winning my heart and mind. I would most certainly tell you only once to deedee out of my territory. No Green Berets needed here...

That's all folks. I'm most certainly done with this board. There really is no point in it whatsoever. Take care of yourselves!
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Old 03-21-2012, 06:09   #8
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Take care of yourselves!
Thank you. I hope you enjoy your Deutschland-lite life and new status. As a token of our appreciation for all you brought to our community, we'd like to present you with an appropriate going away gift...

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Old 03-21-2012, 06:17   #9
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That's okay, it only confirms the image I already had about Americans. Why can't you have a simple debate?
Huh, this only confirms the opinion I have of most Western Europeans and I can assure you that I have spent more time in your neck of the woods than you, mine. European males love to pull the tail of the dog and then whine and cry when they are bit.

Since you can't figure it out, here is a primer on Americans. If you blatantly try to bait us with thinly veiled insults, you will be dealt with directly; how men are supposed to be. Your modus operandi here seems to be taking indirect potshots at our country. When you were exposed, you took direct ones. Accurate?

Typical Dutchmen....
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Old 03-21-2012, 06:32   #10
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When does this get moved to "Your rucksack is in the hall"? We haven't had an update in a while?

I love it when Europeans who live under our umbrella of security have the balls to say they are better than us, we are cowboys yadayadayada. But the moment they need help, who do they cry to?

Maybe if they had the balls (I use thst term loosely) to get up off their knees and stop sucking our { }, they might be able to care for their own self defense. But we all know a whore is a whore and the chance of that happening is between slim and none.

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Old 03-21-2012, 10:47   #11
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Are we going to throw mud at each other? Ever wonder how popular your country has been since 2000? Cowboying your way into other peoples oil fields and sucking them dry like some leach, God bless America the greatest Christian nation on the planet blablabla with it's friggin PORN industry, crippling infrastructure, failing education system, the list goes on. everywhere you are a misnomer making a mess of it all and leaving other people to clean up after you. Like small children... That even includes screwing your own country -it's not even yours cause you guys are ALL import, you wiped out most of its rightful owners- God must hate America, I'm sure of it. You guys need China to bail you out with that 15 trillion debt! And yes, we have all kinds of Trade Unions, that actually DO something for their people. ever wondered what a union actually does? Why are so many people in the US suffering from poverty, poor health, lack of education etc. Because there is nobody who is standing up for them.
But let's drop all that crap, I'm way above all that man....

What's with all the hostility??? I have tried to figure you people out for many many years, but I still haven't. That's okay, it only confirms the image I already had about Americans. Why can't you have a simple debate? Why is it that you lads always feel the need to fuck other people up? You're doing a terrible job with winning my heart and mind. I would most certainly tell you only once to deedee out of my territory. No Green Berets needed here...

That's all folks. I'm most certainly done with this board. There really is no point in it whatsoever. Take care of yourselves!
Were you here to ask questions and solicit our opinions, or to lecture us based on your vast experience?

You have always seemed to talk more than listen, even when provided with sound advice. Your supreme ignorance is exceeded only by your massive arrogance.

Adios, Biotch! You will not be missed.

TR
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Old 03-21-2012, 17:58   #12
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Go to work and miss all the fun. Kinda disappointing, I was going to "wax eloquent" and use a bunch of words they don't let me use in my day job. What amazes me is that the caliber of the Dutch exchange officer working at USASOC is 180 degrees opposed to this gadfly. He's a genuinely nice guy - professional, courteous, and respected. The times I've interacted with him arranging SUEs have been painless and productive (say thank you 10th SFG(A)).
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A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.

~ Marcus Tullius Cicero (42B.C)
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