From what I have seen we need more grunt battalions. In Iraq we are using people untrained in Infantry type stuff to make up for the lack grunts.
Bingo. We have more than enough troops in the US Army, what we lack is riflemen. But it is my understanding that the Army has taken a look at the MArine Corps and is in the process of changing their ways. Every man an 11B as a primary MOS is definitely a major part of the solution.
"need more grunt battalions. In Iraq we are using people untrained in Infantry type stuff to make up for the lack grunts".
1. Yes, active divisions were cut TOO far; with that, goes the active MP Battalions, etc.
2. Which means, more reliance on the reserves. That is for a purpose, to involve the American people in any extended deployment.
3. The Reserves as well as the active forces are too extended.
4. The Reserves, with adequate training and priority for equipment, can be good; but those without prior active duty experience (which, of course, many many reservists DO have) cannot be expected to bear the same burden equally on an extended basis as full-time professional forces.
a. Witness the reservist MP general and debacle the ENTIRE Army has been smeared with . . .
b. Witness the maintenance company decimated at the time Jessica Lynch was captured. Logistics units in the active force do not have the same priority for modernized equipment as the "grunt" units. AND reserve logistics units are at the bottom of the heap. Those trucks did not even have radios! Not even WW II level RADIOS! Same when I was on active duty in the 80s (hopefully better now) when I as co. cdr and the Recovery section had the only 2 radios in the entire heavy maintenance company! So if the convoy gets separated, and they have NO RADIO to reorient? Is it any surprise that they keep being lost and get ambushed and, with no armor and no heavy weapons, get decimated? And how can they do their mission with so many key individuals with extensive maintenance experience wiped out? And why don't the grunts care about rear security for the thin-skinned troops who support them -- even pulling their control point before the unfortunate "lost" convoy got there?
POINT: We need BALANCED forces. More $$ for grunts, without upgrading the active and reserve support forces, will end up with more horror stories, as above.
YES: more grunts. BUT not ONLY more grunts.
In Iraq we are using people untrained in Infantry type stuff to make up for the lack grunts.
And how many divisions did Bill and Hillary delete from our Army?