Pentagon abandons active-duty time limit

yahoo.com ^ | Jan 11, 2007 | ROBERT BURNS,

[prophetic]

a major change that reflects an Army stretched thin by longer-than-expected combat in Iraq.

Lest we forget that it was slick willie that cut our military by approx HALF (and worse in many instances) and Bush inherited a smaller army to work with.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

bump

[fini]

You are correct in the numbers, but it was under Pres Bush that the plan was made. I was in the Marine Corps in the early 90s and we were just under 200K. It was a good plan then as the Soviet Union fell apart under Bush and it was felt that there was no need to maintain a "cold war" military. However, times change and so does need. Please remember that all of the services have reduced their support personnel through innovation in order to provide more "trigger pullers." However, the Corps still doesn't have as many trigger pullers as it did in 1990.

[Grut]

...and Bush inherited a smaller army to work with.

Yeah, but he inherited it six years ago!

A lot of Reserve and Guard wives are going to tell their husbands it's time to make a choice.

[Mears]

This is NOT good news,is it?

[xzins]

I was in the military as well.

The Army had grown to nearly 800,000 due to IraqI. It was downsizing from a plus up. There was a study group that was recommending a permanent downsizing of the military, due to the "peace dividend" expected after the fall of the Soviet Union. This was delayed by the IraqI War.

That war ended in approximately mid-1991. The election was held in November of 92 and BushI (41) lost to Clinton. Clinton came into office in Jan of 93 and stayed until 2001 when he was replaced by BushII (43). We are soon to be in B43's 7'th year.

It was after that war that the review began regarding the downsizing of American Forces. I believe that 41 was looking at a cut to about 15 active Army divisions. He lost that election and the decision was left to C42, who, after trying to get homosexuals in the military, decided to cut the Army to 10 divisions.

It was far too large a cut, and events in the last 10 years have proven that to be an irrefutable truth.

[neverdem]

This is NOT good news,is it?

The title probably isn't too welcome in the reserve components, but increasing the size of the Regular Army and Marine Corps is just recognizing reality.

[Hydroshock]

Ihave a friend who is gettign out, his wife gavehim that choice. Her of a 3rd deployment in 5 years. We need more actie duty troops.

[familyop]

"A lot of Reserve and Guard wives are going to tell their husbands it's time to make a choice."

...a choice between what and what--divorce and courts martial for desertion or staying in the military and divorce? IMO, their wives won't even tell them what's happening back home in VAWA and Child Support Act country.

[Grizzled Bear]

The life of a military spouse is very difficult. It is NOT for just any woman. It takes a very high level of maturity, motivation and loyalty.

I have seen some pretty sorry excuses for women cheat on their husbands during deployment (and yes I have seen both sides acting like trash).

I once saw a young man run himself ragged because his wife returned stateside early and she told him if he was not home by Christmas don't bother showing up at all.

If the spouse can't or won't be supportive sometimes the guy is better off alone. The decision is really rough if there are children.

Fortunately my wife is really a blessing from God.

[SICSEMPERTYRANNUS]

I am currently on the 3rd deployment in 3 years plan. I welcome the increase in endstrength. : )

SIC

[Night Hides Not]

A lot of Reserve and Guard wives are going to tell their husbands it's time to make a choice.

With a higher percentage of women being in the Reserves and Guard, I'd be willing to bet that a large number of husbands are going to tell their wives it's time to make a choice, too.

This new policy is emblematic of the pi$$ poor planning that's been done at the Pentagon. Until proven otherwise, I'm laying this at the feet of President Bush and Rummy.

[mystery-ak]

bookmarking

[art_rocks]

What's the incentive to stay in the Reserves especially if your a small business owner or have to take a pay cut during deployments.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

Bush 41 made those cuts

[napscoordinator]

Let's not lie! It was Bush 41! We all know how everyone feels about President Clinton, but at least be truthful!

[truth_seeker]

Many would have thought 9/12/2001 was the date to increase our military forces.
Others would have deemed the invasion of Iraq should trigger the increase.

Still others would have waited, until overuse of reserves became necessary.

Then again, maybe not until the insurgency drew on longer, and intensified--then was the time.

Bombs in Madrid, London, Palestinian uprising, French riots, Breslin butchery told us the truth. Islam is NOT a religion of peace.

Well, finally we see real movement. Over five years after the start of a world war.

[af_vet_rr]

What's the incentive to stay in the Reserves especially if your a small business owner or have to take a pay cut during deployments.

Part of me says they need to suck it up and deal with it - they knew the risks when they signed on. The other part me says that's very disrespectful of the service and sacrifices they have already made.

I think the bigger issue here, and I think many will gloss over it deliberately, is why hasn't the current President Bush, and the Republican Congress we've had up until recently done anything about increasing the size of the active duty military.

We can bitch about what the first President Bush did, and about what Clinton did, and we can pat outselves on the back for pointing out what they did to the size and strength of our military, but the current administration has been in office for many years now, and what I saw was them maintaining the status quo or worse. Hell, the Air Force, and I believe the Navy, even went through a RIF in the past few years, and yet we've had recruiting shortages in the Army (or very near it).

President Bush has had ample opportunity to make the case for increasing the size of the active-duty military, and has had ample opportunity to explain the need for such an increase to the American people.

We knew after 9/11 and our activities that started up in Afghanistan, that we were going to be fighting a war that is going to be manpower intensive. All of our high-tech equipment does us no good against an enemy who doesn't need electricity, who is willing to communicate using means other than radios, who can sleep or hide in a hut or a ditch or a cave - we have to put boots on the ground. Our enemies were not strangers - in many cases we funded them and helped them fight the Soviets in the '80s. We knew full well what kind of war it was going to be.

We then, for better or for worse, went into Iraq without having found Bin Laden, without having finished in Afghanistan. Whether it was a mistake made in analyzing intelligence, or we were out-right lied to by the administration or the administration was lied to by analysts, none of that makes any difference now. We have to play the hand we were dealt.

I do not believe the American people as a whole, have had it explained to them just what kind of war we are in - a war that has raged for centuries, a war that is going to be fought in the Middle East, Africa, and as we've seen with the bombings in Spain and England, and the problems in France, Germany, and Denmark, in Europe, and one that has already seen attacks in the US. This is a war without a forseeable end, and it's one that can't be fought with the push of a button. It's going to require a huge change in the way we think of traditional warfare. It's also going to require a change in the way we think about our border security, which runs contrary to what the GOP and businesses want - i.e. open borders.

This is a war with an enemy that will not stop until they are all dead or we are all dead or converted. They've fought this war for a thousand years, and will do so for another thousand.

The administration knows what kind of war this is, and they've done a piss-poor job of selling it to the American people, whether they think it will hurt them in the polls or whether they think the American people can or cannot handle it, for whatever the reason, it's been a piss-poor job the whole way.

Once upon a time, I used to think that President Bush understood this war, and knew that if we didn't fight it in Afghanistan or Iraq, that we would end up fighting it in the United States. I think maybe he still realizes that, but I also think he's let us down, in not only explaining it to the American public, but making provisions to fight it. I never really cared for Rumsfeld when he served under Ford, and I never really cared for him under Bush - I will give him credit for trying to turn the military around to an extend - he canceled some expensive programs that were just a drain on resources, and he recognized the need for a more mobile military, but he shares a little bit of the blame for some of the arrogance he displayed, both before and after the invasion of Iraq. He seemed flexible in some areas, but in other areas he was not, and what we need is flexibility in that position (and we may have it with Gates).

My apologies for rambling, but my point is, Bush has had ample time to make the case to the American people and to Congress that we need not only a major increase in our active-duty military, but that we need some kind of more formal declaration of war. He had a Republican Congress for many years, and did little to nothing about it.

[af_vet_rr]

Many would have thought 9/12/2001 was the date to increase our military forces. Others would have deemed the invasion of Iraq should trigger the increase.

Still others would have waited, until overuse of reserves became necessary.

Then again, maybe not until the insurgency drew on longer, and intensified--then was the time.

Bombs in Madrid, London, Palestinian uprising, French riots, Breslin butchery told us the truth. Islam is NOT a religion of peace.

Well, finally we see real movement. Over five years after the start of a world war.

You summed up in a few lines, what I just said in post #19, following your's.

I'm glad that others here on FR get that we are in a real world war. It's just a damn shame that many others don't.