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US War Machine Downsizing?

Posted by Unknown on from the how-will-we-defeat-zombie-stalin-now? dept.

mrspoonsi writes "BBC Reports: 'Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has unveiled plans to shrink the U.S. Army to its smallest size since before World War Two. Outlining his budget plan, the Pentagon chief proposed trimming the active-duty Army to between 440,000 and 450,000 personnel — from 520,000 currently. The U.S. currently spends more on defense than the combined total of the next 12 countries, as ranked by defense spending.'"

5 of 506 comments (clear)

  1. Time to end the military industrial complex by litehacksaur111 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As Eisenhower warned in his farewell address, I hope this news means we have finally heeded his warning and are moving towards dismantling the military industrial complex. All of that money could be used to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure we have right here at home.

    1. Re:Time to end the military industrial complex by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Then again, he's getting rid of the A-10 also.

      The A-10 was bought and paid for decades ago, so that is not a big savings.

      Number of times we have need air-to-ground support, like the A-10 delivers, in the last two decades: tens of thousands.
      Number of times we we have need an air superiority fighter, like the F-35, in the last two decades: 0.

      Of course, the F-35 can do close air support, but it does it no better than the A-10, despite costing far, far, more to build, operate, and maintain.

    2. Re:Time to end the military industrial complex by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 5, Interesting
      The Army and Air Force need to be merged and the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines need to be merged. The overlap there is just nuts, tons of overhead, procurement programs, command structure, etc...

      So you'd be left with an Army who does everything on land and a Navy who does everything at sea (and does landings on coasts, then hands off to the Army at about the 15 mile point inland).

  2. Re:Drone Occupation by rmdingler · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Sigh! Mechanization kills another American job.

    Before you know it, well be able to fight a complete war without risking a single soldier.

    Since the bar for invasion of another sovereign state is already set fairly low, what future transgression will be enough when no dead heroes need to return home? Iran looked at me funny!

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  3. The Army could stand to be downsized... by Taelron · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The Marine Corps handles 90 to 95% of all "Peace Time" military actions while subsisting on the hand-me downs from the other branches and a paltry 3% of the Defense Budget. Navy Seal teams get more money for training ammo than the entire Marine Corps.

    At the beginning of the 1st Gulf War, the Marines were just getting the M1 Abrahms tanks the Army was swapping out for newer models (before that the Marines were still on old M60 tanks).

    In the late 90's (97-98) the Marines were just starting to get the venerable Singars radios. Up till then they were still using post-Vietnam era AN/PRC-77 radios.

    Time and time again the Army goes and asks for more men and money, new gear, etc, because they state they cant accomplish the mission with what they have.

    And time and time again the Marine Corps happily takes that "old outdated" equipment with fewer men and exceed... There has long been a rivalry between the branches, but maybe its time for the other branches to take a page out of the Corps manual and learn how to do more with less. You could drop military spending by half at least, if not more, by following the Marines lead.