Infographic: The size and reach of the United States military

[Doppel]

Military is just another welfare system these days. Its a totally unproductive (actually destructive) activity that gives inner city and broke rural ppl jobs. Hides under guise of national security so it's not going anywhere. Well..until we go broke.

Much of this is true.

 

[blankslate]

Democracy, coming soon, to a neighborhood near you!

Whether you want it or not!

 

[DaveSimmons]

I agree that we need to be able to go into a country like Afghanistan or Iraq and smash their military if they threaten us. But that mission doesn't require us to pay to keep 50,000 stationed in Germany.

It makes sense to have bases for logistics to support the carrier groups and for staging air force operations, but we don't need to keep much more than that.

 

[xBiffx]

I agree that we need to be able to go into a country like Afghanistan or Iraq and smash their military if they threaten us. But that mission doesn't require us to pay to keep 50,000 stationed in Germany.

How do you plan on flying their to smash them? You gonna thumb it on the side of the road when you run out of gas?

 

[blankslate]

Military is just another welfare system these days. Its a totally unproductive (actually destructive) activity that gives inner city and broke rural ppl jobs. Hides under guise of national security so it's not going anywhere. Well..until we go broke.

Much of this is true.

Yet heaven forbid that we employ people to fix an infrastructure in desperate need of maintenance. Government welfare jobs...

 

[DaveSimmons]

How do you plan on flying their to smash them? You gonna thumb it on the side of the road when you run out of gas?

See edit. But as I mentioned earlier, the choice isn't between 50,000 and 0.

I don't know what the magic number is for a logistics and staging base, but I'd bet a decent sum of money it's closer to 5,000 than 50,000.

 

[OCGuy]

Our base in Germany is to keep the Red tanks from rolling West. Our troops in SK are a tripwire to keep the Red troops from heading South.

Our base in Japan is to protect Taiwan from Red China.

And I can't legally sit on a Havana beach and drink delicious rum and smoke a (semi-overated) cigar in Red Cuba.

Much of our policies are relics from the last century. We need massive re-alignment. We defend SK's border better than our own. F*cking ludicrous.

 

[xBiffx]

I agree that we need to be able to go into a country like Afghanistan or Iraq and smash their military if they threaten us. But that mission doesn't require us to pay to keep 50,000 stationed in Germany.

It makes sense to have bases for logistics to support the carrier groups and for staging air force operations, but we don't need to keep much more than that.

Since you edited after my last post I will ask another question.

How many personnel do you think it takes to run that logistic support operation? Keep in mind there is likely going to be an entire squadron for each operation: Refueling, defense/combat, recon, tactical, cargo, simple air transport, plus all the other support that the actual base needs. There is likely more than one wing made up by these squadrons. A wing is typically 20,000 or so strong and a squadron is typically 5,000 or so.

They are being fairly efficient only have 50,000 give or take in the theater.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I seriously doubt we need that much on-site force to deter Russia from conquering Europe, but I can't give you a number.

Also, we belong to NATO but that doesn't mean we need to pay for their defense. Why should we use deficit spending to do that?

 

[Ninjahedge]

Sorry, there is no reason why defending our freedom of speech requires keeping 50,000 troops in Germany in 2012.

You need to defend the Beer and the Women!!!!

It's a false dilemma to imply the choices are $700 billion a year or being conquered by someone.

There are always in-betweens. The problem is, the world has pretty much stepped back and let us spend all of our money to keep the peace.

Look at how many people have jumped on the bandwagon in Libya and Somalia.

Syria?

Don't all get up.

 

[Ninjahedge]

How do you plan on flying their to smash them? You gonna thumb it on the side of the road when you run out of gas?

It was never said that it would be EASY to do this...right.

You can just pull everyone out, dismantle our large standing army, connections, communication and supply lines and just wait for something to happen OR you can try to make it so that you are working WITH the world rather than as the world's military leader.

You keep 5K in Germany as support staff so you can get 50K trained members of the National Reserve over there in an eye-blink. You do not keep 50K there in case Germany is sneak-attacked by France.

 

[nextJin]

Who here was actually a part of the Iraq invasion force and witnessed how 80+% of the materials and troops were transported?

 

[Zebo]

Ask al-Qaeda. You really think we are ever going to push the button? Do you really think that is even a deterrent anymore? Again, I ask the question, how is that defense? Oh right, because total destruction is the only defense needed.

You just highlight another problem with maintaining such a plethora of soft arms. No AQ would have never attacked if annihilation was on table, but then again they would have never attacked in the first place had we minded our own beeswax. I see two problems there with maintaining such a large military.

wars u can't win and wars u get into.

 

[kyp275]

the overwhelming lack of basic understanding of military logistics in this thread is disturbing.

 

[xBiffx]

the overwhelming lack of basic understanding of military logistics in this thread is disturbing.

I know right. Stunning how people think the military is so easy to move without manpower. Just need 5K to make it happen, ROFL.

 

[xBiffx]

You just highlight another problem with maintaining such a plethora of soft arms. No AQ would have never attacked if annihilation was on table, but then again they would have never attacked in the first place had we minded our own beeswax. I see two problems there with maintaining such a large military.

wars u can't win and wars u get into.

LOL so now its our fault. You are unreal. Good job diverting and not answering a single question. Your lack of understanding of the military is epic.

 

[nextJin]

I know right. Stunning how people think the military is so easy to move without manpower. Just need 5K to make it happen, ROFL.

Civilians move the majority of the troops and equipment.....

 

[kyp275]

Civilians move the majority of the troops and equipment.....

yea, just look at UPS Tank Freight and Fedex's Next Day Guaranteed Company Delivery Service (saturday delivery extra, of course).



of course civilians are involved, especially today when everyone is contracting out as much work as they possibly can (even when it costs more money). But you're delusional if you think all it'll take is 5k people to handle the logistics, which includes the maintenance, upkeep of a wide variety of ordinance, machines, vehicles, weapons, aircraft, and equipments required to sustain several divisions, not to mention the various support staffs that is required to support said garrison.

and that's ignoring the pointlessness of maintaining such a large pile of equipment pinata without people to actually train and use them with.

 

[fskimospy]

I like Rammstein as much as the next metal fan, but why do my tax dollars need to fund 50,000 US soldiers to defend them?

We don't keep our troops in Germany to defend Germany. They are there to help us project power.

 

[nextJin]

yea, just look at UPS Tank Freight and Fedex's Next Day Guaranteed Company Delivery Service (saturday delivery extra, of course).

of course civilians are involved, especially today when everyone is contracting out as much work as they possibly can (even when it costs more money). But you're delusional if you think all it'll take is 5k people to handle the logistics, which includes the maintenance, upkeep of a wide variety of ordinance, machines, vehicles, weapons, aircraft, and equipments required to sustain several divisions, not to mention the various support staffs that is required to support said garrison.

and that's ignoring the pointlessness of maintaining such a large pile of equipment pinata without people to actually train and use them with.

Your not far off from the truth with the UPS hit. Besides they "know" logistics

I'm not saying the military does not have the need for logistics, but the vast majority of "movements' are done by civilians. I'm all for downsizing and refocusing our efforts on defense.