What is with all the military cuts?

[slatr]

Our local air base was supposed to be gaining people.. now we find out they are losing some... and they want to cut 20,000 total in the AF next year!


Little Rock Air Force Base Possibly Cutting Personnel
( Air Date: 5/8/2006 )
The Little Rock Air Force Base could lose as many as 270 airmen as part of a plan to make the Air Force more efficient.

Starting in October, those jobs will be cut mostly from support services, which includes finance, personnel, public affairs, and legal services.

The men and women working on the flight line, like pilots, air crew, and maintenance people will not be cut - because they`re playing a central role in the war on terror.

"We need to train the best C-130 pilots in the world and if there are areas we can lean out and make more efficient in the support world, then we need to do that. It`s smart for the taxpayer and it`s smart for the Air Force," says Captain Dave Faggard.

World-wide the Air Force is cutting about 20,000 people in the next year. Military leaders hope to cut a total of 50,000 position within the next five years.


Who gets to take up the slack? These postions were filled, so.. the next guy does twice
the work???

 

[Jaskalas]

In a war you intend to win, pin point weapons replace the need to have a large number of troops. Any enemy army ala WW2 era can simply be blown away from anywhere in a region.

 

[jrenz]

The Air Force has been downsizing for some time. The Army, on the other hand, is doing the exact opposite. Merely a shift of forces to meet the needs of modern conflict.

 

[slatr]

I see what you are saying, but it still makes me uncomfortable.

I feel we are growing complacent and cutting too much in the name of effeciency.

We will be competing for resources that are getting more and more scarce as time goes on. Let us hope we can "gear up" quickly when the time comes.

 

[ebaycj]

Outsource them to China, FTW!

 

[slatr]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2005/050410-military-cuts.htm

 

[slatr]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2006/060110-china-military.htm

China has cut too, but look at the totals on down the page.

 

[dullard]

We are way, way too big for our own needs. Let it be cut.

 

[Orignal Earl]

The new bases in Iraq are more important

 

[slatr]

We are way, way too big for our own needs. Let it be cut.

*********
How?

Those figures in the last link I posted.. read the *.. that says IF we also mobilize guard and reserve.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: slatr
How?

1) One of our highly trained men with the most advanced equipment in the world is far more effective than many of their men.

2) We do not NEED to be the biggest in the world to have perfectly good defences. You forget about geography. You may want to be the biggest, but a want is not a need.

3) If one of those countries somehow attacks us, we'd have a hundred countries coming to our defense. Add them up and we are >5 times bigger than any potential attacker.

 

[Moonbeam]

Bush plans to exit Iraq by making the military disappear.

 

[slatr]

1) One of our highly trained men with the most advanced equipment in the world is far more effective than many of their men.

Agreed

2) We do not NEED to be the biggest in the world to have perfectly good defences. You forget about geography.

I do not agree. I never forget about geography.. that is one of the main reasons I am concerned. Vast geographic areas covered in Asia and the Middle East. Technology is great, but there are some limitations if we have to ever get involved on a large scale in Asia.. We can't even control one country there now.

3) If one of those countries somehow attacks us, we'd have a hundred countries coming to our defense. Add them up and we are >5 times bigger than any potential attacker.

Ever notice when the going gets tough.. some of our allies back down or change their mind.. Do you really want to depend on them that much?

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: slatr
I never forget about Geography.. that is one of the main reasons I am concerned. Vast geographic areas covered in Asia and the Middle East. Technology is great, but there are some limitations if we have to ever get involved on a large scale in Asia.

You are confusing wants and needs again. We may WANT to have a large scale attack in Asia. But we don't ever NEED to do it. We NEED a sound defense in the US. What country on that list of yours can attack New York and California and Florida and Texas at the same time? They'll be spread thin, and we can be concentrated where we need it. Thus even if they outnumber us in sheer numbers, the placement of troups at home will highly favor us.

 

[slatr]

Not just my wants and needs.. our countries wants and needs, and they include more than defense.

I agree for defense only, things don't look quite so bad.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: slatr
Not just my wants and needs.. our countries wants and needs, and they include more than defense.

I agree for defense only, things don't look quite so bad.

I was talking only of our country's wants and needs. We never, ever need to be the attacker. There may be very good reasons to want to be the attacker. But in the worst possible situation, we can always fall back and defend ourselves indefinately. We don't have to win every war. Heck, we don't have to be involved in every war.

 

[slatr]

I was talking only of our country's wants and needs. We never, ever need to be the attacker. There may be very good reasons to want to be the attacker. But in the worst possible situation, we can always fall back and defend ourselves indefinately

*********

We may be forced to be the attacker... but hopefully this will be 40-60 years down the road and our children have had a chance to enjoy life.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: slatr
We may be forced to be the attacker.

How? Suppose someone in Asia does something really, really horrible. The worst thing possible. Still why do we HAVE to attack?

 

[slatr]

How? Suppose someone in Asia does something really, really horrible. The worst thing possible. Still why do we HAVE to attack?
*******
Let's say me and you are stranded on an island that only supplies enough food and water to support one person.

You don't HAVE to fight me for it.. but I bet you would.

 

[LegendKiller]

I think this question is phrased incorrectly "How small do our armed forces need to be? "

I should be "How big do our armed forces need to be".

Do we need to fight a war on every front?

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Orignal Earl
The new bases in Iraq are more important

BFT

 

[techs]

First off Bush is pouring billions into the bottomless pit of Iraq and needs to save money someplace.
And troops don't have the political pull of defense contractors.
So bye bye troops. Hello 2,000 dollar toilets.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: LegendKiller
I think this question is phrased incorrectly "How small do our armed forces need to be? "

I should be "How big do our armed forces need to be".

Do we need to fight a war on every front?

At what point do you draw the line on shinkrage?

Lack of capacity can have a severe impact when the time comes to need it.

The loss of key skills can not easily be replaced overnight.

 

[TGS]

...support services, which includes finance, personnel, public affairs, and legal services.

All jobs that civilians can do. Military members need to be world wide qualified and deployable at all times. These type of jobs can be handled through DoD or contract labor.

Edit:

They've been scaling back for years as well. Though the positions are being cut, rest assured the money is being spent elsewhere.

 

[slatr]

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...support services, which includes finance, personnel, public affairs, and legal services.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



All jobs that civilians can do. Military members need to be world wide qualified and deployable at all times. These type of jobs can be handled through DoD or contract labor.

Edit:

They've been scaling back for years as well. Though the positions are being cut, rest assured the money is being spent elsewhere.

*********
That is not all cuts, that is just one base.