Needed: more troops

[Lanya]

    

News
Congress | Special Reports | Frontline Photos |
December 14, 2006

Schoomaker: Larger force, more reserves needed

By Lolita C. Baldor
The Associated Press

As President Bush weighs new strategies for Iraq, the Army’s top general warned Thursday that his force “will break” without thousands more active duty troops and greater use of the reserves.

Noting the strain put on the force by operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the global war on terrorism, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker said he wants to grow his half-million-member Army beyond the 30,000 troops already added in recent years.

Though he didn’t give an exact number, he said it would take significant time and commitment by the nation, noting some 6,000 to 7,000 soldiers could be added per year.

Officials also need greater authority to tap into the National Guard and Reserve, a force once set up as a strategic reserve but now needed as an integral part of the nation’s deployed forces, Schoomaker told a commission studying possible changes in those two forces.

“Over the last five years, the sustained strategic demand ... is placing a strain on the Army’s all-volunteer force,” Schoomaker told the commission in a Capitol Hill hearing.

“At his pace ... we will break the active component” unless reserves can be called up more to help, Schoomaker said.

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2424267.php

[BT]

The Army has been recruiting about 80,000 people a year, setting differing monthly goals depending on the time of the year.

Though the active services are doing well, recruiting has lagged for the Army Reserve and Navy Reserve, officials said.

The Army Reserve last month signed up 1,888, or just 79 percent of its 2,376 goal and the Navy Reserve signed up 687 recruits, or just 91 percent of its 755 goal.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061212/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/military_recruiting

[sirs]

But I thought Lanya was advocating troop withdrawl?  Now she's advocating more troops needed?   

[Xavier_Onassis]

But I thought Lanya was advocating troop withdrawal?  Now she's advocating more troops needed?   

==========================================
No, she just posted an article that spoke about increasing troops.

She was probably expecting you to comment on the article, rather than her.
* * * *
More troops might help, or hurt. If they send in more troops and things get worse, the public is really gonna go ape.

McCain is counting on them not doing this, so he can say "I told you so" in November of 2008, and everyone will be supposedly impressed with his great foresight.

[sirs]

No, she just posted an article that spoke about increasing troops.  She was probably expecting you to comment on the article, rather than her.

Reading minds again, Xo?  The point of the article is drectly related to the supposed cry to decrease troops, by folks like Lanya.  So which is it?

[Lanya]

2/3rds of the Army's combat batallions are not battle-ready, according to Army's top general (according to Joe Scarborough).

This is  not about increasing troops in Iraq. This is about "The army is about to break. INFUSION NEEDED STAT."

We need more men in the reserves AND in the active army, according to Schoomaker.  That's how much stress has been put on it in the last 5 years. 


What I infer is that we need a draft. 
And don't yell at me, I am not saying HE said that, because he didn't.  But if people aren't volunteering.....

[sirs]

This is  not about increasing troops in Iraq. This is about "The army is about to break. INFUSION NEEDED STAT.".... What I infer is that we need a draft.  

So, can we expect a cessation in the scare tactic implications of how the GOP is going to bring back the draft. knowing that it's really the left?

And don't yell at me, I am not saying HE said that, because he didn't.

Who's yelling?

[Amianthus]

What I infer is that we need a draft. 
And don't yell at me, I am not saying HE said that, because he didn't.  But if people aren't volunteering.....

Among other reports:

Army recruitment numbers highest since 9/11

Oct 16, 2006 05:20 PM

WILMINGTON -- The war on terror is not hurting military recruiting. In fact the Army says its numbers are at their highest since September 11.
http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?S=5546717&nav=menu70_23_2

Military recruitment exceeding goals

(New Haven-WTNH, Dec. 13, 2006 5:53 PM) _ Declining support for the war in Iraq is not discouraging young Americans from signing up for the military. New numbers out show recruitment is up in Connecticut and nationwide.

The Navy and Air Force are meeting their recruitment goals. The Army and Marines are actually exceeding theirs. Polls may show dissatisfaction with President Bush's handling of the war is at an all time high, but that's not stopping young men and women from enlisting.
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=5811324

[BT]

Must be budget time. Say there is a crisis and then ask for a boatload of money to fix it.

[sirs]

What I infer is that we need a draft.  
And don't yell at me, I am not saying HE said that, because he didn't.  But if people aren't volunteering.....

Among other reports:
Army recruitment numbers highest since 9/11
In fact the Army says its numbers are at their highest since September 11.
Military recruitment exceeding goals
The Navy and Air Force are meeting their recruitment goals. The Army and Marines are actually exceeding theirs.

But.....but.....Lanya says our military is on the absolute verge of implosion !!

[Amianthus]

But.....but.....Lanya says our military is on the absolute verge of implosion !!

Oh don't worry. I've pointed out that she's wrong on the recruitment numbers several times before.

She'll be back in a few weeks claiming that no one's volunteering and calling for a draft.

[Lanya]

If we need a larger force and more reserves, would the same numbers of people volunteering be enough?

That is the problem. 

Repeat: Army’s top general warned Thursday that his force “will break” without thousands more active duty troops and greater use of the reserves.

[BT]

Repeat: Army’s top general warned Thursday that his force “will break” without thousands more active duty troops and greater use of the reserves.

Did this same General say the same thing last year and the year before? There is lead time in getting useful boots on the ground, being a manpower specialist one would assume he would know this.

[Plane]

There are 300 million Americans.

What number of servicemen can 300 million people support?

[Xavier_Onassis]

The fact is that the military lies about its recruiting efforts. They keep two sets of books:

One lists the actual number they really need, another is a far lesser number that they are sure they can exceed.

They are experts at advertising, not reality. When what you are selling involves becoming rapidly deceased or crippled for and in pain for the rest of your life, you tend to accentuate the positive, don't you know.

This is the same tired CRAP that they spread about in Vietnam. The fact is they had to get the Hell outta Nam because the draft could not produce the troops they needed. No-shows were monumental, desertions were huge. They were running out of gullible small-town gung-ho patriots, and they were getting a lot of officers fragged. That is why they left Nam. But they lied and lied, and they are lying still.

There is no real chance that they will pass a draft, and in the weird chance that they did, opposition against this war and our burgeoning imperial role in the world would skyrocket. Americans are too selfish/ and or to smart to allow themselves to be drafted to die for the oligarchy's foul imperial schemes.

What few actual enemies we would really have, were we not led by assh*les like Juniorbush & Cheney are not something you need a draftee army to defeat.

It's only when you practice evil tricks on others and start unnecessary wars that you need a large army.