Alright.
I'll break it down roughly:
The executive and managing unit:I think the Military needs to recruit a whole lot more from business schools. Have a good mix of suits and uniforms among the executives.
That would make the Military more cost effective.
Fighting units:
Phase out the big mech divisions, the big artilleries and similar.
Instead invest in special forces, small mobile units.
The threat is different from 50 years ago - now it's not about facing potentially an army of 100 000 soldiers. But rather small cells of maybe 5-100 fighters in each.
So change the weaponry as well.
Stop using a few of the big carriers. Develop new attack routines for dealing with eg modern oil tanker pirates.
Reforming the National Guard:
I see some kind of new domestic anti-terrorist force, similar to the MEK and SEK in Germany that similar to the German GSG-9.
Small units, specialized on urban warfare, all across the USA, who would be ready to hit potential threats within the hour.
The main thing though - spend money on quality.
Not quantity.
If USA have 2 plus million soldiers today and would reduce that to 500 000 it would mean a lot less soldiers.
But if you give all of them the same resources that the elite forces gets today, you really think the US army would be less potent?
Go for quality - not quantity.
This is just how I see it.
Downsizing and rationalizing is normal in the corporate world.
But somehow it's not in the Military.
I will try and address as much as I can....
The executive and managing unit:I think the Military needs to recruit a whole lot more from business schools. Have a good mix of suits and uniforms among the executives.
The vast majority of Officers above 03 have a Masters. I have one and will have 2 at some point. We have plenty of DA civilians who take care of budget concerns...its not an issue either way. Phase out the big mech divisions, the big artilleries and similar.
Instead invest in special forces, small mobile units.
The threat is different from 50 years ago - now it's not about facing potentially an army of 100 000 soldiers. But rather small cells of maybe 5-100 fighters in each.
So change the weaponry as well.
We have the 1st Armored Div/1st Infantry Div and the 3rd ID as our Heavy Div. We also have 2 ACR's and the 4th ID. They are all "heavy but have fought light for years in Iraq. We have been transitioning to the "Objective Force" since 2001 and should be complete in 2012. This is a Bde Centric force that has eveything u need to fight. Air/Arty/Med/Engineer/Intel etc etc in one small mobile package. I could go on but u get it.
Be aware that every time we fight one war one way, another war...forcing us to fight another way, arises. SO we can't abandon heavy armor...just make the organizations employing that armor, more rapidly deployable. Stop using a few of the big carriers. Develop new attack routines for dealing with eg modern oil tanker pirates
Never....carriers are major power projection platforms that can do multiple jobs...from direct action air missions to humanitarian relief. What ur talking about is a littoral navy and I agree. The Navy is pushing for this. We need more brown water and costal ships designed for that..its under way now. Reforming the National Guard:
I see some kind of new domestic anti-terrorist force, similar to the MEK and SEK in Germany that similar to the German GSG-9.
Small units, specialized on urban warfare, all across the USA, who would be ready to hit potential threats within the hour.
The main thing though - spend money on quality.
We have CEBRNE teams...and other "Homeland defense" specific organizations in the NG and Reserves. We have alot of these things already but we don't advertise em. As far as SOF forces...we're making em bigger and there is so much the American people don't know we have. We have, in the last 8 years, gone beyond anything Hollywood can make up. There are Black ops units everywhere ...well beyond Delta/Seals/Green Berets and our Rangers. They don't all kick doors, many are invloved in Humint etc. We are about 5000 short of the goal of about 570,000 active troops. Many of the units exits but arent fully manned. Obama will not begin any cuts until year 3...and honestly we don't feel we'll be cut much. Now some of the Libs here will say othewrwise buit they have no idea. Obama told P4 we won't be pulling out of Iraq until we're ready, that was months before the election. Obama has put in place a pretty hawkish foreign policy team, including Clinton. Anyway let me know if I can address anything further.
