Only four years after Barry McCaffrey pronounced that the “wheels would come off” Army recruiting by 2007….
Just two and half years after the point at which the improbably named Stirling Newberry (the burden of growing up with that hung about your neck would make anyone into a pretentious twit), predicted the Army would run out of “crack troops”…
A mere two years after Max Boot and Michael O’Hanlon pushed the idea that the Army needed to pay foreigners to join it….
The Washington Post reports that the Obama administration is cutting the Department of Defense’s recruiting budget by $800 million, or 11%, and the budget for enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses by $338 millon, or 26%.
To meet the cuts, the White House said, the military services would have to cap recruiting and retention programs at 2009 levels, lower enlistment and reenlistment bonuses, reduce the advertising budget, and cut the number of recruiters.
This reduction is brought about by the Army meeting or exceeding its recruiting and retention goals in the “recent months.” Though if the article was anywhere near truthful it would have said that the services have met or exceeded their goals for all but one year, 2005, in a time of war.
While no one who opposed Obama should be surprised at this, we all should take stock of what it means.
No Growth In Land Forces
The war in Iraq obviously has different lessons for different people but the one lesson everyone should be able to agree upon is that if the United States is going to fight wars on land it needs soldiers. Technology can enable us to make better use of said soldiers, and offer them more protection, and make them more efficient but in the final analysis battles are won by a 19 year-old infantryman convincing the other guy that it is really not in his own best interests to continue fighting.
The decision to reduce the recruiting budget spells the end to any hope of increasing the size of the armed forces in general, and the Army in particular, back to where they were about the time Bill Clinton declared us all part of the peace dividend and Les Aspin decided that we’d never need to fight more than one war at a time.
Not Serious About Afghanistan and Iraq
In short, if the Administration is actually serious about winning in Afghanistan and solidifying our win in Iraq – and I, for one, do not believe for a second that Obama really cares if we win or lose either – then it has just cast a vote in favor of longer and repetitive combat tours for the troops; something Obama and his minions criticized the previous Administration for allowing. You can’t increase the OPTEMPO in Afghanistan, confront the eventuality that the war may spill over into Pakistan, and preserve the gains we’ve made in Iraq without either more troops or more and longer combat tours. (Of course, the Administration has downsized its surge size by about 50% so the idea that Obama is just not serious about Afghanistan is hardly a novel insight.)
Not Serious About Military Effectiveness
Even if we stipulate that with an economy that is in the crapper, and shows every sign of being run deeper into said crapper by the current regime, that the military can meet manpower goals by relying on economic conscripts, cutting retention bonuses that encourage the best men and women to stay in uniform seems counterintuitive, to say the least.
The decision to tell mid-career noncommissioned officers that you will continue to serve repeated combat tours interspersed with short term deployments but we think you’re losers who can’t find a civilian job so we’re going to cut reenlistment bonuses seems particularly dunderheaded in the context of fighting two wars, one of which, could get much larger at a moment’s notice. If you’ve invested four plus years in a man or woman. recruiting them, training them and providing them with combat experience, it would seem to me that you’d like to keep that investment. But what do I know, I didn’t propose giving money to GM and Chrysler?
A Tin Ear For History
Another lesson we should have learned from the current wars is that it takes time to build a system to recruit men and women into the Armed Forces. It is all fine and well to cavalierly declare that an economic downturn has made it easier to recruit if your Defense policy is predicated on a never ending recession. (Though from what I’ve seen to date I’m not opposed to considering that might actually be the Administration’s plan.)
The problem with this strategy is that the economy, at least in the past, rebounds and your recruiting force is left without the tools, staffing, and experience to sell in a tough market. The infrastructure you downsized to save money is no longer present in many areas of America, cutting off contact between the military and young men or women who might be interested. A reduction in advertising dollars means that your message never reaches a lot of kids or their parents. And with the next crisis you are found wanting.
Contempt
The fact that these cuts are being announced when every other fatuous program within the federal government is drowning in porkulus money is simply indicative of the contempt in which this Administration holds the military. The subtext here could not be clearer. If you are a career NCO you are a loser who simply can’t hack it on the outside. You’ll take what we give you and be grateful for it. If you want to enlist, forget about enlistment bonuses because you’re a loser who can’t get a job, etc.
This cut, entailing over a billion dollars, is an exercise in irresponsibility. It is a false economy that will cost money and lives downstream as experience is lost to the Armed Forces during time of war.
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
The Obama Admin is putting a huge strain on the "Be Respectful" rule here...
Aaron Gardner (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 1:59PM EST (link)I swear it is taking everything in me not to unleash a list of words that would ultimately get me blammed…although I think it would play better than Sykes the other night.
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
“We’d be much better off if We The People had desired small government enough to keep it.” acat
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Wow
SgtKirk (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 2:20PM EST (link)I knew he didn’t like the military, and I knew the punch was coming, but I still can’t believe it. I too am constrained only by the rules of this site Mr. Gardner. The disrespect that is so clearly behind this is causing my anger to boil over right now.
But, he said he'd be tough with Pahkeestahn (nt)
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 2:21PM EST (link)RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
Rush made fun of the Obama's "Pahkeestahn" conceit last week.
blooch Monday, May 11th at 2:32PM EST (link)Nothing gets by El Rushbo for very long, although that particular bit of Obama’s supercilious showboating has grated on me since the debates
“Lieutenant Dike wasn’t a bad leader because he made bad decisions. He was a bad leader because he made no decisions.”
Spent four years recruiting (1988-2002) and
Old_Crow (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 2:25PM EST (link)your analysis is spot on. Clinton hollowed out the recruiting force and it took four years to recover and get back on our feet.
The first two immediate ramifications will be:
1. Reduction of the quality of recruits. It takes much more time, effort and resources to recruit higher quality recruits. These folks have other options, even in an economic downturn. We have a high-tech military that requires high-tech recruits. Our aircraft, ships, and equipment are run by far fewer yet much better trained and more capable servicemen and women.
2. Diversity will suffer. By that, I don’t mean racial or ethnic diversity per se, but diversity among different sectors and geographic regions in the country. During my 23 year military career, I worked with folks from farms, inner-city ghettos, Wall Street, Indian reservations, Wealthy blue-blood Boston, wood cutters from the back woods of Maine, etc, etc. Budget cutbacks will force the military to focus recruiting on areas that have a higher propensity to serve and cut off contact (and opportunities) for other areas.
Probably should have seen this coming, Clinton did the same thing.
Only problem is we are at war now and will be for quite some time.
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison
Reducing diversity has several deleterious effects
civil truth (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 2:47PM EST (link)First, of course is the harm to the military itself. Far worse, is that by removing the military as a part of the community in certain areas (presumably blue areas) it make the military more foreign to the American citizenry who live there and less visible, which just intensifies the polarization of our nations and the disdain of the blue states for the military they rely on. Once again, using others to do the dirty work they don’t want to dirty their hands with – and viewing them as their inferiors as well. And expect them to turn the other cheek and rescue them when the s**t hits that fan, as it will – especially because of their policies.
Which I think is really the intent of the Obama administration and Democrats.
The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis
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So what's the big deal? This is just part of the freight train
Tbone (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 2:49PM EST (link)that is going to hit this Country thanks to a bunch of white, middle class, union, women, disengaged (independent) voters who suckered for “change”.
The reality of our lives is that they are controlled by this cadre of fools. These fools have stuck their kids and grand kids with a huge economic anvil and will be responsible for both domestic terrorists attacks and international defense disasters.
This group only responds to pain stimuli such as personal unemployment and live people bouncing off the pavement. They do not respond to intangibles like cuts in military recruiting budgets. If they could connect those dots they could have connected the dots on Obama and the democrats in the first place.
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
55555nt
mom2oneson (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 3:26PM EST (link)History repeats (where Democrats have chances to repeat past mistakes)
JLenardDetroit (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 4:16PM EST (link)Remember all that pre-2006 Election Democrat rhetoric?!?! How they were trying to sell the ridiculous notion that Republicans didn’t care about our Troops! Republicans didn’t provide enough and/or good enough Armor! Republicans were NOT maintaining a sufficient Forces level and stretching the Troops to the point of breaking! …. and on and on…. but, of course, who really put us in those positions? DEMOCRATS and the Surrender Doctrine (Democrats ALWAYS cut/weaken U.S.Defense) is on the March again. While still trying to have it somewhat both ways by reversing his campaign promises to Code-Pink (who now are not happy with him over Iraq, FISA, Tribunals, etc…) and continuing the BUSH (Iraqi SOFA [TV next?]) “Return On Success,” of course they aren’t calling it the same thing (new PC terms for all GWOT functions). The cliff of unintended consequences (Democrats always ignore) nears yet again, but this time these consequences are predictable (through learning from history – which Democrats can’t) – shame people won’t wake up and stop the Cycle!!!!
Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
“Liberals, looking to do for? America what they’ve done for? Detroit! which is DESTROY IT!”
“I think, therefore I am Conservative”
“Conservative by choice, Republican by necessity”
“You can lead a Liberal to the Truth/Facts, but you cannot make them THINK!”
“Romney [No, not my first choice] does NOT have a MORMON problem. He has a, far too many Americans; these days; are MORONS problem!”
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(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (message) (Warning: Children Will Die!!)
Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” – a Rush caller (other Quotes)
Immoral levels of spending and gov't intrusion on everything but defense.
Crowe (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 4:50PM EST (link)First veterans wounded in battle would have to pay for their own health care or get their private insurance to do so, now this.
Absolutely gut-wrenching.
And yet, we are not to suggest at all that the Democrats somehow don’t care about national defense, Just Don’t Get It when it comes to keeping us safe, are not to be trusted with defense, or anything along those lines.
Believable, maddening, saddening, and absolutely gut-wrenching.
“We sleep soundly in our beds only because
rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence upon those who would do us harmDear Leader Obama gives us leave to do so.”Once Again, This Is Totally Consistent With How A Patronage Party Operates
IJB Monday, May 11th at 5:59PM EST (link)You throw money at societal and governmental sectors that support you (see: ACORN), and you cut off money to any and all sectors that are hostile, or that tend to be hostile, to your policies (or your personnel) – IOW, the military is “government” sector #1 that falls into this category.
Beyond this, expect to see see cutbacks and ‘hollowing out’ of any other gov’t sectors that tend to be “conservative” or “anti-Leftist” – law enforcement like the FBI being the most obvious targets there. So look for cuts to next hit the FBI, and possibly the CIA and other intelligence services (on our side, we may regard the CIA as being riddled with Leftists, but I suspect the Obama Admin & the Dems view them as uncomfortably “conservative”).
On a societal level, expect constant hostility and targeting of generally middle class sectors and people, especially in the “Heartland”, as they can presumed to be hostile to Obama,
This is all part of The Plan…
Given that the military of today is MUCH better educated then ages past.
USNJIMRET (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 8:48PM EST (link)That is, even the 19 year old ground pounding grunt is much more likely to have at least some college level education in addition to the High School diploma. AND the very advanced technical training that even your basic rifleman in the Army gets now days……it is insane to believe that the same 19 year old will see any advantage to continuation of a career in the military.
Because even if, and it is a very questionable if, said 19 year old isn’t positive about a job paying as ‘well’ as a military salary, most jobs don’t require you to be shot at!
Lot to be said about that last part.
Trust me, it takes a damn sight more then a paycheck to keep someone in the service when the chance to be shot at is constant.
So, in a couple of years, if that long, when the military returns to the bad old days of not being combat ready, what will The One do then?
Whatever it is, that will be when his real game plan is exposed.
The savings he is generating by these budget reductions make hardly a dent in the deficit, but will have, without question, massive negative impacts on the readiness of the military force.
And our enemies, be they ‘just’ terrorists, or actual countries, are watching.
Newy Gingrich's words today......
avgamerican (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 9:21PM EST (link)The Obama Aministration is showing a “disturbing pattern” where he is willing to take big chances with national security while “protecting the terrorists.” Several Obama appointed attorneys who now work in the Attorney General’s office were defense attorneys for the terrorists.
Now add the fact that Obama’s budget cuts appear to be focused on the military and that he acting friendly toward enemies-Iran,Cuba, Venezuela-one can only conclude that this president is a danger to national security.
No surprise in any of these revelations…once again Americans were warned and ignored the warnings. Americans elected this man. This man should never have been in the running…I think his true citizenship should be revealed wnd his true connections exposed.
Maybe When Their Tea Carts Get Kicked Over...
Ron Robinson (Diary) Monday, May 11th at 10:44PM EST (link)Perhaps they will re-consider when rude, red-faced foreigners stomp into their houses (without wiping their feet first, or removing their boots first) and kick over their nice tea carts.
Motivated soldiers have a nice habit of keeping that from happening at your house.
I can see a day coming when those who wholeheartedly oppose guns these days will be asking those of us who own them to defend their rights.
Wonder what we’ll say?
________________________________________

Ron Robinson
Chair, AD 49 Republican Central Committee
California Republican Central Committee
PROCINCT Author/ Founder
The Precinct Project
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