What's the most important thing the military should do while going through this downsizing period?

1. Remain mission ready by making sure the remaining service members are trained and provisioned properly so those transitioning feel safe and proud in leaving their brothers and sisters to continue the work of national defense.

2. Support the active duty and their families with excellent transitions that accomplish all necessary activities in a timely and well orchestrated manner.

3. Prepare those transitioning for the future job hunt by effectively teaching appropriate transition skills from people who really understand how to transition into the job market.

4. Actively educate employers that the military has prepared veterans for success in the job market with beneficial hard and soft skills and that not all veterans have debilitating injuries or illnesses that make them any more dangerous to society than (insert general population trauma victim here).

5. Remind (insist) service members to get educated with degrees or certifications that matter in the job market and teach them which degrees and certificates matter. Begin while they are still on active duty. Don't guess here. It is crucial that service members understand the difficulty in obtaining employment with/without appropriate education and/or certificates. Unemployment and underemployment are real problems that undermine success and well-being in transitioning.

I don't know if we r down siezing or just using that to get rid of ppl who r of negative influence to our units, approaching retirement, unfit, or r we just trying to get every American falmiliar with basic war and arms skill. On the other hand, r we trying to fill civilian jobs lacking the skills provided during our military experience? Why down siezing, yet recruiting?

My problem with the term down siezing is the fact that, it is taking away from the force qualified individuals at their MOS on the basis of pyhsical fitness while some who know little or nothing on the job(shammers) get promoted and some times, these individuals get out there without no guarantee of a job either for themselves or to sustain their families-is this not the reason why crime and suicide rate among veterans is in increase? Secondly, doesn't this provide some leadership the discretion of putting some service members they do not like into those scopes which r identified as potential tools for down siezing? Yes we hear and read the figures and intended size of our Army in the comming decades but never have i seen a layed out criterial for down siezing. Put it out there so that there can be a fair and clear transperency in our needs. Let us minimize number of victimes, victimized by this 'loose ended strategy'. We all love a successful economy so, let be reasonable.