What's the most important thing the military should do while going through this downsizing period?
Downsizing
Army wide APFT administered by a third part to start the pool of those to be removed. I am not saying top APFT scores stay but those failing the most easiest of standards should be the first to go. Then pivot of their leadership who have been false reporting. when schools have guys failing not by seconds and reps but by minutes and double digit reps then something is lacking. Everyone should take this test and it be graded by third parties, call it an integrity check. This comment might be crazy talk or even scary to others but we have standards, lets us them.
Next go to the range and field not because your Soldiers have a board coming up but because we are the Army and that is what we do. May sound crazy but basics are the base upon which we build a confident and competent fighting force.
Why ranges: Not joking, had a commander tell me in Afghanistan he couldn't man a perimeter because 20 of the 50 personnel he had on the ground were mechanics and cooks. Glad he was not from my unit. I asked why did he then waste the time of issuing weapons to them. By the way some of the most vicious fighters I have seen are mechanics.
Low and behold the military didn't have skilled pilots to man the aircraft. yes they had a few.
You can teach a recruit to fire a rifle, quickly. But it takes many hours of training to fly an aircraft.
it takes years of experience to man a tank, there are things you can not learn overnight.
Take the time to evaluate your resources don't let the leadership go to quickly.
We did not do it right after VN, we were in such a hurry to downsize we gutted the very core of the military to satisfy some big wig in Washington. let us not do the same thing again.
Research the data
Plan the downsize what will hurt the service the most
shift resources make it leaner but more effective
Put strategic material in states require an inactive mobile force that can be recalled if necessary.
train the trainer once a year for a week until the personnel are over 45 years of age.
(Suggestion only)
Do the same thing as Sweden does require the inactive military to keep firearms in their homes in case of an emergency so if needed they can rally at the given point.
I think this is a good thread for those we are trying to get to join can see the substance of some things we discuss between us as current and former military, soft spoken as well as informational and mentoring types of postings.
We also have fun at times while remaining professional.
We need to start getting rid of these PFC's, SPC's and in some cases SGT's who haven't deployed on Permanent Profiles. The U.S. Military is the only employer who keeps you around if you cant do your job. If you cant run 2 miles, or wear your gear, and you weren't injured in combat .... you need to leave. You cant defend yourself, let alone the United States.
It almost sickening seeing even an E-5 with no deployment patch on a permanent profile, or even this Privates coming out of tradoc with permanent profiles. They have not deployed, or done anything yet, we shouldn't owe them anything.... if average PT that everyone else does, got them on a permanent profile, that is clear proof they are not healthy enough to be in our military.
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google