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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated
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To: TimF who wrote (112580)5/5/2005 8:37:47 AM
From: unclewest  Read Replies (2) of 793779
 
The author's numbers of troops stationed in other countries is now inflated. We have been drawing them down heavily for a year.

The point about paying bonuses in lieu of salary increases is valid. Surely the troops would prefer the current $20,000 sign up bonus and up to $150,000 reenlistment bonuses were paid in salary. DOD won't do that because the bonuses would then count towards retirement bennies and they don't expect to need these bonuses forever.

The latter may be wishful thinking. We have never been in year three of war with an all volunteer Army. Nobody knows what to expect now. All of the ideas presently being tried are new ground and so far none of them are increasing enlistments.

The only lesson history teaches us is that in year three of our wars, enlistments drop markedly. That happened in WWII, Korea and Nam. In all three, we had the draft to make up the shortfall.

Lots of folks, including some here, and a number of generals argued that would not happen this time. The primary argument was our force strength is so low, there is no way it cannot be sustained.

Reading the way some of this month's Army press releases are written, one has to believe the leadership still does not believe the shortfalls are anything other than a temporary anomaly that can be fixed with a little money. TWT

I am beginning to sense a little concern (panic in some cases) rising in some of the stuff I read.
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