Politics

[TheGrayRider]

Nothing scares and brings internal fear to today’s American youth like the two words, “Military Draft.”

Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Nothing scares and brings internal fear to today’s American youth like the two words, “Military Draft.”

Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider.

Maybe only slightly more fearful than “Get a job!”?. LOL

 

[Brent in Az]

In 1980, the first thing I had to do was enroll in the military draft. I remember that recruiters would always show up and hound the seniors in high school.
Unfortunately, I was always too much of a rebel to be a fit for the military.

 

[PARA45]

I remember those days too. I however join the AF, and had a wonder career.

 

[mdwest]

You are preaching to the choir.
My son is a USMC officer in his 17th year and a combat veteran with multiple back to back tours to places I don't even know.
Having said that how do you know Pentagon is doing nothing to fix the problem?
As far as I know they are trying their best to recruit and putting their best and brightest in recruiting commands to achieve the objective.
I personally know some of them at least on the USMC side
Do you also know that those recruiting station jobs are the places with highest pressure even more than some combat posts to achieve the quotes they require?
So much so that they can make or break someone's career in the military.
As I stated in my previous post, this a systematic generational problem and there's no quick fix to it unless we institute drafting again which might be considered at some point.

Its not that they are doing nothing..

its that their approach isnt working.. and the politicians and civilians that are the final decision makers in the pentagon are pretty dead set on maintaining the course they are on regardless of the results.. while the guys in uniform are left trying to solve the problem with constraints put on them that make the situation far more difficult than it should be..

FWIW I run a mid market sized firm in the defense industry, and have regular contact with multiple flag officers, senior field grade officers, senior GS, and SES employees across all branches of service (as well as a number of senior NCO's working at the BN, BDE, DIV, Corps, and Army/USAF/USN/USMC level).. I work with an even greater number of recently retired senior flag officers (O9-O10) regularly as well..

Additionally, the vast majority of the people my firm employs are former US service members.. most of whom are recent retirees or recently separated senior NCO's or field grades (with a few General Officers sprinkled into the mix as well)..

As a result, the majority of the people I associate with on a personal level and hang around with socially also fall into these categories..

There is a consistent theme among all of these people referenced... There are pretty significant "social" problems internal to the military that are more severe, more widespread, and more diverse than they have seen in their careers.. these social problems manifest themselves by creating recruiting issues, retention issues, discipline issues, etc.. which in turn create readiness issues..

Its not that the military hasnt seen social problems (both internal and external) before.. the 1970's werent particularly kind to the US military... its that this time around the problems seem to be much more radical and leadership is being given far less options in terms of how to deal with it..

I maintain that the guys in green/blue are still the finest fighting force in the world.. and the majority of those serving really want to be good at what they do.. they train hard.. they fight smart... they have great tools.. etc.. kids these days may be the most out of shape bunch we've seen overall as a group in the history of our nation.. but they are also the most educated, tech saavy, and cerebral we've seen in a very long time.. we can always find a way to get a fat kid fit.. its not so easy to get a willfully ignorant kid to be smart.. the kids these days going into the military overall seem to be much more "smart" than the typical kid joining in the 1980's when I signed on.. (we just needed to be hard for the most part.. "smart" wasnt actively encouraged lol..)..

The issue is they could be SOOOOOOO much better.. if the insanity that seems to have taken over the "civilian" world (DEI in particular.. but the LBGTQ+, BLM, and other craziness that the Fortune 100 all seem to have embraced to their own demise as well) wasnt being actively pursued and rammed down the throats of military leadership...

 

[Red Leg]

In 1980, the first thing I had to do was enroll in the military draft. I remember that recruiters would always show up and hound the seniors in high school.
Unfortunately, I was always too much of a rebel to be a fit for the military.

Yes, that was the year - 1980 - Carter reinstituted the registration requirement.

While old guys with zero experience with a an all volunteer force pine away for a military draft (usually in the belief it will solve social or cultural issues - zero to do with military capability), I know of no single person who experienced both - I am one - who wants to turn away from a professional army and return to the draft.

I do think the Army leadership has been a bit too loyal in trying to implement the guidance of the administration's civilian leadership - particularly with respect to the cultural nonsense that flavored recruiting efforts for two years.

As a former General Officer, Austin knows better. But because of that, his DNA is thoroughly devoted to the concept of civilian control. Instead of being a bulwark against the more outrageous nonsense he has saluted and tried to implement it with as little collateral damage as possible.

In some ways, I have been most disappointed in Milley. He had several opportunities during testimony to support the culture and history of the armed services rather than play lip service to the LBGTQ+ gobbledygook being spouted by civilian appointees. The COS has above all things a bully pulpit that he could have used much like Colin Powell did with Clinton.

But for those who think the current situation in the military is uniquely bad today, I would love to take you back to roughly 1978 in any deployable unit of any service.

 

[jpr9954]

In 1980, the first thing I had to do was enroll in the military draft. I remember that recruiters would always show up and hound the seniors in high school.
Unfortunately, I was always too much of a rebel to be a fit for the military.

I am in the small cohort that never had to register for the draft. When I went down to do it in April 1975, I was told registration had ended on April 1st. I aged out before they started requiring it again.

I do remember getting stuff from recruiters because I had scored high on the ASVAB. (I also scored high on the Betty Crocker Family Living Scholarship test but that is another story. ) However, I was off to college with the encouragement of my career Army NCO dad. I think I had seen too much of the military by then to have wanted to either enlist or become an officer.

 

[bowjijohn]

In the Christmas of 75 I was 17 and being packed off for yet another term in a school in the UK

I loathed the UK and loathed school

Flights from Zambia went to Francistown then to SA

I found myself in transit awaiting a connecting flight to joburg

Something snapped and I walked out of the airport leaving everything but passport and £10

Two lads picked me up on the road out of town and asked if I needed a lift

They were returning to Bulawayo to do their second Nat Service 6 month tour

Long story (a bit) shorter - I found myself in basic

9 months with 4 Indep and I was transferred to RLI

National Service ?

More like frying pan and fire ….

 

[Scott CWO]

In 1980, the first thing I had to do was enroll in the military draft. I remember that recruiters would always show up and hound the seniors in high school.
Unfortunately, I was always too much of a rebel to be a fit for the military.

No, you don’t say! I would never have guessed this! Lol

 

[Brent in Az]

I remember those days too. I however join the AF, and had a wonder career.

When my parents moved us from Minnesota to Tucson in 1973, I was just a young dumb farm kid exposed to a whole new world.
We lived a couple miles from Davis Monthan air force base. I was fascinated with all the military planes and fighter jets flying overhead daily. I used to build models of many planes back in the day
In my senior year, I told the recruiter I would join if they would let me fly F-16's.
He gave me a friendly chuckle, and told me what would be required of me to make that happen.
Unfortunately, a heart condition I've had most of my life would keep me from passing a physical, and getting my medical certificate for flying, otherwise i might have joined the Air force.
I still enjoy going to the Thunderbird airshows at the base, and drooling over all those wonderful planes.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

What is going on with Ukraine? There is no news on the operation in the south where they appeared to be making good progress towards the Azov sea. Now the battles in the east appear to be going Russia’s way, or at least a tie.

 

[jpr9954]

In the Christmas of 75 I was 17 and being packed off for yet another term in a school in the UK

I loathed the UK and loathed school

Flights from Zambia went to Francistown then to SA

I found myself in transit awaiting a connecting flight to joburg

Something snapped and I walked out of the airport leaving everything but passport and £10

Two lads picked me up on the road out of town and asked if I needed a lift

They were returning to Bulawayo to do their second Nat Service 6 month tour

Long story (a bit) shorter - I found myself in basic

9 months with 4 Indep and I was transferred to RLI

National Service ?

More like frying pan and fire ….

I've read some books on the bush war such as Fire Force but have never actually found anyone that had served especially in the RLI. Would you mind sharing more of your experiences?

 

[mdwest]

 

[bowjijohn]

I've read some books on the bush war such as Fire Force but have never actually found anyone that had served especially in the RLI. Would you mind sharing more of your experiences?

PM’d

 

[Brent in Az]

Viewer discretion advised.

 

[PARA45]

This is going to hurt. I wonder what happened.

Was this Planned? Ammo Manufacturer Plant Explosion Leaves Many Worried | WLT Report

A Hornady plant in Nebraska had an explosion that resulted in one woman’s death and two others’ injuries. Hornady is a leading ammo cartridges, components, and handloading equipment manufacturer. 150,000 Square Foot Warehouse that produces BULLETS blew up in Nebraska, you’d think this would make...

wltreport.com

 

[Red Leg]

What is going on with Ukraine? There is no news on the operation in the south where they appeared to be making good progress towards the Azov sea. Now the battles in the east appear to be going Russia’s way, or at least a tie.

Quite a bit for the start of the mud season. Last night the Ukrainians struck two airfields in the far eastern part of Luhansk that were used by Russian helicopter aviation assets including some of their progressively scarce modern KA 52 attack aircraft. The Russian Telegram channels are exploding over the scale of damage. There is very clear evidence that US ATACMS missiles were used for the attack for which an aviation target set like this are ideal for the M74 CBU type submunition. This is the first time we have provided such an asset without a lot of fanfare.

ATACMS enables Ukraine to strike anything anywhere in any occupied area to include all of Crimea.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/17a0ism

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/179zx72

This may be behind a paywall.

WSJ News Exclusive | Ukraine Fires ATACMS Missiles at Russian Forces for the First Time

The U.S. missiles have been secretly sent to Ukraine in recent days. The move marked the first time that the U.S-provided weapons have been used since Moscow invaded Ukraine.

www.wsj.com

The encirclement of Bakhmut continues to make slow but steady progress which also seems to have the Telegram channels clutching their collective pearls.

In the area of the attempted offensive by Russian forces near Avdiivka, the Russians are taking enormous losses in materiel and personnel.

Ukraine Situation Report: Russia's Localized Offensive “Failing,” Ukraine Claims

Fierce fighting continues in and around the town of Avdiivka, while one Ukrainian commander explains why he is confident of a Russian defeat there.

www.thedrive.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/179gwqv

In the South, the attempt to break through the Russian defensive belts and seize Tomak continues at a very slow pace.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

Why Australia voted against more indigenous voice ?

do the Australian AH members know why this really happened ?
Regards from Europe

Foxi

What is your position on the matter?

 

[Foxi]

What is your position on the matter?

I know far too little about it.
Nowadays, people are very accommodating towards indigenous peoples, especially in Canada, which I know from friends.
But I don't have any Australian contacts.
That's why I ask.

 

[Doug3006]

I’m over 9,000 miles from Australia and I don’t even speak Australian but here’s my take. Progressives in Australia introduced a constitutional amendment that would provide indigenous people a “voice” in politics. This was never well defined, but most people see it as special treatment of a class of citizens who already have the vote. Government, media and academia were all for it. It was widely expected to pass.

The nebulous language of the bill hurt it though. It appeared like a special privilege for a group. The result was pretty astounding. It failed in every State except the Capital Territory. Nationwide the vote is “no” by a 2:1 margin.