Troops getting bored... let's start another war

http://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2013/11/after-war-budget-cuts-top-brass-worry-troops-are-bored/73478/

The article in it's entirety.

Quote :

Now that the war in Iraq is over, operations in Afghanistan are winding down and budget cuts are curtailing training missions, several Joint Chiefs told Congress on Monday they’re worried that their troops are “bored.”

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said he recently met a group of young pilots who are eligible for an incentive bonus to stay in the force. “Of that group, there were six to eight in the group, none of them had accepted the bonus to that point in time,” Welsh told the Senate Armed Services Committee, during a hearing on the impact of sequestration. “That doesn't necessarily mean they're planning to leave the Air Force, but it certainly means they're keeping their options open as a minimum.

“By the way, it's not just pilots. I was at another base where a couple of very young airmen told me that they love the Air Force but they were bored,” he said. “Their particular squadrons were not flying. They were sitting on the ramp because of the reductions last year. And they said at the end of their enlistment they planned to find work that they thought was a little more exciting. I haven't heard anybody in our military say they were bored in quite some time, so that got my attention.”

The days of heavy combat tempo are over, and the Obama administration has made it clear that it has no interest in getting involved in another large-scale war. There still are about 50,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan right now, but that number will drop to about 34,000 by February before the planned final withdrawal will leave smaller residual force by the end of next year.

Of course, it’s the military’s job to fight wars, and certainly many men and women joined up solely because the nation was at war after 9/11. And when the military isn’t fighting a war, they’re preparing to fight a war. But there’s now a return to garrison life, where a soldier’s biggest worry is passing barracks and uniforms inspections. The top brass argues that maintaining high standards during peacetime is an important measure of professionalism and discipline. But they’re also worried that their troops are bored. After more than a decade of war, fewer and fewer of them actually will see combat abroad, and continued political uncertainty over the budget has all the services cutting back on training at home.

Eric wrote:

http://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2013/11/after-war-budget-cuts-top-brass-worry-troops-are-bored/73478/

The article in it's entirety.

Quote :

Now that the war in Iraq is over, operations in Afghanistan are winding down and budget cuts are curtailing training missions, several Joint Chiefs told Congress on Monday they’re worried that their troops are “bored.”

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said he recently met a group of young pilots who are eligible for an incentive bonus to stay in the force. “Of that group, there were six to eight in the group, none of them had accepted the bonus to that point in time,” Welsh told the Senate Armed Services Committee, during a hearing on the impact of sequestration. “That doesn't necessarily mean they're planning to leave the Air Force, but it certainly means they're keeping their options open as a minimum.

“By the way, it's not just pilots. I was at another base where a couple of very young airmen told me that they love the Air Force but they were bored,” he said. “Their particular squadrons were not flying. They were sitting on the ramp because of the reductions last year. And they said at the end of their enlistment they planned to find work that they thought was a little more exciting. I haven't heard anybody in our military say they were bored in quite some time, so that got my attention.”

The days of heavy combat tempo are over, and the Obama administration has made it clear that it has no interest in getting involved in another large-scale war. There still are about 50,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan right now, but that number will drop to about 34,000 by February before the planned final withdrawal will leave smaller residual force by the end of next year.

Of course, it’s the military’s job to fight wars, and certainly many men and women joined up solely because the nation was at war after 9/11. And when the military isn’t fighting a war, they’re preparing to fight a war. But there’s now a return to garrison life, where a soldier’s biggest worry is passing barracks and uniforms inspections. The top brass argues that maintaining high standards during peacetime is an important measure of professionalism and discipline. But they’re also worried that their troops are bored. After more than a decade of war, fewer and fewer of them actually will see combat abroad, and continued political uncertainty over the budget has all the services cutting back on training at home.

'Peace time' military is rough because the politicians begin with their social experiments with the military and wreck morale with funding cuts...and thinning the herd through lack of pay and promotions...Nothing is ever good when the REMF's start cutting those that did the heavy lifting....

http://dailycaller.com/2013/11/26/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-on-why-private-militaries-are-the-future/

Writlarge wrote:

http://dailycaller.com/2013/11/26/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-on-why-private-militaries-are-the-future/

Great article... thanks for posting it.

riceme wrote:

Writlarge wrote:

http://dailycaller.com/2013/11/26/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-on-why-private-militaries-are-the-future/

Great article... thanks for posting it.

Food for thought...I thought.

I think if a soldier is bored because he's not killing someone overseas he needs some mental help from somebody.

And I think the idea of an army of mercenaries is the most frightening thing I could ever imagine. I've wondered if all the incentives and extra pay received as combat pay might be leading up to that sort of thing. Those willing to go into active combat are paid better then those who stay here on American soil. I've known people who volunteered for combat just because they could get battlefield promotions and more pay, not because of any patriotic ferver they might have.

Paying people huge amounts to kill creates mercenaries.
Mercenaries are not good people, folks. Not a one of them. I don't care whether anyone disagrees with me on that.

Eric Prince is a wealthy man due to our taxes.
Where does he get off talking about the fat in the top of the military ranks?