Army: Cuts would include nearly half of combat brigades

[mystery-ak]

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/army/204816-army-cuts-would-include-nearly-half-of-combat-brigades

Army: Cuts would include nearly half of combat brigades

By Kristina Wong - 04/30/14 01:49 PM EDT

Army leaders told a Senate panel Wednesday that combat brigades would be reduced by 46 percent if sequestration cuts continue.

“We will have no choice but to slash end-strength levels if sequestration continues in order to obtain the proper balance between end strength, readiness and modernization,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno told the Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee on Wednesday.

The Army is already planning to cut its end strength down to between 450,000 and 440,000 by 2017, but may have to go down to 420,000 by 2019 if the cuts are not overturned.

Under sequestration, the Army would have to lose a total of about 150,000 active-duty troops, 43,000 National Guard troops and 23,000 Reserve troops.

“This will cause us to reduce up to 46 percent of the combat brigades in the active-duty Army,” Odierno said.

He said 22 percent of the National Guard’s combat brigades would also be cut.

Odierno also noted that U.S. troops arrived in Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this week to conduct joint training and to reassure Eastern European allies rattled by Russian aggression.

“It is imperative that we consider the world as it exists — not as one we wish it to be,” Odierno said. “We must ensure our Army has the ability to rapidly respond.”

[EC]

As always, they are trimming the wrong end of the spear.

Active duty is the point. Support is the lashing that holds the point on. Senior officers are the shaft (and yes, it's a pun). They are cutting down the bit that does the work, instead of the long bit that holds the bit that does the actual work.

[MACVSOG68]

As always, they are trimming the wrong end of the spear.

Active duty is the point. Support is the lashing that holds the point on. Senior officers are the shaft (and yes, it's a pun). They are cutting down the bit that does the work, instead of the long bit that holds the bit that does the actual work.

 

Well said!  They are doing exactly what they did when sequestration first hit.  At Fort Gordon, they forced all the commercial vehicles to come through the main gate, thus backing up traffic forever.  They blamed sequestration.  But funny thing happened when sequestration left the front pages.  They reopened the commercial gate.  Like any agency of the government, they will claim pain in areas the public will be outraged over. 

Half of the combat units would tremendously weaken the US military, and while most Americans including myself want to end our role as policemen of the world, we still want a strong and flexible military.  This is simply about scaring Congress into more coin.

It's total 

[EC]

I am fully in favor of the USA NOT being the worlds policeman.

NOT because I think you'll screw it up - you won't. I simply think it is not right. It always tastes to me like "my big brother will deal with you." Sorry - being brother gets tiring.

[Bigun]

As always, they are trimming the wrong end of the spear.

Active duty is the point. Support is the lashing that holds the point on. Senior officers are the shaft (and yes, it's a pun). They are cutting down the bit that does the work, instead of the long bit that holds the bit that does the actual work.

And treading on VERY dangerous ground in doing so!

The left in this country has been trying to gut our military for half a century and we mostly stand and watch it happen!

[240B]

Obama is just doing what Obama is supposed to do.
He is only doing everything he always said he would do.
 
From the economy to the military to NASA, Obama is fulfilling his 'doctrine', so to speak. This is what America voted for.
 
Obama has been screaming from the rooftops, 'I am an anti-Western Muslim radical Black!'. He has been saying this without shame. The only people who have every denied what Obama is, what Obama represents, and what his ultimate goals are, are his supporters.
 
He has never denied what he is, or what he intends to do to America to make them (White European colonialists) pay for their sins against 'his people'. (Kenyans)