Posted on Mar 2, 2014

What do you think about our Commander in Chief's decision to down size the Amry?

5.15K

Totally against this decision. Find something else to cut back on but not our forces. These are dedicated Soldiers who's lively hood you are messing over.

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Downsizing

Posted 11 y ago

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Responses: 25

SGM Matthew Quick

Edited 11 y ago

Posted 11 y ago

This wasn't the Commander-IN-Chief's decision to downsize, it was the Defense Department's decision.<br><br>The Defense Department's budget was cut by Congress forcing their hand to cut something...the Defense Department chose to cut service members.<br><br>Also, post-war end strengths are not new...war creates money and when war reduces, so does the money.

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SGM Matthew Quick

11 y

SGM Finin,

Our Commander-in-Chief does not micro-manage the Defense Department's budget...they receive a budget and they manage it. Unfortunately, personnel and medical costs and are the majority of the budget.

It's never as easy as maintaining a huge, well-compensated fighting force 'just in case' something happens...history has taught us that a major conflicts pops up every 10 years or so; a conflict that our Commander-in-Chief and Congress (sometimes) have to authorize.

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LTC (Join to see)

11 y

POTUS does not control the funding. Congress has the "power of the purse." That is Constitution 101.

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SPC Thomas Mcauley

11 y

True congress does control the purse but that has not stopped him yet, i think him and that idiot Hagel need to leave office. i am so glad i am retired now and don't have to worry as much as everyone else does.

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LTC Paul Labrador

>1 y

While it may be true that the POTUS does not get into the weeds when it comes down to cuts, the SECDEF and his staff do that. But who does the SECDEF work for? It's not Congress. You better believe that teh POTUS has given the SECDEF his vision and goals. This is no different than a Commander giving his mission statement and intent for an operation and letting subordinate commanders work out the details. Just because the Commander didn't come up with the details himself doesn't mean he wasn't behind it.

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SSG Zachery Mitchell

Posted 11 y ago

I do think there is a lot of Soldiers and leaders a like that don't belong or deserve to stay in. We all knew the downsize was coming sooner or later. I know that most of it has to deal with money.

However, cutting down to the size they want us to be at seems like an awfully small Army in my opinion. If WWIII breaks out we would definitely probably struggle to get going with those types of numbers. We are going to lose a lot of good Soldiers and Leaders that don't deserve to be pushed out though. Just as well, we are still going to have plenty that should have been pushed out but they'll slip through the cracks and be allowed to stay in. I don't know that there is really any solution to either of these problems. It sucks but what can we do about it?

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SGM Jerry Finin

11 y

Concur!

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SGM Matthew Quick

11 y

We're simply pawns in a political game...the republican party historically favors a larger defense budget and military while democrats are more for smaller military and diplomacy.

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SSG (Join to see)

Posted >1 y ago

Why cant politicians cut back on their salaries instead??? LEAVE THE MILITARY ALONE!!!!

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CPO Arthur Garcia

>1 y

Because our Politicians are POWER hungry.. And until we vote them out, and install candidates that really do care about USA.. We are going to continue to have the career politician. Too many people do not research candidates they only listen to the MEDIA. Who support their agenda... ALL MEDIA...

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SSG (Join to see)

>1 y

I CONCUR

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What do you think about our Commander in Chief's decision to down size the Amry?

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