Posted on Apr 11, 2016
Army dropped by 1,100 soldiers in February: Drawdown is back on track
6.72K
8
8
3
3
0
In all honesty, this makes me sick to read. They say if you hang around long enough you will see history repeat itself. In my case, during the Carter Administration, I was one of the many "RIF" officers. To be exact, my Vol-Indef status was rescinded at the last minute to meet President Carters ESO for active duty Soldiers.
Then, the net impact of that big draw down was a hollow army. We had plenty of structure on the books but many battalions had a couple of companies worth of strength and other readiness indicators were in the toilet. Our advisories at the time saw this as weakness and things around the world starting to destabilize and then there was the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Anyone remember Ted Copal's "Night Line - American Held Hostage" with the day counts?
It took the Reagan/Bush Sr. years to rebuild the military and Army in particular. The First Gulf War was when American combat power was again at it's height. Then came the Clinton years where the "peace dividend" was squandered in an overly accelerated "draw down" in four years in what the Bush/Chaney/Powell plan had projected for ten years.
That draw down cut across all sectors of the defense & intelligence establishment, and when coupled with treating terrorist acts as law enforcement issues, paved the way for 9/11.
My point....history is repeating itself and there will be consequences. We need to brace ourselves because we are being betrayed. Or am I wrong?
Then, the net impact of that big draw down was a hollow army. We had plenty of structure on the books but many battalions had a couple of companies worth of strength and other readiness indicators were in the toilet. Our advisories at the time saw this as weakness and things around the world starting to destabilize and then there was the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Anyone remember Ted Copal's "Night Line - American Held Hostage" with the day counts?
It took the Reagan/Bush Sr. years to rebuild the military and Army in particular. The First Gulf War was when American combat power was again at it's height. Then came the Clinton years where the "peace dividend" was squandered in an overly accelerated "draw down" in four years in what the Bush/Chaney/Powell plan had projected for ten years.
That draw down cut across all sectors of the defense & intelligence establishment, and when coupled with treating terrorist acts as law enforcement issues, paved the way for 9/11.
My point....history is repeating itself and there will be consequences. We need to brace ourselves because we are being betrayed. Or am I wrong?
Army dropped by 1,100 soldiers in February: Drawdown is back on track
Posted from armytimes.comPosted in these groups: 
GWOT
11A: Infantry Officer
Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC)
Leadership
GWOT 11A: Infantry Officer Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) Leadership
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
1
1
0
I have vivid memories of my first "RIF" in 91 right after we returned from the desert. I kept thinking "all of this training and experience is walking out the door."
I would be very interested in seeing an impartial cost-benefit analysis between what is saved by doing a RIF and what is spent building it all back up. The initial benefits of having a larger combat ready force capable of conducting major operations in more than one theater at the same time might just be worth it when we have to do initial entry operations.
I would be very interested in seeing an impartial cost-benefit analysis between what is saved by doing a RIF and what is spent building it all back up. The initial benefits of having a larger combat ready force capable of conducting major operations in more than one theater at the same time might just be worth it when we have to do initial entry operations.
(1)
(0)
LTC Thomas Tennant
I think that is one cost-benefit analysis the politicians do not want to see the light of day. Like you, each time there has been a reduction I saw first combat assets walking out the door and then the costs of replacing them in the next build up. It is a self-inflicted wound we do time and time again....getting angered and depressed just thinking about how we never learn.
(1)
(0)
MAJ L. Nicholas Smith
I agree, it would be too much of a black eye if such a report was ever published. As frustrated as I feel when it happens, I find myself even more angered by the thought that these veterans walking out the door could prevent casualties and deaths in future conflicts by staying on and training/mentoring the next generation. If we would only learn from history.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
I see terrorism,North Korea,Putin,China all of these dangers to our way of life, and the government wants to draw down the forces sworn to protect us God help us all
(1)
(0)
0
0
0
i can honestly say I am a victim of this drawback. I enlisted in 2011 out of high school and had medical issues a few years in and all I heard the entire time was about how the army was drawing back and needed to get rid of a ton of soldiers, from streamlining chapters (me) to not allowing re-ups. I was told multiple times I would be helped and I would receive a permanent profile. instead I got a 3 week notice I was going home. it was a big combo of my shins, shit bag leadership not looking out for their soldiers, and downsizing of the army. im good now but ill always be bitter that somebody in a leadership role above me was a huge shitbag.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google