What do people think about ADA - Air Defense Artillery, Alcoholics Defending America?

I have to disagree with SSG Leo Bell on all accounts and yes I'm biased. As a 22 year vet...all ADA I can tell you ADA isn't drawing down like other branches...we are expanding. We have the most deployed weapon systems in the last 20+ years. With that comes coping mechanisms. Go to any post ADA is stationed and I know we don't lead the base in alcohol related incidents. I hate the many different ADA monikers like Alcoholics Defending America and A Different Army.

The Air Defense Artillery suffered over the last 13 years due to a focus on COIN. A lot of structure did. We made choices to change the structure of the Army based on the demands of the day versus looking at what a land based Army is supposed to do. ADA got it hard. We jettisoned tactical air defense like a goose emptying its bowels. Now, with a focus on Combined Arms Maneuver and getting the Army back to a point where it can fight a near peer competitor, we are woefully short on tactical air defense with no plans to build it back up. Instead we are focusing on long range theater air defense, which is also necessary. In a period of finite resources, the capabilities of theater air defense wins over tactical protection. This is a serious concern. We are reliant on the Air Force to maintain air supremacy or air superiority over the tactical area. That's dangerous for a ground force. The Army needs to grow and tactical air defense needs to be modernized and rebuilt.

I think it's a great branch full of possibilities. There is a lot of team work that has to happen to get the job done and any one of the pieces of the crew or any individual could blow it for the whole Battery. I think that when everybody is involved like that, that it takes effective leaders, but even more importantly, great professionals to get the job done. We are talking literally seconds to make a decision and get things done- that is something that demands respect. Surely a lot more respect than being called Alcoholics Defending America.