The Christian Science Monitor carries a story regarding “The pattern of discontent in US ranks.” Brad Knickerbocker finds all kinds of things wrong, and suggests that military personnel are disgruntled. He finds support:
But they also note a growing trend for GIs to speak out and to find leverage points to protect their interests – including personal safety. “I am amazed that it is not greater,” says retired Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner. “The war continues to go badly. Their equipment is in bad shape. Supply problems continue. Tours are extended. Many are on a second or third deployment to a combat zone. I would expect a louder voice.”
Perhaps that louder voice you expect isn’t coming because active duty personnel don’t see things through as dark a glass as you do, Colonel.
Since the fighting began in Iraq, the number of Guard and reserve troops on active duty has more than doubled. Critics say this is an indication that US forces are stretched too thin.
Perhaps they are spread too thin. Active duty force levels were reduced in favor of Guard and Reserve units during the drawdown that began in… 1992. Bush 41 and SecDef Cheney had a plan for reorganizing and a managed drawdown. That plan went out the window in January 1993. And the expanded drawdown was coupled with extensive deployments of units to other garden spots of the world in support of NATO and UN commitments. Now, the Guard and Reserve units are losing people just as they did after the Gulf War in 1991. There are some in those units who joined never expecting to ever do anything other than play soldier one weekend a month. When the bell rings, they’re not so sure it’s what they really wanted–that paycheck isn’t worth it.
Not that I can blame someone with a healthy income no longer supplemented by but replaced by GI pay. And being away from the wife and kids for a weekend or two weeks is far different from twelve to thirteen months in the desert, where people want to kill you.
“What is driving the resistance is the same thing that drove it during Vietnam – a lack of trust in the civilian leadership and a sense that the uniformed leaders are not standing up for the forces,” says retired Army Col. Dan Smith, a military analyst with the Friends Committee on National Legislation in Washington. Colonel Smith doesn’t expect the kind of “fragging” incidents that occurred in Vietnam where soldiers attacked their own officers. “This force is too professional,” he says. “But the lack of trust and the inequity of the tours will very likely be reflected in the numbers of Guard and reservists who vote no-confidence with their feet.”
That already appears to be happening. The Army National Guard is short 5,000 new citizen-soldiers.
From reports of people I know, there is no “lack of trust in the civilian leadership”. But perhaps I just know the wrong people. Of course, the article wouldn’t be complete without reference to Vietnam. And that war is mentioned no less than five times.
We went to a reduced military in favor of an increased Guard and Reserve so that Clinton could claim he reduced the size of government, even though every other department grew while Defense was reduced. The net was a reduction. It is time to reevaluate that mix.
**** UPDATE ****
Will has some info on desertion rates.
(Thanks, Rob!)
Bunker, I heard a former Asst. DoD Sec. on Laura Ingraham talking about the “generals Hillary got promoted” having some impact on our troops. Between the “sensitivity training”, and their back door attempts to putting women on the front line, they have a great deal of influence. And somewhere online I read about Rumsfeld’s preference for having less “boots on the ground” in Iraq, and using the Iraqi forces, that was overruled by the same group. Don’t know how I feel about that, but sounds interesting.
Comment by DagneyT — December 16, 2004 @ 4:52 pm
Knickerbocker!!! What a f@rtknocker!! (not that there is anything wrong with that).
NB: anything from Sam Gardiner is immediatly suspect. This guy is one of the “Blame America First” crowds pet retired Col. This guy has a long history of bashing the source of his retirement check. A candidate for my “Wall of Shame”. I will see if I can get a few minutes tomorrow to post on this putz. Will trackback if I do.
Good catch. Great idea to expose another back stabber.
Comment by CDR Salamander — December 16, 2004 @ 10:00 pm
My husband read the same article last night and was really ticked off. He made the same observation you did: “I swear the article uses the word vietnam 5 times.”
Comment by Sarah — December 17, 2004 @ 1:34 am
There are several reasons why the guard is short on recruiting. Quiet alot of they recruits have come from active duty. With alot of renlistments and the knowledge that the guard is being moblized as needed has brought about a gap. As a now retired guardmans that was called up for Iraqi Freedom to go with 4th ID. Many guardsmen have realized, like me after 23+ years in the military that physically they can do the job needed. The guard is one of the best type of unit to go to Iraq at this time. They have many prior combat leaders, and they have more life experiences that can be used for other then combat ops. The active duty doesn’t have carpenter’s, mechanics, plumbers, and policemen in there ranks like the guard. the unit that went with the 4th ID built jails, reworked hosplitals, and trained policemen. Not bad for an artillery unit. As for complaining about the tour extentions. The guard enlistment contract states ” duration of conflict plus 6 months”. Some of the guard units in WWII were on duty from 1940 to 1946. In short alot of the bad you see on TV is slanted, when was the last time you saw how many schools, hosplitals, water systems, and electrical services are now on line in Iraq.
Comment by artilleryjohn — December 17, 2004 @ 11:16 am
John, I in no way condemn Guardsmen or reservists. I’ve known and worked with too many good ones. There are many reasons for someone to leave, and I’ve touched on the one which is most prevalent. Will points out in the update link that desertion has been on the decline since 9/11, and is only half now what it was then. Included in those WWII Guard units was our own Texas Guard–you know, the “losers Dubya joined to avoid combat”! The Texas Guard have more combat time than many active duty units.
All in all, this was an article written for a specific purpose, and that was to paint a bad picture for those who look no further.
Comment by Bunker — December 17, 2004 @ 2:11 pm
Mudville laid down a fisking!
Comment by Sarah — December 18, 2004 @ 3:08 am
Don’t know why my hyperlink didn’t work…
http://www.mudvillegazette.com/archives/001907.html
Comment by Sarah — December 18, 2004 @ 3:09 am
RAMMER gave me an insight on the shortage in Guard recruiting that’s obvious, once he explained it. (Pointing out the obvious is one of his talents.)
All the other services are meeting and even exceeding their recruiting targets, by far more than the Guard shortfall. Well, why do people join the Guard? To serve their country, but in a second-line way that leaves Guard personnel home more and abroad less. If you want to serve your country and see the world, your odds are usually better in the Army, Marines, Navy, or Air Force. If you want to serve your country but stay close to home, your odds are usually better in the National Guard or Coast Guard.
But right now, the distinction between the Guard and the other services is lessened: a Guard recruit is far more likely to end up in the same theater as a Marine or Soldier than would be the case in peace time. So I suspect that means that the Guard and the other services are now competing for the same pool of recruits more than they have in the past. Some people who might have chosen the Guard before could now be saying, “Well, heck, if I have to go to Iraq anyway, I might as well go in the Army.” At least some of the Guard’s shortfall in recruiting has to be attributed to the recruiting success the other services are experiencing.
Comment by UML Guy — December 19, 2004 @ 6:07 pm
That Rammer is a pretty smart guy. Of course, all you computer geeks are smarter than I am–I’m only a quasi-geek, although I’m a full-fledged nerd.
It is an interesting observation. I think it is probably just as valid, if not more so, as mine. I’d say the real truth lies somewhere in between. Either way, it isn’t what the author of the article concludes.
Comment by Bunker — December 19, 2004 @ 7:27 pm
Well, Col Gardiner is part of the wall of shame at CDRSalamander.
This guy has a history. He spent the better part of the last 2+ years on the “Everyone that didn’t make me a General when they had the chance to bask in my glory…” parade. That didn’t get him the book deal he wanted, so I guess it is “We need more complaining!!!”
What a putz.
http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2005/01/col-sam-gardiner-everyone-is-liar-but.html
Comment by CDR Salamander — January 4, 2005 @ 10:21 pm