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American warships lie in wait across the eastern Mediterranean Sea ready to strike Syria if ordered, and Pentagon officials insist they'll find the money to fund the operation if needed.
But as the military continues to grapple with massive budget cuts, senior defense leaders said this week that it will certainly get harder and more expensive to respond quickly to similar international conflicts in the future.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, whose ships make up the bulk of the U.S. military threat against Syria, was blunt Wednesday, warning that the impending automatic, across-the-board budget cuts would make it far more difficult to give the president credible military options
What a crock!...military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen.
Let's set the record straight, snookie -
military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen. Unfortunately, we must rely on diplomats - and our current diplomats fall far short of what we need.
So, before you shoot off your mouth like that, do a bit of research.
What a crock!...military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen.
Yeah, sure, they tried so hard to avoid going into Iraq, to protect museums and cultural assets and essential infrastructure and assets -- to prepare for a sensible occupation -- NOT!!!!!!
Politicians and financial interests discovered long ago that the easiest way to keep the economy going and make out like bandits is to use the war machine to destroy a country, gorge on the military profits, and then make even more money rebuilding the shattered societies and infrastructure.
The people involved? -- Just "collateral damage."
.
And this is where Syria enters the equation. Although Syria is not itself a significant oil producer, it lies adjacent to many of the major suppliers and has long served as a host for pipelines connecting the Gulf to the Mediterranean. More importantly, in recent years, is has assumed strategic importance as an ally of Iran and a conduit for Iranian arms shipments to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Syria has a geopolitical importance out of all proportion to its relatively small population, area, resource base, and economic wealth because of formidable military power and its location at the heart of the Middle East, Alasdair Drysdale of the Australian National University wrote in the Oxford Companion to World Politics. As a result, it plays a central role in most of the Middle Easts key disputes.
This is the dilemma facing Obama today. If the United States cannot extricate himself from the geopolitical imperatives posed by Irans continuing threat to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the safety of Persian Gulf oil supplies, it cannot extricate itself from the turmoil in Syria. Because a failure to confront Assads excesses could be viewed as giving Iran and other outside powers a green light to meddle in the Syrian conflict, and could be seen by the Iranians as an indication that they can continue to stockpile enriched uranium with impunity, US leaders see no choice but to become involved in Syria.
Russian involvement in the Syrian imbroglio adds another dimension to Americas dilemma. Russia has long-established ties with the Syrian leadership, beginning with Assads predecessor, his father Hafiz, and retains a vital naval base at Tartous, on Syrias Mediterranean coast. More important than these strategic interests, however, is Moscows desire to curb Americas global activism. From Russias perspective, then, Syria is less important as a strategic asset in itself than as an arena in which to gain geopolitical advantage over the West. By the same token, a failure to contest Russias spoiler in Syria role could be interpreted as an invitation for Moscow to undertake other obstructionist endeavors.
Add all this together, and it becomes nearly impossible for American leaders to avoid involvement in the Syrian conflict. What makes Syria so much more complicated than Libya is that the strategic issues are as prominent as the moral ones, said Princeton professor Anne-Marie Slaughter in February 2012, shortly after completing a stint as director of policy planning at the State Department. But while the moral issues may be dominating the public debate over possible attacks on Syria, it is the strategic issues that will, in the end, dictate the governments response.
Let's set the record straight, snookie -
military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen. Unfortunately, we must rely on diplomats - and our current diplomats fall far short of what we need.
So, before you shoot off your mouth like that, do a bit of research.
BS, I am an army veteran, 64-67. There were plenty of men who loved killing.
Lt. Callie ring a bell?
Let's set the record straight, snookie -
military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen. Unfortunately, we must rely on diplomats - and our current diplomats fall far short of what we need.
So, before you shoot off your mouth like that, do a bit of research.
BS, I am an army veteran, 64-67. There were plenty of men who loved killing.
Lt. Callie ring a bell?
Fortunately the Callie's are somewhat rare creatures.
Some professional military men prepare all their lives for war, it's their biggie, what it's all about and imagine with no war it's like a wasted life. War means promotions, popularity, pay raises, a chance to put all that training to use, to gain some notice look heroic. I feel somewhat sorry for the professional military and no war, sort of like a wasted life.
All three of the writers above are correct to some extent. Blend the better parts, and one has a pretty good idea about what our "warriors" do and for what they should be ready.
And for the moment: our diplomats have done very well in making Syria and Russia back up on chemical weapons.
Let's set the record straight, snookie -
military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen. Unfortunately, we must rely on diplomats - and our current diplomats fall far short of what we need.
So, before you shoot off your mouth like that, do a bit of research.
BS, I am an army veteran, 64-67. There were plenty of men who loved killing.
Lt. Callie ring a bell?
Let's set the record straight, snookie -
military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen. Unfortunately, we must rely on diplomats - and our current diplomats fall far short of what we need.
So, before you shoot off your mouth like that, do a bit of research.
BS, I am an army veteran, 64-67. There were plenty of men who loved killing.
Lt. Callie ring a bell?
Let's set the record straight, snookie -
military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen. Unfortunately, we must rely on diplomats - and our current diplomats fall far short of what we need.
So, before you shoot off your mouth like that, do a bit of research.
BS, I am an army veteran, 64-67. There were plenty of men who loved killing.
Lt. Callie ring a bell?
Callie is an aberration. Soldiers who show signs of abnormal desire for killing are subject to an evaluation and perhaps rehabilitation then if unresponsive discharge. For example:
"1-16. Counseling and rehabilitative requirements
a. General. Army leaders at all levels must be continually aware of their obligation to provide purpose, direction, and motivation to Soldiers. It is essential that Soldiers who falter, but have the potential to serve honorably and well, be given every opportunity to succeed. Effective leadership is particularly important in the case of Soldiers serving their initial enlistments. Except as otherwise indicated in this regulation, commanders must make maximum use of counseling and rehabilitation before determining that a Soldier has no potential for further useful service and, therefore, should be separated. In this regard, commanders will ensure that adequate counseling and rehabilitative measures are taken before initiating separation proceedings for the following reasons:
(2) Personality disorder. (See para 5-13.)
(3) Other designated physical or mental conditions. (See para 5-17)"
Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations
While not fool proof there are provisions which commanders must take into consideration.
I agree. The constitution says that the army should only be used to quell public insurrections and to repel foreign invasions.Our military isn't used to protect the American people anymore; they're rented out as mercenaries for third world dictators and sheikhs and that will continue until we cut back our military budget. Our soldiers should be here guarding our own borders, not everyone else's. I'm amazed anyone even signs up anymore considering how abused they are by our own government.
Let's set the record straight, snookie -
military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen. Unfortunately, we must rely on diplomats - and our current diplomats fall far short of what we need.
So, before you shoot off your mouth like that, do a bit of research.
BS, I am an army veteran, 64-67. There were plenty of men who loved killing.
Lt. Callie ring a bell?
Let's set the record straight, snookie -
military people abhor war!
We train and prepare ourselves for it but pray, with all our hearts, that we will never have to kill another human being - EXCEPT to protect our homes and families.
Most military planning is how to evade actually going into combat, to stop it before it can happen. Unfortunately, we must rely on diplomats - and our current diplomats fall far short of what we need.
So, before you shoot off your mouth like that, do a bit of research.
BS, I am an army veteran, 64-67. There were plenty of men who loved killing.
Lt. Callie ring a bell?
BS, I am an army veteran, 64-67. There were plenty of men who loved killing.
Lt. Callie ring a bell?
Callie is an aberration. Soldiers who show signs of abnormal desire for killing are subject to an evaluation and perhaps rehabilitation then if unresponsive discharge. For example:
"1-16. Counseling and rehabilitative requirements
a. General. Army leaders at all levels must be continually aware of their obligation to provide purpose, direction, and motivation to Soldiers. It is essential that Soldiers who falter, but have the potential to serve honorably and well, be given every opportunity to succeed. Effective leadership is particularly important in the case of Soldiers serving their initial enlistments. Except as otherwise indicated in this regulation, commanders must make maximum use of counseling and rehabilitation before determining that a Soldier has no potential for further useful service and, therefore, should be separated. In this regard, commanders will ensure that adequate counseling and rehabilitative measures are taken before initiating separation proceedings for the following reasons:
(2) Personality disorder. (See para 5-13.)
(3) Other designated physical or mental conditions. (See para 5-17)"
Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations
While not fool proof there are provisions which commanders must take into consideration.
Good old AR 635-200. I was a battery clerk in the army and I did the paper work for a many discharges under AR 635=208.
I realize I may sound disrespectful but that is not my intention.
The military, nowdays is put on a pedestal, mainly because of neocon propaganda. Most people nowdays are afraid to criticize the military.
Only now after many years are more female soldiers reporting rapes which they were afraid to do in the past because of retaliation from superior officers.
My whole feeling ion this subject is that this country is getting to be like the roman empire before it's fall.
There is nothing in the constitution about the US being the world's policeman.
I even think we should get rid of the all volunteer forces and bring back the draft before we become a banana republic.
BS, I am an army veteran, 64-67. There were plenty of men who loved killing.
Lt. Callie ring a bell?
Callie is an aberration. Soldiers who show signs of abnormal desire for killing are subject to an evaluation and perhaps rehabilitation then if unresponsive discharge. For example:
"1-16. Counseling and rehabilitative requirements
a. General. Army leaders at all levels must be continually aware of their obligation to provide purpose, direction, and motivation to Soldiers. It is essential that Soldiers who falter, but have the potential to serve honorably and well, be given every opportunity to succeed. Effective leadership is particularly important in the case of Soldiers serving their initial enlistments. Except as otherwise indicated in this regulation, commanders must make maximum use of counseling and rehabilitation before determining that a Soldier has no potential for further useful service and, therefore, should be separated. In this regard, commanders will ensure that adequate counseling and rehabilitative measures are taken before initiating separation proceedings for the following reasons:
(2) Personality disorder. (See para 5-13.)
(3) Other designated physical or mental conditions. (See para 5-17)"
Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations
While not fool proof there are provisions which commanders must take into consideration.
Good old AR 635-200. I was a battery clerk in the army and I did the paper work for a many discharges under AR 635=208.
I realize I may sound disrespectful but that is not my intention.
The military, nowdays is put on a pedestal, mainly because of neocon propaganda. Most people nowdays are afraid to criticize the military.
Only now after many years are more female soldiers reporting rapes which they were afraid to do in the past because of retaliation from superior officers.
My whole feeling ion this subject is that this country is getting to be like the roman empire before it's fall.
There is nothing in the constitution about the US being the world's policeman.
I even think we should get rid of the all volunteer forces and bring back the draft before we become a banana republic.
