More Than 75% Of Americans Aged 17-24 Aren’t Fit For Military Service: DOD

[Mushroom]

My son-in-law recently deployed to Qatar. Do we have a base there?

We operate in Qatar out of their main Air Force Base, as well as their main Army Base. But yes, they are unquestionably their military bases, we just share them with their own forces. As well as a great many other nations. I saw people from pretty much every member of NATO when I was in Qatar, as well as others. The Aussies had a rather large compound near the runway, and the only place in the country you could get Fosters.

 

[sparky]

The problem is not the weight, as much as it is that those that are obese refuse to do anything to get rid of it.

'looks down at spare tire w/ toddy in hand'......~S~

 

[Doug1943]

A great many reasons. A lot are liaison, who operate with local forces. Others are trainers, or advisors. We even have active "Officer Exchange" programs with a great many nations.

And almost every major air base and port that is used by many nations has both their personnel as well as our own there. Normally under a dozen people, that arrange things for when aircraft or ships arrive.

And it is not even all overseas. Are you aware that there are German military bases in the US? As well as Japanese, Taiwan, British, and others. It is not simply one sided, they often do the same thing on our bases. In the 1980s I know it was common to see Brits, Aussies, and Sailors from almost any nation in Long Beach, as a great many nations had small contingency groups on that base.

Okay, a reasonable argument.

The real issue is, should our foreign policy be a continuation of what it has been? Were the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan good moves, but ones which unfortunately went wrong because of bad luck or poor execution? Was NATO's intervention in Libya a good thing? Was our support for the Albanians against the Serbs in Kosovo a good thing?

Are the neo-cons right in saying that we must continue to have a 'forward policy' and try to introduce democracy all over the world, at bayonet point if necessary?

 

[sparky]

Are the neo-cons right in saying that we must continue to have a 'forward policy' and try to introduce democracy all over the world, at bayonet point if necessary?

~S~

 

[Mushroom]

Were the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan good moves, but ones which unfortunately went wrong because of bad luck or poor execution?

They both went off perfectly, and achieved their goals in short order.

So not confuse the total cock-up that was done by the State Department with what the Military did. The military had a goal, and accomplished it. The failure was entirely with the State Department.

The US and allies were able to pacify two of the most aggressive and militaristic nations on the planet in just a few years. However, after WWII none were willing to take any crap, and demanded complete compliance and it was a show almost entirely run by the military. Both Iraq and Afghanistan the military was quickly pushed aside, and the morons at Foggy Bottom took over and basically tied the hands of the military.

In the last 70 years, the US has become amazingly good at winning wars, then dicking up what came after. But that was never a problem of the military, always the idiots in the State Department who then took over and dictated to the military what they could do and how.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Okay. Why do we have them, then? Why do we have an 'Africa Command', when we can't even command a street corner in South Chicago?

I recall a possibly-apocryphal conversation beween a French and British leader, after the latter county had signed a mutual-assistance treaty with the former. "In the event of a war, how many men do you want us to send you?", the British leader asked. The Frenchman replied, "Just one. And we shall see to it that he is killed."

Are they a tripwire, to draw us into the coming conflict between Bongo-Bongoland and Absurdistan?

We can't dominate the world the way we did when we just faced the Soviets. We're moving to a multi-polar world, and it will be full of conflicts and outright wars. We need to stay out of them unless our direct national interests are involved, especially with the way our military is going.

No one is going to invade us. And if we remain armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons and ready to unleash Armageddon on anyone who launches a nuclear attack against, we probably won't face one. (Our enemies probably know they just have to wait until we collapse from within.)

The military has nothing to do with Chicago. I suppose you never heard of Boko Haram? Idiot!

Africa Command is in Germany.

 

[Doug1943]

The military has nothing to do with Chicago. I suppose you never heard of Boko Haram? Idiot!

Africa Command is in Germany.

I know about Boko Haram. And you're saying wherever there are Islamists, we've got to go and fight them?
Well, there are some very serious Islamists who have just taken over Afghanistan! What are we waiting for?

I know that Africa Command is in Germany. And people in it get to wear a pretty little patch! But ... what are they commanding? Why are we wasting millions of dollars pretending we can 'command' Africa?

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I know about Boko Haram. And you're saying wherever there are Islamists, we've got to go and fight them?
Well, there are some very serious Islamists who have just taken over Afghanistan! What are we waiting for?

I know that Africa Command is in Germany. And people in it get to wear a pretty little patch! But ... what are they commanding? Why are we wasting millions of dollars pretending we can 'command' Africa?

Dumbass!
The command is of our forces deployed to Africa. How truly stupid are you?

I have been to Africa. How about you?

 

[Doug1943]

Dumbass!
The command is of our forces deployed to Africa. How truly stupid are you?

I have been to Africa. How about you?

Oh, I'm sure you're much smarter than me! Your posts here reveal a shining intellect!

I say that we don't need to be trying to 'command' or intervene in Africa, that's it's a waste of money and lives. Nothing is going to stop these tribes killing each other. It's a shame, but there's not anything we can do about it.
Haven't we learned anything from Iraq or Afghanistan?

You, on the other hand, have been to Africa! You win the argument!!!

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Oh, I'm sure you're much smarter than me! Your posts here reveal a shining intellect!

I say that we don't need to be trying to 'command' or intervene in Africa, that's it's a waste of money and lives. Nothing is going to stop these tribes killing each other. It's a shame, but there's not anything we can do about it.
Haven't we learned anything from Iraq or Afghanistan?

You, on the other hand, have been to Africa! You win the argument!!!

That's a fact!

I would hope we would have quit the Democrat nation building.

 

[DudleySmith]

We're moving to a multi-polar world, and it will be full of conflicts and outright wars. We need to stay out of them unless our direct national interests are involved, especially with the way our military is going.

They will draw us in regardless. Isolationist fantasies are far more dangerous and guarantee much bigger conflicts and death.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Do you remember when the Alabama Maersk was highjacked by pirates? How close was our military bases to Somolia? You want to take weeks to respond to such an attack?

Don't care. The Maersk Alabama isn't an American ship (flagged in Liberia), not our problem.

 

[Mushroom]

Don't care. The Maersk Alabama isn't an American ship (flagged in Liberia), not our problem.

Wrong.

Built in 1998, she was originally flagged in Denmark. But in 2004 the ship was reflagged to the US. That indeed made it our problem when in 2009 she was taken over.

And she remained a US flagged ship until it was sold by the Maersk company in 2015 to the Waterman Corporation. They first changed the flag to Singapore, then to Liberia.

Oh, and it has not been the Maersk Alabama since 2015. It is the Tygra.

You know, details like that are actually very important.

 

[Doug1943]

They will draw us in regardless. Isolationist fantasies are far more dangerous and guarantee much bigger conflicts and death.

"They will draw us in regardless ..." Hmmm... So we're just a helpless giant ... when "they" say "Invade Iraq!" we salute and off we go. When they say "Occupy Afghanistan! Bring liberal democracy to the medieval tribes!" we say, "Yes sir!" and off we go.

I wouldn't call it "isolationism" but I believe we can do better than that. A LOT better.

But let me ask you: you think invading Iraq to find those invisible atom-bomb factories was a good idea?
You think trying occupy Afghanistan and bring Transgender Outreach Centers to Kandahar was a good idea?

 

[DudleySmith]

"They will draw us in regardless ..." Hmmm... So we're just a helpless giant ... when "they" say "Invade Iraq!" we salute and off we go. When they say "Occupy Afghanistan! Bring liberal democracy to the medieval tribes!" we say, "Yes sir!" and off we go.

I wouldn't call it "isolationism" but I believe we can do better than that. A LOT better.

But let me ask you: you think invading Iraq to find those invisible atom-bomb factories was a good idea?
You think trying occupy Afghanistan and bring Transgender Outreach Centers to Kandahar was a good idea?

Rubbish post, just a rant.

 

[Mushroom]

When they say "Occupy Afghanistan! Bring liberal democracy to the medieval tribes!" we say, "Yes sir!" and off we go.

Uh-huh.

And I guess Al-Qaeda in your mind had nothing to do with Afghanistan. Nor did the UN in Iraq.

The longer you go on, the less and less sense your rants make.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Wrong.

Built in 1998, she was originally flagged in Denmark. But in 2004 the ship was reflagged to the US. That indeed made it our problem when in 2009 she was taken over.

And she remained a US flagged ship until it was sold by the Maersk company in 2015 to the Waterman Corporation. They first changed the flag to Singapore, then to Liberia.

Oh, and it has not been the Maersk Alabama since 2015. It is the Tygra.

You know, details like that are actually very important.

Not important enough for me to give a shit. Either escort the ship or tell the owner to go a different route. Perhaps send a couple ships to find and kill the pirates.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Rubbish post, just a rant.

Translation: "Being unable to counter with anything in telligent, I will instead make a pathetic attempt as deflection."

 

[jknowgood]

I don't know, they'd have made just as good cannon fodder.

You pussies have turned our military into a social experiment.

 

[DudleySmith]

Translation: "Being unable to counter with anything in telligent, I will instead make a pathetic attempt as deflection."

Already been answered, shot down, and repeated several thousand times on this board. If you had a memory you would have noted this over time but apparently you don't have one.