We will never know the May figures for Army and Marines recruits

[Walt Starr]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

The DOD has assumed responsibility and the various services will no longer report.

That means all we are going to get are aggregate numbers for all four branches. They will never ever break them down again.

One more victory for propoganda.

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. So maybe Air Force and Navy are meeting their goals?

They are not, after all, providing ground troops.

Yet.

I have a vague memory of when I served, there was a provision that while I was enlisting in the Marines, if the Marines were over-manned and another branch was needing recruits, I could be involuntarily transferred to that other branch. I was, in effect, enlisting in the US armed forces, not in the Marines.

Is this still the case? Can some kid enlist in the Navy and find himself going to Army boot?

Or was that just a dope dream of mine?

[lenidog]

7. That doesn't happen

They may switch your MOS in the service but they would never switch you from the Navy to the Army. Now when we had a draft and people would show up at the induction center, I have heard tales of the personnel there having you count out and say every third man would become a Marine but that is as close as you get.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. Maybe that's what I was remembering.

And now I better shut up before I give anyone ideas.

[lenidog]

11. I can see the government lurkers rushing even now to the DOD

with this idea

[eleny]

2. So that's the solution they arrived at

I was wondering if they were going to do some sort of average. Combining all is clever. But it resolves nothing as they still aren't getting recruits.

Ray Taliaferro was discussing this subject just this morning. Parents are now discouraging kids to join. People are voting about this war with their feet so to speak.

Thanks for the information. I've been wondering about this today!

[Horse with no Name]

3. You're an intelligent guy Walt

I have a stupid question for you because I know nothing of these types of things.
I know that the Marines and the Army fight the front lines, yet the Navy and the Air Force do not.
Do you think that Rummy would be stupid enough to change the centuries old traditions of the Armed Forces and bring them under one branch thereby being able to send Navy and Air Force grunts to the front lines, etc?
Otherwise why would they be combining the numbers?

[Stinky The Clown]

4. He is doing EXACTLY that

It has already started, and the military is NOT happy about it. This has been underway for a few years now. In the physical officing schemes in that five sided building, they're integrating personnel by function more than service. Officer messes, which were once separate by service, are now combined. Officers have always paid for their own meals and, in view of this, they ate in 'clubs'. Rummy recently combined them all into one big, amorphous lump.

He says modern warriors must be more integrated so as to be able to react quickly with any needed combination of abilities.

We've always actually had that, but he wants to break down all distinction between the services.

This move with the reporting of recruiting goals is no surprise and right in line with that thinking.

As to joining the Navy and being sent to the Army, I'm not sure of that.

[Horse with no Name]

6. Not saying they would be transferred to the Army

they would still be Navy but integrating troops--putting the "dime a dozen" seabies with the E-1's and privates and sending them to the front lines.

[eleny]

5. If they do that then all branches will suffer in recruiting

[lenidog]

8. No because the Navy and Air Force training is minimal

when it come to any kind of combat skills. Now certain Navy and Air Force MOSs may see combat like Shore Patrol or Air Force Combat Security men but that would still be rare. The only personnel the have that see any front line combat is Air Force Pilot Rescue teams and Navy SEALs

[Stinky The Clown]

10. This answer is more sarcasm than disagreement

but also a kernal of truth.

They don't give a rat's ass about what their cannon fodder is trained for. look what they've with the Guard and Reserves. Most sailors wouldn't know which end of a rifle is the business end, but why would that stop these fuckers from sending them into combat?

They'll do **anything** to avoid a draft.

**Anything**

[Walt Starr]

13. I think they have a more insidious plan

Basically, about 35% of the Navy and Air Force will receive notices, either they volunteer for Army or Marine Corps duty under the Blue to Green program, or they will lose one grade rank and be forced to move.

[KelleyKramer]

12. Off topic, holy shit, whats that about nostamj ??!!

Since the election spent a long time away from DU, and have only been checking in a little recently.

In your sig line it implies nostamj is deceased??

The picture and graphics person? Is that correct?????

[Pathwalker]

14. Sadly, the answer is yes. Nostamj is deceased.

Nostamj was the Toon guy.