Impact of Repeated Deployments

Author Message   Roger Johnson Advanced Member Username: Rwjohn6 Post Number: 331 Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 64.12.116.208 Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 05:26 pm:    Bill you obviously don't know anything about the Guard and Reserve. They are in place to fight in time of national emergency to help the fulltime force. They were never intended to become full time force. That is why we have a fulltime force. I was activated for Nam with several units and did our duty but again it was not ment to be continuous service if I wanted that I would have joined the regular forces. Roger in Fl   Leland Senior Member Username: Leland Post Number: 6252 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 98.218.147.237 Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 02:45 pm:    Bill, the problem is often with the world outside the reservist. If a guy/gal gets called up for 12 months, then is home for 12, then called up again for 12, etc., who in their right mind is going to hire that person for a job that requires any stability or responsibility? If I were running a small company where everybody was critical I would be really reluctant to hire that reservist. I know it is illegal to discriminate that way, and I was in the reserves for 28 years myself, but I just don't know of many small/medium companies that can afford that kind of disruption. And don't forget, your company has to give that reservist a job when they get back each time. Not necessarily exactly the same job, but one with the same pay and general duties. Then what do you do with the replacement (say, sales director) that you hired for the 12 months the reservist was away, that time and the next time?   Bill Terry Senior Member Username: Bill_terry Post Number: 660 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 72.216.27.70 Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 02:34 pm:    Roger, are you saying that Reserve & National Guard join up to not fight in wars? They just meet at the armories and draw pay? That may have been in the guard 50 years ago but times have changed. IMHO if that's what they joined for, then they are too dumb to be in the service. Again, just my humble opinion   Roger Johnson Advanced Member Username: Rwjohn6 Post Number: 330 Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 64.12.116.208 Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 10:59 am:    I think the deployments for AD is to be expected. On the other hand I have a step-son who is AF reserve and he has been called to AD and sent to the sand box 4 times. This is not what the Reserve and NG was designed to do. They have been over extended. This not only disrupts family but employers as well. Roger in Fl   Charles Elison Member Username: Drawes7 Post Number: 7 Registered: 07-2009 Posted From: 75.232.203.54 Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 04:22 am:    "But ask any NCO or officer if re-instituting the draft would be a good idea, and you will get a resounding "No!"--Exactly. I like knowing that my Joes, my peers and my seniors volunteered for it. I like the caliber of personnel force the volunteer military ensures. By now, everyone coming in knows they will be deployed multiple times. Everyone who has been in for more than one tour has probably re-enlisted during the era of multiple, 12 to 15 month deployments... most Soldiers know exactly what he or she is getting into. During WW2, the average Soldier, Sailor and Marine was deployed for YEARS (2-4 on average?) on end in conditions far worse, conducting operations far more strenuous than anything even high OPTEMPO units do today. I've yet to hear a WW2 veteran complain about the length of their deployments or stress experienced during. Nor will you ever hear me, or (most of) my joes complain about them either. Not to say PTSD is not somewhat prevalent, especially in the Infantry profession. We are doing our best to adapt and overcome. Out of my platoon, 50% of my Soldiers have deployed once before and await their 2nd tour. About 25% have yet to deploy and cannot wait to do so. 10%, including myself, have than 3 tours in combat zones since 9-11. One has 4 tours and cannot wait for number 5. And, finally, only one is hesitant to deploy for his first time, but will still do so because that is his job. About 10% have sought and received counseling for combat stress. The stigma surrounding it is gone, and in the past 3 years the Army has taken amazing strides at helping Soldiers cope with combat stress. It has also done amazing things training leaders to recognize, assist and aid with combat stress resiliency. We recognize that stress is inevitable. Allowing that stress to affect our combat power is not. We can work to mitigate the majority of combat stress effects. Look at any country with conscription. Then compare the level of professionalism and caliber of Soldier that conscripted forces are comprised of. None of them compare to the caliber of Soldier and quality of leader produced in the United States. "No one is more professional than I..." how can I expect a non-professional Soldier, a conscript, to live up that creed? Furthermore, how can I expect a conscript, a non-professional, to cope with the stress of combat better than a professional Soldier? Sorry for the rant, after having worked with (conscripted) Isreali Soldiers...I am dead set against the draft.   Cherry C. Senior Member Username: Cherry Post Number: 6368 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 71.163.18.160 Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 01:20 am:    But ask any NCO or officer if re-instituting the draft would be a good idea, and you will get a resounding "No!" The all-volunteer force is so much easier to train and lead because the people in it (men AND women) are motivated. The reason our troops are stretched so thin is that as soon as the Soviet Union self-destructed in 1989, short-sighted "leaders" began cutting authorized troop levels in the mistaken belief that now we would not have any more enemies or wars, so the money "saved" (by drastically reducing the size of the military) could be spent on various social programs. The cuts were too deep, as many people observed at the time.   John Civick Advanced Member Username: John6412 Post Number: 274 Registered: 07-2008 Posted From: 208.14.251.132 Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 11:51 pm:    Men have always been conscripted into this countries military from it's foundation. We do need the draft to be reinstated. Doing so would teach the young boys to be men in that they would finally have a sense of direction, a respect for authority, and perhaps develop a. Marketable skill that would enable them to keep a job and in doing so would pay taxes (wonder why the current administration has't thought about that?). It Would keep countless people off welfare, food stamps etc. And they would think of themselves more highly. I could write a thesis on this subject but by now you know my stand.   James A. Brosman Advanced Member Username: Airborne Post Number: 177 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 67.174.146.58 Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 08:01 pm:    PBS has an excellent hour and half film showing the horrendous impact of repeated deployments. It is on Frontline and is called The Wounded Platoon. It also shows that while the all volunteer force is fine in peacetime, it is not working in wartime. A General officer who was the vice chief of staff repeatedly replied when asked "Why were these men deployed so often?" stated it was supply and demand. You could see the pain in his face and voice when he said it because he dare not state that we need more men and a draft is the sole source.