American Army

FlyingFrog

Active member
From a former British colony rising to the current World's No1 Power and Army.

1. American Army's men/women and weapons.

2. Strength/Weakness of American Army.

3. American Army's Interaction with the rest of world.

4. American Army's Future.
 
Well I think he just listed 4 points to talk about, you can grab all or one, or a couple or...

I think the US Army men and women are superbly trained, incredibly devoted, and the equipment and weapons are generally excellent. Though sometimes the technology doesn't seem that practicle.

Doesn't seem that well equiped for Guerilla wars, that is, the weaponry and such. Like the hummers and Strykers are prone to IEDs and RPGs, no?
 
FlyingFrog said:
From a former British colony rising to the current World's No1 Power and Army.

1. American Army's men/women and weapons.

2. Strength/Weakness of American Army.

3. American Army's Interaction with the rest of world.

4. American Army's Future.



1. :?:
2. Strength- Communications/Support
3. It will continue to have a leading role in world affairs, such as Taiwan, Korea, Taiwan, etc...
4. I believe all U.S. Soldiers will have the "Land warrior system". The future is bright for the U.S. Army.

Link: http://www.g4techtv.com/techtvvault/features/40258/Building_the_Soldier_of_the_Future.html?
 
I am thinking about the Fighting Spirit of American army.

And the big defence budget (some 400 billion USD annually).
 
FlyingFrog said:
I am thinking about the Fighting Spirit of American army.

All of them are volunteers so their fighting spirit has got to be high, but here is one example:

One soldier in Iraq was heading home when the Chinook he was riding in got shot down by a SA-7, and he was one of the few survivors with about 30 men killed. They showed him setting up in a hospital bed in Germany, alongside two badly mangled comrades, and a media reporter asked him if he was ok. He simply said something to the effect of “ready to go back to Iraq.” The reporter was stunned and so was I. You could look at the man and tell it would be several week’s minimum before wounds to heal so he could be in fighting condition. He didn’t have to go back to fighting because he had served his time, but looking into the man’s eyes, I saw this stare … a very serious and determined look that sent a chill down my spine … and I thought to myself, “you have just witnessed a real American hero.”

Like I said, this is just one example of countless acts of selflessness displayed by our soldiers.
 
FlyingFrog said:
I am thinking about the Fighting Spirit of American army.

And the big defence budget (some 400 billion USD annually).

Actually, it is a very small percentage of our GDP at only 12%. Even though we spend more on military than most other countries combined, it doesn’t mean that our military is that powerful in proportion. Big defense contractors sort of have an oligopoly on military sells in the U.S., and they work together to jack up prices for more profit. The leaders in congress and President don’t object because they are most likely getting campaign funding and illegal kickbacks from these arms sells. We might have the best military in the world, but it is probably not as immensely powerful as you might think.

FlyingFrog said:
I am not doubting about the Fighting Spirit of the US troops.

Btw, ALL American soldiers are volunteers?

Yes. I think we learned our lesson back in Vietnam. If the conscript’s didn’t go AWOL, they might go crazy and shoot civilians or something. One soldier in Iraq actually sacrificed himself to save a little Iraqi girl by diving on the undetonated explosive. Talk about dedication there....
 
So all the 1 millions US troops are Volunteers? I didn't know that, that must be great for any Army if it is true in the US case.

Actually, it is a very small percentage of our GDP at only 12%.

12%? 1.2%?

I thought it is about 4% or 5% of the US GDP.
Since:
US GDP is about 10 trillion.
US defence budget is about 400 billion (0.4 trillion).
So it is about 4% of your total GDP.
 
American soldiers volunteers...
technically yes. But there are those who are in the "ready reserve" who didn't really fulfill their entire time and were placed on the "ready reserve" status.
Which means they live like civilians etc. but they can be called up. Now these guys have been called up and they're acting like they're being drafted. So techncially yes, all volunteers but actually some really don't want to be there.
 
the_13th_redneck said:
American soldiers volunteers...
technically yes. But there are those who are in the "ready reserve" who didn't really fulfill their entire time and were placed on the "ready reserve" status.
Which means they live like civilians etc. but they can be called up. Now these guys have been called up and they're acting like they're being drafted. So techncially yes, all volunteers but actually some really don't want to be there.
This is true. The organized militia is and should be considered civilians; only tasked with defending America from foreign invaders and tyranny (not PC to say, but its true). What the government is doing was started back in the Regan administration - known as “Total force deployment” and it was expanded upon in the Clinton administration.
 
I think its safe to say that the US Army today has the most large-scale-operational-combat experienced officer and NCO core in the world. And that's probably a good thing. Not to mention seasoned veteran special ops personel.
 
the_13th_redneck said:
American soldiers volunteers...
technically yes. But there are those who are in the "ready reserve" who didn't really fulfill their entire time and were placed on the "ready reserve" status.
Which means they live like civilians etc. but they can be called up. Now these guys have been called up and they're acting like they're being drafted. So techncially yes, all volunteers but actually some really don't want to be there.


They all volunteered to be there, whatever their motives were. Reserves and Natty Guard volunteered just as much as Active Duty component troops. Just because some of them decided they did not want to fulfill their obligations does not make them any less of volunteers.

And ravensword227, what exactly are you referring to as "organized militias?"
 
Yes, all American troops, marines, sailors, and airmen are volunteers. These volunteers are also the ones accepted into service not all voluntters are accepted due to certain backgrounds that disqualify them.

When you talk about Individual Ready Reserves, most of these are troops who have served a certain prior obligation from their enlistment like a 6 year on and 2 year inactive status. During those 2 years they can be recalled to active duty at anytime. Army Resevists and National Guard troops are comprised of a large percent of prior service personel who have went from full time soldier to "twice the citizen" and are now not only fulfilling a full time job or more but also continually training in case of a deployment to anywhere in the world.
 
Redneck said:
And ravensword227, what exactly are you referring to as "organized militias?"


Section 311. Militia: composition and classes

(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied
males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section
313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a
declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States
and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the
National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are -
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard
and the Naval Militia
; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of
the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the
Naval Militia.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/ts_search.pl?title=10&sec=311
 
I know but in this case you're trading on the definition and not the spirit of it.


---------------------------------
"They all volunteered to be there, whatever their motives were. Reserves and Natty Guard volunteered just as much as Active Duty component troops. Just because some of them decided they did not want to fulfill their obligations does not make them any less of volunteers.

And ravensword227, what exactly are you referring to as "organized militias?"
--------------------------------
 
the_13th_redneck said:
I know but in this case you're trading on the definition and not the spirit of it.


No, I am trading on the fact of the matter. Just because somebody decides that after accepting the benefits the National Guard and Reserves offer (education, pay, etc.) that when their nation requires them to do their job it just isn't any fun anymore does NOT make them any less of a volunteer. Nobody forced or coerced them to sign that paper, and they were well aware of what dangers and hardships might be entailed by their doing so.
 
But you get what I mean.
Volunteer in the fullest length of the spirit is a guy willing to go to Iraq without protest.
 
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