Random Thoughts – Recruiting Crisis

Currently serving four-star officers and high level DOD civilians have been associated with what wars won by the US?

-Oak Bay Starfish

Photo above:

Platoon 3049, MCRD San Diego

Jun-Sep 1979

US Armed Forces Recruiting Crisis

Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.

Understandable why young people and their parents and grandparents would take a dim view on all this.

Will an older generation encourage a younger generation to do time in the US Armed Forces in the years ahead?

How does Uncle Sam plan to attract young people to sign up in the years ahead?

If DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:

The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.

Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.

Not here to say that military benefits are inadequate. Just stick with whatever was offered when people signed up to stay on for multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and we’re good.

Pick a decade anytime after the war in Vietnam. No matter what political party or personality is in the White House, Uncle Sam struggles to get veterans health care to work properly. Moms, Dads, Grandparents, and young people have access to this info.

Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials and top Pentagon Generals earned it.

Every few years, no matter what political party or personality is in power, there are moves to modify what people thought they were earning in exchange for 20 years of unrestricted worldwide service.

The plan is to save cash by reducing the traditional DOD military benefits that were on the table when people began doing multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is the same country where both major parties invite veterans to be momentarily honored at State of the Union events when they control the White House.

Football games are also used to honor veterans:

0:12 the man is barely conscious when greeted by team owner Jerry Jones:

Where are the veterans who are OK with less wars?

Everyone seems to love it. When the made for TV event is over, veteran’s benefits may be up for grabs again.

Recommendation:

Insert language into recruiting literature and enlistment documents stating that rules concerning benefits may change at any time & that no definite benefit package will be provided in exchange for 20 years of unrestricted worldwide service. No grandfather clause will apply. Have unit leaders refer to this disclaimer when promoting retention drives, giving re-enlistment speeches, etc.

Some will say that this has already been done, and that you will see it if you read the fine print. I say take it out of fine print and make it read like the warnings on a pack of cigarettes.

Recommendation for budget savings:

Phase out undeclared/unwon wars overseas.

The Department of Defense track record for winning undeclared wars goes back to 1949.

Sound of Freedom

Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?

US jet aircraft have been able to strike targets in what wars won by the US?

General Thomas,

Has dressing women to look like men had any positive or negative impact on recruiting?

Schmoozy Interview With The General – Recruiting Crisis

General Thomas,

We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam.

Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

Some may have become skeptical along the way.

Political parties and personalities are not as interesting as what stays the same no matter who is elected to office.

Militarized Opening Day

The Dept. of Defense is the very best at militarized pageantry for pro sports events.

They are able to get some members of the press to play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.

TV newspeople perform like paid actors reading a script.

Weak News Reporting

The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.

In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.

In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.

We’ve been told for decades that DOD sends the troops to distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms.

May 28, 2020 WMAR

Salisbury Mayor deploying to Africa with Maryland National Guard

“I am honored to do my part to ensure that the citizens of this community and all Americans remain safe and free.”

Several news sources published this quote. View them here.

The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.

Mayor Day,

While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.

Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?

December 21st 2019 KOMO News

Legal age to buy cigarettes, vapes raised to 21 nationwide

“Signed into law by President Donald Trump Friday as part of the new $1.4 trillion spending bill, a new measure prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.”

Thank You For Our Freedom?

Thanks

Thanks for sending The Troops to distant lands to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things. If not for decades of undeclared/unwon wars, (The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949) hostile forces may have come to North America to do away with the free enterprise system and tell us what kind of shower head we must install in our home, what type of gas can we must buy for our generator, or that our push mower does not meet federal EPA regulations.

If not for decades of undeclared/unwon wars, drug trafficking cartels might be able to move product into all 50 states.

Feb. 24, 2023 TEMPE, Ariz. (3TV/CBS 5/Gray News)

4.5 million fentanyl pills, 3,000 pounds of meth seized during joint drug bust

“The Tempe Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and Arizona Attorney General’s Office shared details on Thursday about a major bust that took three years to pull off.”

Three years to pull off this bust?

“An estimated 4.5 million fentanyl pills were seized in addition to 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine and large amounts of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl powder, according to authorities.”

Wonder what was happening at border crossing inspections during the 3 years these folks were under investigation. Do the good guys who made the Tempe bust notify the good guys at the border about the weak links in their process?

Love to see newspeople ask:

Were federal authorities at the border notified of this ongoing investigation?

Did the drug traffickers get fast track screening at the border so as not to disrupt this ongoing investigation?

If the drug traffickers were given a pass at the border- would that have tipped them off as to the investigation- or would that have been seen as standard protocol?

Imagine that LE authorities observe a shoplifter or bank robber in action. Instead of going in to make an arrest they back off and conduct an investigation that goes on for 3 years. What if they applied the same tactic Re: crimes involving arson, terrorism, child abuse, DUI, etc.

Has General Milley’s Operation Macho Swagger reduced access to cartel product anywhere in the US?

Has there been enough time for newspeople to ask questions?

Newspeople remain silent.

April 1, 2020 C-SPAN

WWII costume reminds us of a time before decades of undeclared/unwon wars stacked up.

The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.

Both major parties and the press appear to be OK with undeclared/unwon wars.

Cartel drug busts that happen in Hometown, USA involve drugs that were not stopped at the border.

If The Troops defend our freedoms, should we ask the Joint Chiefs of Staff to bring back the Free Enterprise System?

Goodbye Free Enterprise System

National Guard

The people of Minnesota need more applicants to maintain a place to live and a regular job in their hometown area when they are not doing time in foreign lands helping DOD with undeclared/unwon wars and missions completely unrelated to their home state.

A few decades back, people might think of the National Guard as one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer plus a way to support your home state by being ready to get called out for floods, fires, natural disasters, civil unrest, etc. Maybe a way to help the next state over if they needed it.

In recent years, the National Guard has been sent to Syria, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.

Any members of the press available to show up and ask why the people of Home State, USA needed services in distant lands, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?

Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials and top Pentagon Generals earned it.

A Draft?

Before making any plans to start up a draft, let’s ask if newspeople can do something totally different. Have newspeople interview elected officials and let us know how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.

Have newspeople find out:

Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?

This would be the time to hear from elected leaders and top generals Re: lessons learned on all the issues that have doomed the Department of Defense track record for winning wars since DOD was established in 1949.

A Military Draft?

Potential applicants on the way to comply with the next draft:

Jan 13, 2023 Military.com

Brawls, Disorder Mar National Guard Boot Camp for Teens

“A massive brawl broke out on a parade ground at Fort Gordon in Augusta one afternoon last fall, when about 70 teenage recruits of the Georgia National Guard’s Youth Challenge Academy slugged it out. Some used homemade weapons, including metal shanks, crudely sharpened toothbrushes and tube socks filled with metal padlocks.”

More here:

Hey Moms and Dads – Ask A Recruiter

Last time there was a draft that involved an undeclared war, things did not go well.

Will No Longer Accept New TRICARE Families? – Recruiting Crisis

Maybe Get Away From The Bragging About Freedom?

Excuses for US Military Recruiting Crisis

Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over

America Deserves A Military Recruiting Crisis

Cultural Honesty

See You Next Year

Growing Up In The Cold War Era

Candidate (Fill in last name)