Proposed military reforms

[Praetor]

Col. David Hackworth is a decorated soldier who elisted at 14 years of age, served in Korea (where he was awarded a battlefield comission) and Vietnam where he became one of our most decorated soldiers. Hackworth also went on to become a war coorespondent for Newsweek and wrote such books as Steel My Soldiers Hearts ,About Face ,and Hazzardous Duty . In HD, Hackworth proposes a few interesting military reforms. Including merging the separate armed services into a unified military service. His military looks like this:

Merge the Army and Marine Corps, giving it control of all combat aircraft including strategic bombers hence removing the air force.

Transfer control of all nuclear weapons of the Navy and allow the Navy to retain its air arm. This would mean sailors manning missile silos on land at first but ASAP, the nukes will be transfered to SLBMs.

Merge the noncombat arms of the separate armed services (administration, JAG, Medical, Logistics, transportation, finance) into a single service support corps for the entire military.

Eliminate the departments of the separate armed services and replace with a Joint Force Defense Headquarters run by the Secretary of Defense.

Return to the draft or some form of mandatory national service.

Make boot camp tough again. Do away with "stress cards" in boot camp.

 

[Jacey]

There are no stress cards in boot camp.

I really don't mind the idea of a draft personally.

The Marines need to stay separate from the Army.

 

[WarSong]

Where will the Airman go? If the Army/Marine Corps become united, do the Airmen remain with their jets but put on different uniforms?

I'd like to keep the Air Force seperate. It was a long battle to break us off from the Army in the first place.

 

[AndOne]

With the one exception of the last line (making basic training tough again) - those are all very bad ideas. Hackworth should stick to correspondence.

 

[Praetor]

When Hackworth talked about merging the Army and Marine Corps, I believe he wants to keep marine units in tact with their customs and operations. However, I think we wants to colidate the overlap between the separate services.

Hackwoth also noted that we have four separate air forces. One for each service. He saw that the air wings of the Marine Corps gave great air support to the Marine divisions.

I think he plans for the airmen to stay with their air wings and put on different uniforms. I think he also wants to ensure airmen are trained to be riflemen like Marines and Soldiers are.

 

[WarSong]

I believe the A-10, AC-130H, and F-15E gave outstanding support to ground forces during the war

 

[Praetor]

The A-10s, AC-130Hs, and F-15s & 16s probably did give great ground support in the war. I'm guessing Hackworth thinks we don't need four separate air forces.

But here is a question, should we have one uniform system of inital entry training with skill training conducted by the separate armed services? Like have all recruits go through inital entry training in USMC Boot Camp and then go on to the separate services for skill training?

Oh, there was one other proposal Hackworth made. Hackworth proposed that all officer candidates had a minimum of four years enlisted experience before enrollment in ROTC, OCS, or the military academies. He also proposed raising the maximum age for marticulation into the academies.

Hackworth also proposed ending the "up and out" policy of promotion so officers can elect to remain LTs, Captians, and Majors and stay close to the troops.

 

[Jacey]

Oh, there was one other proposal Hackworth made. Hackworth proposed that all officer candidates had a minimum of four years enlisted experience before enrollment in ROTC, OCS, or the military academies. He also proposed raising the maximum age for marticulation into the academies.

I agree with this, and have said so many times. I've had many officers say to me that they wish they were enlisted first, and all the best officers I've met and served under were prior enlisted. Just makes good sense. And I've met way too many butter bars who were jerks to young enlisted Marines because they can be, and I've experienced it myself. That doesn't happen with lieutenants who were enlisted Marines themselves.

 

[WarSong]

I agree with this, and have said so many times. I've had many officers say to me that they wish they were enlisted first, and all the best officers I've met and served under were prior enlisted. Just makes good sense. And I've met way too many butter bars who were jerks to young enlisted Marines because they can be, and I've experienced it myself. That doesn't happen with lieutenants who were enlisted Marines themselves.

Very true. I've seen the difference between an officer straight out of training, staright out of college and can't tell his face from...well, another place. Troops who were enlisted, then becamse officer and went back to that career field are outstanding. They know the job from two different points and know how to balance between keeping their people from being burnt out and making sure the mission happens.

Will the air arms of this supposed one branch have their own distinctive patches, like the Army Air Corps/Army Air Forces?

Finally, how much rifle training/recertification does someone in the Army or navy get when they're in a support field? For example, an Army supply clerk or a Navy stock....person (lack of a better word).

 

[Matthew Hobbs]

I agree with this, and have said so many times. I've had many officers say to me that they wish they were enlisted first, and all the best officers I've met and served under were prior enlisted. Just makes good sense. And I've met way too many butter bars who were jerks to young enlisted Marines because they can be, and I've experienced it myself. That doesn't happen with lieutenants who were enlisted Marines themselves.

That sucks. I've found that, like all things, it depends.

Some West Pointers are jerks, some are great leaders.

Some ROTC products are abysmal, some are great leaders.

Some prior service officers are useless, some are great leaders.

Acutally, many of the soldiers and NCOs in my command have expressed that they're glad I wasn't prior service. In their experience, prior service officers (especially ones who were NCOs) tend to micro-manage to the extreme. I've seen that, occasionally.

Supporting this requirement also shows a lack of familiarity with the comissioning process. I defy anyone to explain to me how basic training, AIT, and a few years as an E-3 or E-4 somehow teaches more about followership and leadership than four grueling years at West Point. Similarly, my ROTC program was ranked 12th in the nation, ahead of military schools like the Citadel or West Point. I have never looked at a prior service officer next to me and envied any more than a few technical skills. Even in that case, those only apply if the officer remains in his MOS (a tanker becoming an Armor Officer, etc.)

 

[Jacey]

I'm not going to. I'm speaking more about the kid who grads from say, Texas A & M, does OCS and TBS and thinks he knows something about the Marine Corps.

 

[Matthew Hobbs]

Well, we all have our roles to fill. Respect for rank goes both ways - an officer needs to acknowledge the skills and training of his NCOs and enlisteds, and vice versa.

 

[xtxArchxAngelxtx]

I say merdge the marines and ARMY...

The army is now on the marine level anyways since the ARMY basic training has been bumbed up to 14 weeks instead of the original 9 weeks.

I like all the ideas... but what about the airforce I wonder?

I also think that soldiers should be trained for one location. If I get deployed anywhere, it will probably iraq or in the mid east with desert terrain with a hot climate.... sorry but both of my field training exercises were in the forest in below freezing temperatures.

The US should designate soliders to one location and train them under those climate and weather and terain conditions.

 

[Matthew Hobbs]

I say merdge the marines and ARMY...

The army is now on the marine level anyways since the ARMY basic training has been bumbed up to 14 weeks instead of the original 9 weeks.

Wow. Speaking as someone who works in IET for the Army, even I know that statement is 100% wrong.

The US should designate soliders to one location and train them under those climate and weather and terain conditions.

Implausible. Climate adaptation only takes a few weeks, anyway.

 

[Jacey]

The Army extended basic training by 5 weeks?? Huh??

 

[Job24]

I say merdge the marines and ARMY...

The army is now on the marine level anyways since the ARMY basic training has been bumbed up to 14 weeks instead of the original 9 weeks.

I like all the ideas... but what about the airforce I wonder?

I also think that soldiers should be trained for one location. If I get deployed anywhere, it will probably iraq or in the mid east with desert terrain with a hot climate.... sorry but both of my field training exercises were in the forest in below freezing temperatures.

The US should designate soliders to one location and train them under those climate and weather and terain conditions.

Each branch has a different objective and it has been working for many years...

The marines invade the area that is required, the army occupies the portion that has been invaded, the Air Force provides support to all branches by first weakening the defenses and then providing air cover prior to a major attack. The navy are control the ocean area and transport the marines to the designated area that is required and they are basically a portable base that can go to any area of the world which is a huge advantage.

I was in the Air force and when I went from New England (a much colder climate) to Texas (a wicked hot climate) it took me appr. 2 weeks to fully adjust so there was plenty of time for me to get used to the environment and that was not that bad. of course we had to run before it was light out so we got up WAYYYY to early but hey, that is how they break you and then build you up

Lastly, the extension of all basic trainings have been a common myth ever since the modern military has been around. they ALWAYS say that it will be extended but it is a fallacy...the fact is, they are set up based on the training they require..that is why the Air Force is 7 weeks, the Army and Navy is 9 weeks, and the Marines are 14 weeks.

 

[Matthew Hobbs]

Lastly, the extension of all basic trainings have been a common myth ever since the modern military has been around. they ALWAYS say that it will be extended but it is a fallacy...the fact is, they are set up based on the training they require..that is why the Air Force is 7 weeks, the Army and Navy is 9 weeks, and the Marines are 14 weeks.

Well, speaking as an officer involved with Ft. Knox Initial Entry Training -

The new Chief of Staff of the Army HAS extended basic training for the Army. We're implementing now.

 

[Jacey]

A couple years ago the Marines extended training, a big reason was the implementation of the Crucible.

 

[xtxArchxAngelxtx]

I guess I am liar about the extension of the ARMY basic training....

Whether is 14 or 13 weeks long I am not sure, but if you signed up to have basic training after Jan 1 2004, it will be at least 13 weeks long.
My drill srgts have told me this, plus I know of two soliders who have personally told me that they were screwed cause thier training is now longer.

I can see why drill srgts owuld lie to me, but I do not know why my own fellow soldiers would lie to me over something like that.

 

[xtxArchxAngelxtx]

Well, speaking as an officer involved with Ft. Knox Initial Entry Training -

The new Chief of Staff of the Army HAS extended basic training for the Army. We're implementing now.

Thank you very much for the back up, sir. This chaplain assistant is very glad you spoke up.