8 Apr 16

“History assures us there are no ‘invincible’ armies.”

Joe Stalin

“An army lacking courageous, audacious leaders, top to bottom, is little more than an aimless horde of tourists! As dark clouds gather on the world stage, we discover anew that you can’t “manage” men into battle.

You have to lead them!”

Anon

In 1980, I was a young Army captain (reserve), and I had the honor and privilege of attending Army Command and General Staff College in Ft Leavenworth, KS.

In those days, our Army had, and jealously maintained, the capacity to simultaneously wage a “two-and-a-half-theater” war. We could adequately project military power onto two, separate theaters, with enough left over to sustain an independent military side-show.

Over the next three decades, that proud (and necessary) capability disgracefully degenerated to barely “one-and-a-half-theater” strength.

And now yesterday, our Army’s Chief of Staff warned Congress, with a straight face, that we are now way short of even an ability to support a “one-theater” war!

The terminology he used was that our Army is currently operating at “high military risk,” and that we are way short of a legitimate capability of meeting even our existing low standards!

Our Navy and Air Force are no better.

And with BHO’s blessing, we are scheduled to go even lower!

In order to expand to any degree, Gen Milley indicated the Army would have to take money from modernization and would have to close bases and installations. Then of course, where would all these new soldiers be quartered?

He continued, “At the end of the day, we risk literally having a ‘hollow Army.’”

Such an “Army” will never train, will not have necessary equipment, spare parts, adequate maintenance, fuel, ammunition. Critical equipment will rapidly become obsolete, idle, rusting junk that no one knows how to operate anyway. A “hollow” Army can’t deploy, can’t fight, can’t even maintain itself.

And, that is where we’re headed! Our current Army is half the size it needs to be to meet even foolishly optimistic global challenges.

Milley continued, “But it’s not just numbers. It’s readiness. It’s technological capability.”

Comment:

BHO’s seething contempt for our military services has translated to an unprecedented decline in this nation’s military capability over the past eight years. Now, even our Army’s Chief of Staff is nervously admitting it to congress!

No longer wanting to serve under our current gaggle of BHO-era risk-averse “manager/generals,” who only care about maintaining “minimum standards,” our Army’s entire cadre of mid-level officers and senior NCOs has either resigned or been forced out.

Several years ago, when I commented about the exodus of capable officers and NCOs who were fed-up with the BHO Administration’s disdain for them and their faithful service, naive liberals I know arrogantly said, “Good riddance!”

Well, we (including those same liberals) now desperately wish we had them back!

“It is certain that the two World Wars in which I have participated would not have occurred had we been prepared. It is my belief that adequate preparation on our part would have prevented or materially shortened all our wars, beginning with The War of 1812!

Yet, after each of our wars, there has always been a hue and cry to the effect that there will be no more wars, that disarmament is the sure road to health, happiness, and peace; and that by removing the fire department, we will remove fires. These ideas spring from wishful thinking and from the erroneous belief that wars result from logical processes.

There is no logic in wars. They are produced by madmen. No one can say when future madmen will reappear. I do not say that there will be no more wars; I devoutly hope that there will not, but I do say that the chances of avoiding future wars will be greatly enhanced when we are ready.

Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow, and of the man who leads, that gains victory.”

Patton

/John