US Army Smallest Since 1940; Navy, Air Force Down

[DougC]

Read more at Newsmax blog

The U.S. Army is at its smallest size since pre-World War II after being one of three major military services to miss recruiting goals last year.

The Army has failed to meet its recruiting goals for the last two years and missed its 2023 target by 10,000 soldiers, a 20% shortfall, Vox reported.

The active-duty Army currently has 445,000 soldiers, 41,000 fewer than in 2021, and the smallest it has been since 1940.

The Navy and Air Force also missed their recruiting goals in 2023, when the Marine Corps (OooRah!) was the only service to achieve its targets. The smaller Space Force also met its recruiting goals.
The Marines were helped by restructuring that required nearly 19,000 fewer active duty and selected reserve slots to be filled compared to 2020.

 

[Tnhawk]

It would be a difficult decision for a normal, physically and mentally qualified, military age person to enlist with the current leadership the military now has.

 

[Lonesome Dove]

It would be a difficult decision for a normal, physically and mentally qualified, military age person to enlist with the current leadership the military now has.

It's been for quit a while now.

 

[oldag]

The U.S. Navy has struggled to maintain personnel and readiness across the fleet, which makes its new plan for the Military Sealift Command to lose 17 ships under a “force generation reset” deeply troubling.

The Military Sealift Command keeps the Navy supplied and operational. By losing ships, the Navy is severing critical sinews of combat power that will jeopardize deterrence across Eurasia, making it harder to threaten China.

To evaluate U.S. Navy combat power, the public and analysts often look at the number of fighting ships. That tally is shrinking. Since 2022 the Navy has decommissioned 10 Ticonderoga-class cruisers and plans to decommission the remaining 12 by 2027. Less discussed but crucial for combat power are the Navy’s support ships. MSC operates these ships with some 5,500 civilian mariners and naval reserve officers, the latter group mostly U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduates. MSC ships include several special-mission units, namely missile instrumentation ships and undersea surveillance and cable repair ships, alongside all the Navy’s oiler, ordnance, cargo and heavy-lift ships.

 

[Lead Belly]

Drones (unmanned) and AI are reducing many work-forces.

 

[Tnhawk]

Drones have their use but will never replace The American Soldier.

 

[Lead Belly]

Drones have their use but will never replace The American Soldier.

Technology reduces the manpower required to perform a task; it does not eliminate all human intervention.

 

[DaBull]

Its not just a politicized senior leadership, many young people do not want to join a military that they have been told is a tool of oppression in support of a capitalist and neo-colonial force that serves only to support a racist and inequitable system. Then many who want to serve cannot because of obesity, drug convictions, even tattoos.

 

[Tnhawk]

Its not just a politicized senior leadership, many young people do not want to join a military that they have been told is a tool of oppression in support of a capitalist and neo-colonial force that serves only to support a racist and inequitable system. Then many who want to serve cannot because of obesity, drug convictions, even tattoos.

With the selective service draft lottery number of 2 during the Vietnam era, I didn't put much thought into capitalist and neo-colonial forces. I chose to enlist in the Army to prevent being drafted.

 

[Moonpie]

Rest assured the Dems ARE discussing the Draft.

 

[popper]

US military manpower has always been up and down. We have a war, increase manpower. End war, decrease funding (manpower), all the guys come home. At one time, enlistment was an option for kids on a dead-end road. Not anymore.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

I doubt very many, able bodied young people want to enlist in 'the woke' service, unless of course they fall into being 'woke' themselves...

 

[oldag]

I doubt very many, able bodied young people want to enlist in 'the woke' service, unless of course they fall into being 'woke' themselves...

And if they are already woke, we don't want them in the service.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

oldag,

Agreed!