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[Phoenix]

The Bush administration is facing new calls from Democrats and Republicans, including some of its staunchest allies, to expand the size of the Army and Marines by tens of thousands of active-duty troops over the next several years.

The bipartisan calls reflect burgeoning concerns that the Iraq conflict has so strained U.S. ground forces that the United States could find itself short of forces in the event of an unexpected crisis in the near future.

Some Democrats and Republicans are also worried that the unprecedented mobilization rates for the Army Reserve and National Guard, who constitute more than 40 percent of the 150,000-member U.S. force in Iraq, are starting to severely hurt recruiting. What's more, the best trained Reserve and Guard combat troops already have been sent into war.

"In the post-9-11 world, we need a bigger military," said William Kristol, the editor of the conservative Weekly Standard magazine who's close to the White House and was a strong supporter of the March 2003 invasion.

Late this week, Kristol plans to send a letter to congressional leaders signed by about 30 leading nongovernment national security experts from both parties calling for the addition of 25,000 ground troops a year for the next several years beginning in 2006.

The letter would come two weeks after 21 Democratic senators wrote to President Bush, urging that he set aside resources to expand U.S. forces by an unspecified level beyond the 20,000 new Army troops and 3,000 Marines authorized by Congress last year over the objections of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said it would be premature to comment on the question of additional troops while the 2006 defense budget is being developed.

Rumsfeld and other senior defense officials have opposed increasing U.S. ground forces, arguing that doing so would hobble the Army's efforts to restructure and re-arm with new technologies and weapons to meet future threats.

There are currently 495,000 active-duty Army troops and more than 175,000 Marines.

Earlier this week, the Bush administration announced it will ask Congress for $80 billion in new spending for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan on top of the $25 billion already approved for this year, pushing the total since 2002 to around $300 billion.

The start-up costs alone of manning and equipping two new divisions -- about 34,000 soldiers -- as favored by some lawmakers, would run as high as $19 billion, according to a September 2003 study by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

That amount is roughly the equivalent of 20 percent of the annual budget of the Army, which has 10 divisions.

It would take up to five years to train and equip the new divisions, which would cost about $6 billion per year to maintain, according to the CBO study.

Team America World Police indeed...

 

[DonasaurusRex]

Yeah well no ones gonna be flocking to go millitary if the commander in chief is willing to send his troops into the middle of a turkey shoot and tell them to act like police officers.

 

[dog$]

pleasenodraft pleasenodraft pleasenodraft pleasenodraft pleasenodraft pleasenodraft pleasenodraft pleasenodraft

 

[Macam]

This suggestion has been around for some time now, and it's probably in itself not a bad idea, though recruitment may be stifled by the administration's abysmal treatment of recruits at this point in time. Does anyone really want to enlist given the precarious situation in the Middle East, the continuing of the stop loss program, and with Bush and Rumsfeld at the helm?

What we need "in a post 9/11 world" is a total revampment of our foriegn policy, government accountability, and at least some semblance of bipartisan political cooperation.

 

[maharg]

Post-911 world? Let's call it like it really is, a post-Iraq world.

 

[Phoenix]

This suggestion has been around for some time now, and it's probably in itself not a bad idea, though recruitment may be stifled by the administration's abysmal treatment of recruits at this point in time. Does anyone really want to enlist given the precarious situation in the Middle East, the continuing of the stop loss program, and with Bush and Rumsfeld at the helm?

Strange enough that people are STILL signing up for the armed forces in large number. I'm not sure what the motivations are, but I'm sure there are plenty of people who join the armed forces because they WANT to be soldiers. Its not for everyone, and there are many who popped into it for the wrong reasons who are stuck now and that is truly unfortunate. Nevertheless while most people here can't stand Bush and Rumsfeld and military service and some even hate the United States, there are plenty of people who are honored to be joining military service.

 

[Malakhov]

ALL HEIL THE NEW SS!

 

[Auron]

Kids sign up for the US military because it's a decent paying job right out of High School. As long as the economy is in a funk(in other words, paying for Bush's wars), kids will continue to sign up.

If you're thinking about joining up, don't be stupid. Go to College.

 

[Drensch]

Strange enough that people are STILL signing up for the airforce and navy in large number.

Fixed.

 

[SteveMeister]

Too bad they disbanded VII Corps after Desert Storm.

 

[Chony]

I would join CTU.

 

[Agent Dormer]

I would join CTU.

Oh you know it.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

Rumsfeld and other senior defense officials have opposed increasing U.S. ground forces, arguing that doing so would hobble the Army's efforts to restructure and re-arm with new technologies and weapons to meet future threats.

WHAT FUTURE THREATS!?!?!? terrorists? is there a special new terrorist bomb that i havent heard about?!!? or a terror sniffing machine that shoots at terrorists or guerillas!?!? what a worthless idiot rumsfeld is. he doesnt know what it takes to win a war and maintian the peace. BOOTS ON THE GROUND. jesus.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Strange enough that people are STILL signing up for the armed forces in large number. I'm not sure what the motivations are, but I'm sure there are plenty of people who join the armed forces because they WANT to be soldiers. Its not for everyone, and there are many who popped into it for the wrong reasons who are stuck now and that is truly unfortunate. Nevertheless while most people here can't stand Bush and Rumsfeld and military service and some even hate the United States, there are plenty of people who are honored to be joining military service.

Pretty much. I mean people have different motivation when it comes to military service but, from some that I know out here they WANT to be out here they feel like it is their responsibility to defend America. Thats what they believe you don't have to agree with them but, that's what many are here for.

 

[gofreak]

Read an interesting article in TIME recently about the difficulties the army has in recruiting now. Sign on numbers have dropped a lot. Apparently there's a $15k taxfree sign-on bonus now or something.

 

[Culex]

Read an interesting article in TIME recently about the difficulties the army has in recruiting now. Sign on numbers have dropped a lot. Apparently there's a $15k taxfree sign-on bonus now or something.

Yea, my commander took us all aside last month and told us, if we re-up for another 6 years, you get $15,000 +money for school. Of course, we all looked at eachother and said fuck no!

 

[Drozmight]

Oh man!!! 15,000 more for school!?

 

[DarienA]

The Army is a broadsword, not a scalpel!

 

[Sledn]

The following is based solely on my own experience.

Currently I'm 19 years old which makes me among the prime chosen if there is a draft. In addition, I have been to the Marines recruiting office 3 times this week. I must tell you, if anyone so much as steps inside a Military Recruiting office, the staff inside will make you 70% sure you want to join. As someone who has been shown the benefits, I can easily see how kids just out of high school would want to join.

What entices these young ones to join? When speaking to a recruiter, words like "World Travel" and "Individual Grow" fill the room. Money for college, respect, and Professional Development are also present. Think about when you got out of high school. You probably wanted to go and explore the world, or at the very least get out of town. But I'm sure at least a third of you stayed with your parents for the first two years while you attend Community College, and then transfer to four year. The Military frees you of this, which is probably why a large majority join.

Everyone joins for different reasons, but I'm willing to say that the majority join for the above reasons.

 

[Saturnman]

Many probably join on wrong assumptions and generally not knowing what awaits them or simply because they have no other choice/prospects.

That's why joining is made through a contract.

 

[ge-man]

My dad joined because he prospects were limited. And while he did make the most of his time and got a master's degree out of it, I'm sure he would've liked to have spent those 20 plus years in another way. The job is much harder than recruiters would make it out to be (for obvious reasons.)

 

[Cimarron]

"Strange enough that people are STILL signing up for the airforce and navy in large number."

Bingo. I signed up for the Air Force reserves a year after 9-11. Joining the military is not so bad. It really depends on what branch you join and what job you get. Why anyone would want to join the marines or army in any job is beyond me! (except if your dumb and bombed the Asvab and the Air Force and Navy don't want you). If your a Navy corpsman or a an Air Force civil engineer your chances of seeing action is relatively slim. But if you sign up in any of the ground pounding services as infantry or a military cop.... your just a dumb ass if you wanna cry about being deployed. HELLO!?!

 

[SlickWilly223]

What kind of questions are on the ASVAB? I'm definitely going to be joining a service and if I have a shot at joining the Airforce or preferably Navy, I'll take it. Of course, I'll have no problems joining the army either.

 

[Incognito]

Glad to see William "THE SHILL" Kristol has finally seen the light. The same light John Kerry campaigned on for a year(More troops to the tune of 40,000+).

Since it's the highly "respectable" Kristol recommending the notion instead of that scary liberal, it's deemed as a "good thing."

 

[Brian Fellows]

.

What entices these young ones to join? When speaking to a recruiter, words like "World Travel" and "Individual Grow" fill the room. Money for college, respect, and Professional Development are also present. Think about when you got out of high school. You probably wanted to go and explore the world, or at the very least get out of town. But I'm sure at least a third of you stayed with your parents for the first two years while you attend Community College, and then transfer to four year. The Military frees you of this, which is probably why a large majority join.

Yep thats the exact shit they kept trying to pump into me over the phone for a while after I graduated. Finally I got tired of the shit (always waking me at like 10 in the morning)and I told one of the guys I'd rather be poor, homeless, and die at the age of 30 than be a brainwashed marine. I didnt get any calls after that.

 

[Vinzer Deling]

What kind of questions are on the ASVAB? I'm definitely going to be joining a service and if I have a shot at joining the Airforce or preferably Navy, I'll take it. Of course, I'll have no problems joining the army either.

I took my ASVAB in 1999, tho I can't remember all the questions. They had general science, math, word comprehension. Also sections on electronics, auto and mechanical engineering. You're also timed per section and can't go back.

 

[Cimarron]

"What kind of questions are on the ASVAB? I'm definitely going to be joining a service and if I have a shot at joining the Airforce or preferably Navy, I'll take it. Of course, I'll have no problems joining the army either."

Navy isn't a bad choice but your better off in the Air Force. It has a more "corporate" culture than the other branches. So much less "High and Tight" Bullshit. Its funny actually. Any time some of my friend from the Navy or Army come to my base and they see how casual we act around each other (including officers and enlisted) they are so shocked! And this is an Air Force thing not just exclusive to my base. :lol Much less brain washing as a whole I think happens in the Air Force. Also The Air Force is the only Branch that has its own personal community college (Community College of the Air Force) that is nationally accredited. If you are smart you can get a job that will give you as much as 90 college credits that can go towards your associates degree. I only need a handful of general education course to get my associates when I finished my tech school. Its a cool deal. Just don't be dumb and enter open general. Don't sign up for anything unless they give you a guarantee in writing for the job you want. If you don't you can end up in a suck ass job like a cook or crew chief.... worse yet security police! :lol Just be smart. If you are serious about joining the Air Force drop me an email. I'll be glad to give you advice. But remember that Bush is a war mongering ass and you could end up going to war.... every job has this possibilty. Except that its much less in the Air Force. Yes we are the Pretty Nancy boys of the Armed Services but heh... I'd rather be a Fly Boy and have the Ground Pounders do all the dirty work for us!

AIR POWER!

also check this out if your worried about only being eligible for a suck ass job...

http://www.baseops.net/militarybooks/asvab/asvabheader.html