11 Sep 2008: A Call To Arms

If I may suggest, if one cannot do the reserves, age or physical imparement being a real reasons, join an Aux. The CAP-USAF or Coastie Aux. Its all good and you will be working for Homeland Security or the DEA at some point. Helping out, is helping out.

..if only I could get back about 6 years, I'd be more than willing to give it a second round....

GregS

Greg, There are 13 CAP-USAF squadrons in a small state like CT alone! There are options, just need commitment.

Among its many mistakes, Bush's utter failure to mobilize the American people for war will remain, in my opinion, his single greatest failure as a leader.

Great speeches aside, a real opportunity was lost on 9/12 and the weeks after for Bush to truly unify the American people.

This war has been borne on the backs of about 2% (at best) of the American population. In the meantime, the Army has had to lower its enlistment standards and dramatically increase its enlistment and reenlistment bonuses.

It does nothing to restore my faith in the American population as a whole. While individuals have really stepped up (both in and out of uniform), the people as a whole have continued "life as normal" while the military and its families bear the hardships of war.

America's still at the mall.

All 5 armed forces have told me that, because of a detached retina, I am unfit for service.

I can see well enough to 8" targets at 100 yds, and do the work of an IT manager for 11 years.

But I'm unfit.

Can someone get the Pentagon to un-f*** itself on this?

Given the hostility of the Left toward anything American and anything Bush (the aftermath of the 2000 election), there is no way Bush could have sustaned the kind of war footing or attitude we had in WWII. I agree that the Administration should have increased the size of the Army concurrent with 9-11, but Rummy thought otherwise, having bought into the Pentagon's BS doctrine of "rapid, decisive operations" that preached that modern war no longer needed a lot of footsoldiers. Once we saw the error of this in regards to defeating an insurgency, it was too late, too political to more than what we are doing. Additionally, unless the Department of Defense reduced the size of the Navy and Air Force, the country does not have the ability to enlist the number of quality troops needed for a long war. According to recruitment people I have spoken to, there is a pretty fixed population all the services compete against to get enlistments. But, Pentagon in-fighting, service parochialism, prevented the kind of thinking that would make the Army and Marine Corps the main effort for recruits.

Last post -honest. CAP at least, would be happy and proud to take in a detached retina guy with 11 years of IT experience and stick him in uniform. Check it out no one has expectations other than what you want to get out of it.

LTC P,

Before I even dare table this subject with my wife, answer me straight sir, would the active military even consider a 50 going on 20 year old with a body not bulging, strength to snap a neck in a fight, years of real world experience in how not to get shot while being a medic in the ghettos of Oakland and eyes that probably need to get lazed so I can loose the reading glasses in order to nail the MOA out to 500+?

Don't E-mail me, I'll take my beating right here where everyone can read it.

PS: #1 got cool duty in ***, top side 50 gunner on an MRAP, lead (of course) the smile is very wide!

Respects always,

Richard

Oh and LTC P just to clarify,

HELL NO USAF, COASTIE, OR AUX, REAL DEAL or NO deal.

May the coffee be HOT and FRESH @ O-DARK-30

Semper-Fi