Quote:
Originally Posted by biochemgirl
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sauron
In times of high unemployment, I can understand it. But we don't have that now; unemployment is economically manageable. Plus, we're at war. Those are two big strikes going against this plan.
The other thing that struck me as laughable were the numbers involved (red, in OP). From the article:
The Corps has about 180,000 Marines, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced last week that it would grow by about 22,000 people at a rate of about 5,000 per year to a total end strength of 202,000 by 2012.
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I'm confused, what do you find so laughable? |
Current USMC strengths: 180,000
New recruiting pool: 100,000
Gap to fill: 5,000 year / five years
So they're combing 100K people to find 5K more (this year), in anticipation of a policy that increases the USMC size over the next five years. Ignoring:
* a 19 to 1 recruiting ratio;
* an unpopular war being conducted;
* an economy that isn't hurting, so non-military options are present;
* bad publicity about how soldiers are not getting what they need (armor, etc).;
* lack of support from the govt after returning home;
* the personnel policy will probably change in 2008 after national elections anyhow;
* if the US withdraws from Iraq in the near future - as now seems imminent - there will be little stomach for expanding the USMC or the Army;
It just seems that personnel policy is being made in an ivory tower, oblivious to the current environment or the likely future reversals to said policy.