Eliminate AF? NYT Op-Ed

[ChuckMK23]

Written by a former Marine and Harvard/Kennedy School guy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/opinion/21kane.html?_r=1&em

Juicy opening tidbit

First, the Air Force should be eliminated, and its personnel and equipment integrated into the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Second, the archaic ?up or out? military promotion system should be scrapped in favor of a plan that treats service members as real assets. Third, the United States needs a national service program for all young men and women, without any deferments, to increase the quality and size of the pool from which troops are drawn.

Game on!

 

[Big Biff]

So abolish the airforce and split the assets up amongst the other 3. So maybe give the ICBMs to the Marine Corps, that would be rich...

I love how this entire article is a push into the "manditory national service for youth". A draft that works on social problems. This is the same crap that the tin-foil hat crowd has been talking about with Barry's speech in Colorado last year... Ranging from anti-poverty to intell assessment to care for the elderly? You've got to be god-damned-kidding me...
A Nationwide draft and then THEY choose who goes to what program, with the best going into the military.
Then he closes with "if more of our leaders had been in uniform"... exactly what kind of uniform would this social force be... My guess is replacing Brownshirt S.A's and Il Duce's Blackshirts with new and improved Green Shirts...

 

[Bevo16]

I agree that the AF is not a combat outfit. For the most part, they are FedEx for the rest of the military and they baby sit some missiles.

It is "up or out" that keeps us from becoming as ineffectual as the DMV. Any of you who have worked in a military job with a bunch of civilians know exactly what I am talking about. Nobody is going to get rich in the military, but taking away the necessary "profit motive" of promotion will destroy the service.

How many of you have heard a hinge or XO/CO say something along the lines of "You JOs have it made...eat, sleep, fly, drink, etc.." Many of them would go back to being a fleet O-3 in a heartbeat.

People outside the military need to stop trying to "fix" the military. We are pretty much the only part of the government that works as required.

 

[ZekeBathory]

"Yet an Air Force study last year found that more than half of airmen and women were overweight and 12 percent were obese."

I wish that were just a joke.

 

[HuggyU2]

I agree that the AF is not a combat outfit. For the most part, they are FedEx for the rest of the military and they baby sit some missiles.

YGBSM, however, I think I'll just avoid the bait.

It is "up or out" that keeps us from becoming as ineffectual as the DMV.

The problem is what defines the "up" part: we've seen plenty of senior officers that made it "up", at the expense of others who are "out"... and many of those "others" are the ones that I consider "warriors".

"Yet an Air Force study last year found that more than half of airmen and women were overweight and 12 percent were obese."

Today, I weigh about 192, and I should be around 185-187. I guess that puts me in the "overweight" category, right?
And I certainly am not trying to throw spears, but I've seen plenty of fat bodies wearing uniforms other than the USAF's.

 

[MasterBates]

According to the USN I am "Obese", at least that's what my medical record says.

I don't put too much faith in what DOD defines as overweight/obese.

According to the USN (and I'm gonna guess the USAF has similar weight standards) I have a 6-pack when I am at max weight.

 

[insanebikerboy]

I don't put too much faith in what DOD defines as overweight/obese.

According to the USN (and I'm gonna guess the USAF has similar weight standards) I have a 6-pack when I am at max weight.

What the Navy says the weight standards should be fit the long-distance runner. Weight train at all and have greater than 3% body fat and you'll be over.

 

[HueyCobra8151]

If they eliminate the Air Force, I would be forced to spend time in inferior lodging when travelling from point A to point B. I mean, what am I going to do, choose a route to spend the night at a Marine Corps base? Perposterous!

I'm not going to say that there aren't guys who are out of the shape in the military, but the whole height/weight chart determining someone is overweight is a little out of whack. I have a pretty low BF% and I am over my max - I have to STOP working out to lose weight to get below it, the whole system is stupid.

Bevo: The AF may not be as militaristic as the other services, but if their model works for them, who are we to do more than give them a little shit from time to time? The first time I stayed at an AF base it blew my mind that some guy had enlisted into a "hospitality" field and his whole MOS was to work in hotels, but if it works, then more power to them.

 

[mmx1]

The article is crap, I don't know why it's getting posted everywhere. I suppose if I get a HKS degree to go with my commission I can start writing crap for the Times Op-ed page too. I can join the likes of Bono:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/opinion/19bono.html

He actually has 3 not really tied-together points, it's not a "lead-in" to national service. And in case you missed it, Obama (or, Barry, to Biff - I didn't know ya'll were such pals) signed a major National Service bill yesterday:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/us/politics/22service.html?scp=2&sq=national service bill&st=cse

 

[Lawman]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/us/politics/22service.html?scp=2&sq=national service bill&st=cse

The picture attached to that article is frightening....


Oh and as far as weight standards. I also love that the solution to "well your over your max weight for height" is to use a measuring tape. Guess what, if you lift a lot your gonna be over on those too.

Simple F'ing solution, pass the PFT/PRT/APFT/whatever and you get to stay in. Fail it and pack your shit. Unfortunately due to the manpower issues all our services are facing at the moment we dont get that option. It is not a requirement in all Army TRADOC schools that you get a do-over if you fail the initial APFT. Its unfortunate that the leadership is naive enough expect our Officers and NCO's who failed to perform to the standard to suddenly after a 4-14 week training session exhibit all the qualities they should have F'ing had in the first place.

 

[Dingobat]

3.And in case you missed it, Obama signed a major National Service bill yesterday:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/us/politics/22service.html?scp=2&sq=national%20service%20bill&st=cse

From your link:
The two presidents seemed in good spirits and teased each other about their tree-planting ability."I think the president has pretty good shoveling skills," Mr. Obama said after watching Mr. Clinton demonstrate the proper technique.

I liked Clinton but dang, Obama! That was a pretty good tongue-in-cheek zing!

 

[usmarinemike]

From your link:
The two presidents seemed in good spirits and teased each other about their tree-planting ability."I think the president has pretty good shoveling skills," Mr. Obama said after watching Mr. Clinton demonstrate the proper technique.

I liked Clinton but dang, Obama! That was a pretty good tongue-in-cheek zing!

Mr Cinton IS in fact proof that you can get out of a hole youve dug by digging the bottom out.


The Op-Ed dude is a little out of line. I can see vaguely where he comes from, but he's way off center mass. Perhaps his name is shawf5e?

 

[bubblehead]

I agree that the AF is not a combat outfit.

I'm sure the Special Operations Weather Technicians, Combat Controllers, and PJ's would disagree.

 

[jarhead]

I usually nod in agreement with the majority of your posts but, and as much as I love to bash the AF, you're out to lunch on this one.....

S/F

I agree that the AF is not a combat outfit. For the most part, they are FedEx for the rest of the military and they baby sit some missiles.

 

[Bevo16]

OK, OK, OK, they are more than just FedEx for the rest of the military.

Airborne refueling is important too.