The NEW Force Shaping thread

[pittflyer]

Air Force Plans to Cut 8000 Officers

Not sure if this has been posted yet. After using the search function I couldn't find it so I'm guessing no. The title says it all. Is the writing on the wall? Does this tell a tale for the Navy? Get your crystal balls out and tell us what they say!


"There's the topic...Discuss"

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,107001,00.html

 

[RHPF]

Not sure if this has been posted yet. After using the search function I couldn't find it so I'm guessing no. The title says it all. Is the writing on the wall? Does this tell a tale for the Navy? Get your crystal balls out and tell us what they say!


"There's the topic...Discuss"

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,107001,00.html

Another round of 'force shaping' from the Air Force... I remember hearing that part of this started from having too many Officers in proportion to enlisted (perhaps due to an increasing rate of college education nationally?). As for the Navy, from what my recruiter talked to me about yesterday he feels that Navy will be increasing man power in the next couple years. This due to the realization that resources (man power included) have been getting progressively stretched more and more thin with each new global event. Which it will be (reduction or increase) is about anyones guess, as always it comes down simply to $$$. I hope Congress increases the budgets to allow both modernization and a large active duty component but I imagine a lot of any increase will go into 'programs' for 'modernization'.

 

[pittflyer]

Not to be responding to my own post, but I got out my handy-dandy calculator here and that comes to just over 615 officers a month for the next 13 months....

HOLY ****EBALSS THATS A LOT OF GUYS!

 

[JIMC5499]

They have to pay for the F-22 somehow.

 

[hscs]

Another round of 'force shaping' from the Air Force... I remember hearing that part of this started from having too many Officers in proportion to enlisted (perhaps due to an increasing rate of college education nationally?). As for the Navy, from what my recruiter talked to me about yesterday he feels that Navy will be increasing man power in the next couple years. This due to the realization that resources (man power included) have been getting progressively stretched more and more thin with each new global event. Which it will be (reduction or increase) is about anyones guess, as always it comes down simply to $$$. I hope Congress increases the budgets to allow both modernization and a large active duty component but I imagine a lot of any increase will go into 'programs' for 'modernization'.

The Navy is actually trying to cut people -- don't know where the recruiter got his info from. The latest thing on the ship side of the house is reducing the crew size to an absolute minimum. Retention has also been higher than normal in the post-9/11 world, so the Navy is trying to let people go. An interesting fact about the Navy and the start of OIF -- we had roughly 70-80% of our assets deployed and only 30% of our personnel. The Navy is still trying to balance out those numbers.

 

[eddie]

An interesting fact about the Navy and the start of OIF -- we had roughly 70-80% of our assets deployed and only 30% of our personnel. The Navy is still trying to balance out those numbers.

I don't understand. 70-80% of the boats and aircraft were deployed, but it takes only 30% of Navy personnell to operate them all?

 

[Lawman]

I don't understand. 70-80% of the boats and aircraft were deployed, but it takes only 30% of Navy personnell to operate them all?

Largest element in any operational military force is support. Theres a lot more staff admin and logistics people out there then you think. Take a look at the Air Force, I believe the numbers were something like 15% of the Officer and Enlisted personel actually being in what would be considered a "Combat MOS." But at the same time they maintain the largest Medical community in the Military and are responcible for maintaining a lot of the joint school houses that other services use.

 

[Tex_Hill]

For the Army, roughly 90% of the personnel would be considered Combat Support, (i.e., Engineers, M.P.'s, etc.), or Combat Service Support, (i.e., QM, JAG, AG, etc.).

 

[hscs]

I don't understand. 70-80% of the boats and aircraft were deployed, but it takes only 30% of Navy personnell to operate them all?

That includes many of our support mechanisms, as the supply ships had to be at sea, too. The Navy needs to shed some dead weight so we can pay for all these fancy toys.

 

[MIDNAdmiral]

That includes many of our support mechanisms, as the supply ships had to be at sea, too. The Navy needs to shed some dead weight so we can pay for all these fancy toys.

If by supply ships you mean MSC (Military Sealift Command), then the Navy has already shed that weight as the ships are crewed with civilian mariners (CIVMARS). Saves the Navy money through reduced man power on the ships, despite the fact that they get paid pretty well.

 

[Super Hornet 88]

They have to pay for the F-22 somehow.

That's what I thought too.

 

[HooverPilot]

The Navy is downsizing too, just not on such a grand scale. See this and this.

 

[Flash]

One of the Air Force 1stLT's at work was RIF'd recently. Good guy .

 

[pittflyer]

(EDIT: Deleted content to keep it on track)...back on track:


This is a TON of officers over the next 13 months and quite frankly, I think we should look into this as not only an Air Force issue, but also a military one. Crystal balls gentlemen....Where does the Navy fit into this people puzzle, if at all?

 

[LT4life]

Long time lurker, thought I should finally register. This is a great site btw. Much respect to all the NA's on here.

(EDIT: Deleted content to keep it on track) Anyways as far as force shaping goes, thats the hot buzz word everyones talking about. It mainly effects non-rated officers that are in mission support career fields. Civilians and contractors will fill a great deal of their positions. Rated dudes in the three rated career fields will be cut in much smaller numbers, and in very specific ways. i.e.- some electronic warefare officers versus all ewo/navs. By 2010 force shapping should be over will and total manpower down by a total of 50,000 or so when force shaping began.