Thursday, February 19, 2009

Proposed Military Plan

Overview

Time for a Change - We need to update and reduce the redundancy of our military structure. Instead of the 4 services based on ground, sea, and air; we will transition to Tactical Ground Forces, Air and Sea Strike Forces, and Occupational Forces.


Use their Resources First - Anytime we enter and occupy a foreign land we will utilize in-country resources to help rebuild and stabilize their political and military environment.

Family Security - Non-commissioned military personnel will get a 10% raise in the form of family housing and food support.

Better Medical Care - The Veteran’s Hospital system has been a failure both practically and fiscally. This system will be dismantled and soldiers who have served in combat or have been wounded in the line of duty will receive complete healthcare coverage for life.

Non- Lethal Weaponry – More focus will be placed on blockading and confiscating resources and funding. More resources will be given to finding non-lethal incapacitating weapons. Threats of death only work on people who fear death.

Details

Problem

Our military structure has become outdated and no longer provides us with the most efficient or effective way to respond to foreign threats. At the same time, this inefficiency has created islands of power and black holes of wasteful and redundant spending. Finally, we haven’t done a good job caring for our returning soldiers.

How will we change the structure?

Instead of the 4 services based on ground, sea, and air; we will transition to 3 Services: Tactical Ground Forces, Air and Sea Strike Forces, and Occupational Forces.


  • Tactical Ground Forces will have the purpose of fighting other military forces and carrying out special ops which require boots on the ground.
  • Air and Sea Strike Forces will be responsible for anything that strikes at a distance, including cover support for the Tactical Ground Forces.
  • Occupational Forces will be trained in control and policing transition and will include an expanded version of military police. It will also include management, engineering, marketing, and educational divisions.


How will this make our military for effective?

Currently, almost every event cuts across all of the different branches of the service. The power struggles and conflicts have not only cost the taxpayers huge amounts of money but it has also cost us victory and American lives. Although no structure will be perfect, it is imperative that we reduce the overlap and conflict by shifting from a terrain oriented departmentalization to an engagement oriented structure.

How will this save us money?

There is no question the significant overlap between services has created duplicity of armament efforts. This must stop. This new structure will allow weapons, vehicles, and communications to be purchased for, and by the people who will be using them. This will reduce the incompatibility of parts, skills, and protocols that exist now.

How did it get this way?

Big business and politics have gone hand-in-hand down the aisle. The Department of Defense must disengage from the slow proprietary design process that has been driven by System Integrators and has consistently failed our troops since WWII.

How much can we save?

We are estimating a cost reduction of 15%-20% based on new efficiencies but it is our proposal we funnel this money into increasing the benefits for our soldiers.

Enlisted men and women don’t make enough to support a family; is the money going to them?

Yes, there will be an immediate 10% raise in benefits in the form of housing and food benefits.

What about the rest of the money?

Some of the money will be going towards the Pay-It-Forward plan which will pay for their education. They will have the opportunity to work towards a College degree or a Certificate of Qualification via the Apprenticeship Program.

What about medical care for Veterans?

This is where the majority of the money will go. The Veteran’s Administration system has been a failure both practically and fiscally. The health portion of this system will be dismantled. Soldiers who have been in combat, or have been wounded in the line of duty, will receive complete healthcare coverage for life.

There won’t be anymore VA Hospitals?

That’s right; each soldier who qualifies will receive full health coverage. This means they won’t have to travel to a VA Hospitals hundreds of miles away from home. They will be able to receive care from local medical professionals.

Why do we have to maintain a military presence in so many countries?

The size of our military presence, in certain parts of the world, needs to be reviewed and justified. In the past 60 years, our ability to move troops great distances has gone from months to days. Old treaties need to be reevaluated in order to insure we are efficiently fulfilling our obligations.

Why do we have to be responsible for rebuilding countries that don’t even like us?

It is imperative that we help rebuild areas that have been war-torn. This has worked beautifully in both Japan and Germany where they have become economic strongholds and great allies.

What has gone wrong since then?

Since WWII, we have lost our vision on how to implement a recovery plan for countries we have defeated, or helped. This is why it is necessary to build an Occupational Forces service which will include management and training people.

Who is going to pay for this?

First, and foremost, we want to drive political and economic stability so there will be an investment required on our part. There will be no more hand-outs; their natural and human resources will be required to off-set our investment once stability has been achieved.

What new weapons programs do you support?

The greatest weapon ever used in war has been the ability to cut off money and resources. The ability to blockade resources and freeze finances has ended more hostility than any other weapon.

How do you control the money?

We plan on increasing our computer and networking divisions of the DoD and NSA to allow us to have the biggest gun in the cyber fight. We will monitor and restrict money flows to terrorist nations better than they can hide it.

How will you control resources?

We will use blockades, embargos, and trade-restrictions to insure terrorist nations can not use their natural or human resources to build military capability.

Couldn’t this create more confrontations?

Yes, but that’s a risk we should be willing to take. It is better to prevent a catastrophe then it is to search for vengeance after the fact.

How do you fight an opponent who embraces death?

That’s an excellent question. Many of our enemies embrace death so using lethal weapons as a deterrent is futile. We will need more non-lethal weapons focused on immobilizing people, electronics, and weapons. We have long been in search of the biggest bomb but the reality is bigger isn’t better. To support this we also need to create a Manhattan Project, or Bell Labs, for weapons that will cripple their ability to wage war and not cripple their people.

2 comments:

  1. There is alot of this that does make sense. The armed combat between nations is going to be between small numbers of troops wearing mechanized body armor like in the book "Starship Troopers", the recent "G.I. Joe" Movie, as well as in the video game HALO. However, the occupation and rebuilding of countries as well as political unrest here at home will require lots and lots of low-tech infrantry.

    The late Col. Hackworth made some recomendations in his book "Hazzardous Duty"

    1. Merge the Army and Marine Corps and give the new outfit command of all combat aircraft including strategic bombers, hence eliminating the air force. (Note, 1st Marines will still be 1st Marines and Paratroopers will still be Paratroopers, their customs and operations protocols won't change).

    2. Transfer control of all nukes to the Navy and let the Navy retain control of its air arm.

    3. Merge the noncombat arms of the separate armed services into a single service support corps.

    4. Merge the ROTC and OCS programs of the separate armed services.

    5. Increase the age-limit for marticulation into the academies, draw most of their cadets from the enlisted ranks as opposed to high schools.

    6. Implement a program of universal military training and mandatory national service.

    7. Have a weapons-system closing commission to close expensive and ineffective weapons systems.

    8. Replace the separate departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force with a Joint Force Defense HQ, run by the Secretary of Defense.

    9. Eventually move to a unified military service like the IDF and the Canadian Forces.

    10. Require all officer candidates to have served at least a year of service as enlisted personnel before enrolling in ROTC, OCS, or attending the service academies.

    11. Buy fewer F-Machines and buy more close-air support aircraft like a new version of the A-6 as well as the A-10.

    12. Purchase more tankers, transports for both the sea and air.

    13. End the up-and-out system of promotion. If someone is a good company commander, let him remain a captain. If someone is a good Battalion S-1, let him remain in that position if he/she desires.

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  2. I have no problem with most of this...my focus is on having the right resources under the right command with a singular strategy. There is way too much redundancy and in-fighting.

    I also think that we need to make a massive effort at improving the care of our veterans after they come home and the VA process isn't it.

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