It has been clear for some time now that the US military is stretched far past the breaking point. Through creative shuffling and smokescreens they've managed to disguise the problems. How long will it last? How long will they dissemble just to prevent the architects of war from losing face?
I received an e-mail last night from my sister.
My brother-in-law's appeal to the Army was rejected. He left Active duty over a year ago and went onto IRR (Individual Ready Reserve).
He was diagnosed by the military with PTSD. He's well over the body weight standards. He worked in Motor T while in the military, not usually a job that would require dipping into the IRR.
Which means either the Army desperately needs mechanics/truck drivers, which would be bad, they're activating IRR people to take the place of reservists, which would be worse, or they need him to sit guard duty at a base so Active duty can deploy, which would be bullshit (but good news).
Thing is, I can't find anything about the military calling up IRR members. The last story I can find comes from the Washington Post, reprinted on Military.com all the way back in November 2005:
"Despite intense pressure to fill manpower gaps, Army Secretary Francis Harvey said the Army has no plans for any further call-up of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) beyond the current level of about 6,500 soldiers."
My brother-in-law received his call-up after the publication of this article.
There is nothing about new activations on the Army or Pentagon websites.
I'm both troubled and puzzled.
Now here are a few things to consider about the state of today's military:
1. The enlistment age is rising. The Army and Army Reserves will allow up to age 42.
2. The ASVAB standards are dropping. While most of the minimum required scores are still in place (though waivers are always available), they allow more recruiting from the lower pools than before.
3. This is just a guess from experience, but I would bet that drill instructors are under pressure to push through as many recruits as possible.
4. Deployments are taking a toll. A recent Marine Corps survey showed that Marines with three or more deployments in one 4-year period were very unlikely to re-enlist. not surprising.
The bottom line is none of this bodes well, not for Active duty or IRR or families of military members.
My sister finds it necessary to quit her job because she and my brother-in-law would work opposite shifts to take care of their 1-year-old son. They definitely can't afford child care.
It's become obvious that Rumsfeld's Pentagon doesn't give a damn about the military. They're going to keep shifting and tearing apart families and sowing death and destruction.
At this point, it's all they know.