[Dean's World] Aziz P: Grow the force

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Aziz P:
Grow the force
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1158854784.shtml


   Kevin points out that we need to either send more troops to Iraq to
   butress the force there for victory, or withdraw, but [1]instead we do
   neither. That's the politically safest and most craven course.
   Disagree or not with Democrats who favor withdrawal, at least they are
   standing by their convictions. "stay the course" isn't a plan, its the
   lack of one.

   But even beyond Iraq, it's clear that we do need to have a military
   capability - in terms of boots on the ground - that can handle
   Iraq-level stress without falling apart. Maybe more. The world is full
   of Darfurs and Lebanons and the United States can best play a role by
   commiting the best resources we have - trained, expert troops. We need
   more troops overall, not just for Iraq but for the entire century
   ahead.

   And the truth is that we don't need a draft. How quickly we liberals
   seem to forget the GI Bill's legacy - the vehicle by which millions of
   households were lifted into the middle class. "Growing" the troops,
   rather than "building" them (by draft) or "straining" them (by staying
   the course), is what is needed. We need a new GI Bill for the 21st
   century to get back to the troop levels we were at during the Cold War
   - but a different kind of force, than the dogged one-threat focus of
   the past.

   Here's what such a proposal would look like.

   - Financial incentives. Signing bonuses, increased salary at all
   levels. Guaranteed benefits under the same plan that our Senators and
   Representatives get. Increased funding for the VA, including more
   funding for mental health.

   - Raised standards. Go after the cream of the crop. Recruit
   professionals too, with graduate degrees, so that we can build up the
   tail of the force, not just the tooth.

   - Emphasis on MP-type training, even for the common infantryman. Given
   that counterinsurgency will be our primary challenge in every
   deployment for the forseeable future, we need every soldier to be an
   MP in a limited sense.

   - Reduce the commitment. Make a minimum two-year tour be an option.
   That way the voluntary nature of the force is preserved and emphasized
   - and easy to "try it out".

   "Grow the force" should be the rallying cry.

References

   1. http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2006_09/009541.php