The Pentagon’s rosters are tens of thousands of troops short, as the department battles the worst recruiting crisis since the draft ended in 1973. Criminal records, drug use, and poor health bar three out of four Americans from serving without a waiver, while a booming civilian jobs market entices many of the rest. In response, the Pentagon ought to tap the largest pool of available talent: foreigners.
No self-respecting country should rely entirely on foreign troops. But enlisting some quickly fills the ranks with quality personnel. The British Army has long turned to Gurkhas, Fijians, and others from the Commonwealth, in part to make up for recruiting shortfalls. The Spanish Legion recruits from Hispanic countries and the French Foreign Legion from the world over.
-WiscoDave
The obvious way to meet recruiting goals would be to make the military smaller. 2 Million men/women in uniform is probably too many for a country that is not at war.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is all the illegal aliens pouring over our borders at present. I wouldn't put it past the Biden administration to recruit thousands of them into the US armed forces with the promise of citizenship after a suitable period of service. I can see all the gang-bangers from South American hell-holes rushing to join up. When they get out, they'll be citizens, and trained on the latest generation of military hardware and weapons. Think that'll make them peaceful, law-abiding citizens? I venture to doubt it...
ReplyDeleteThe best way to fix the problem is the go back to a military that can actually fight and win! The DIE the they are undergoing in bad for readiness, morale and recruiting. Who wants to join a losing military?
ReplyDeleteThat article probably sounded better in the original Latin.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly one of the reasons Rome fell; there was no loyalty to the State, only to their “native” country.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Perfumed Princes in the Pentagon should consider not discharging troops who refuse the jab.
ReplyDeleteor perhaps they should stop the "up or out" policies?
Deletewe had a guy in my squadron that all he ever wanted to do was work on helicopters. he was very good at it. he reached E-5, and he just couldn't pass that E-6 test. but he was happy being an E-5, so it didn't bother him much. then they did the "up or out" and he either passed the test, or had to leave the navy. it was the saddest day of that guys life when he had to go.
I thought Biden already did this. Didn't he spend billions recruiting thousands of Taliban in Afghanistan?
ReplyDeleteBack in the early 80's I as a Canadian tried to get into the USN. They told me to get a green card and your in. When I tried do so immigration said they needed a letter from the navy. When I went back to the recruiter they said bo green card no letter. Catch 22
ReplyDelete@ reverendken
DeleteWell, turnabout is a strange thing, huh? I say that because a buddy and I tried to get into the CF back in the mid-2000s when were just a tad overage for the U.S. forces. The recruiter said unless you are a resident of Canada and have citizenship, no dice. Anyone from anywhere in the British CW or Britain could join easily, but I guess Ottawa was still sore about that family quarrel in 1776. I don't get it, since the U.S.and Canada have been allies many times since then, but I guess fighting two world wars didn't mean anything to the authorities up there.
As I remember it, the Filipinos were only allowed to enlist as stewards to wait on the officers. No other rates were open to them.
ReplyDeleteMy first air station the Coast Guard in 1978 had Filipinos serving in all the rates, the steward only days were long gone.
DeleteDuring my Navy aviation career (1972-1993), they were allowed into any rate that did not require a security clearance.
DeleteMaybe we could stick to defending our own borders and not anyone else's.
ReplyDelete"But enlisting some quickly fills the ranks with quality personnel."
ReplyDeleteQuality personnel? No, what you get is the dregs of some other country's citizens. The only way to keep them in line is to beat the shit out of them, literally. The Prussian, German, Russian/Soviet, Chinese, Japanese and Roman militaries all routinely beat the lower ranks into submission or just shot or otherwise executed the malcontents and other ne'er do wells in front of the rest of the Company, Battalion, Division or Legion to make sure that ALL the lower ranks knew exactly what was in store them for not blindly complying with orders. Where do you think the term decimation came from? Every tenth man executed or beaten to within an inch of his life.
Then there's the statement about gang members being trained in the latest military hardware, tactics etc. News note: Gangs in the USA have sending their people into the Army for DECADES for just that purpose.
Knew one kid that enlisted to get away from gangs. One of my instructors in boot allegedly had a gang tattoo between his fingers but I never saw it and I wasn't about to go looking for it. In hindsight, he definitely looked the type to be a retired gang member.
DeleteNone of the people that were allegedly in or those leaving gangs were white; coincidence are interesting.
- Arc
As this shit show continues, recruiting will pick up as kids do what they have to to survive or escape a completely broken society. The dregs will definitely be a problem, as will the officer corps filled with brainwashed “Wokestapo”. A good NCO corp could work around these problems, all though that might be an idealistic pipe dream on my part. What a time to be alive! Eod1sg Ret
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not mid-grade, mid-career right now.
DeleteLMAO imagine a bunch of Guatemalans sitting through SHARP and EO training...
ReplyDeleteAmericans are militia.
ReplyDeleteWhy have an army?