Is the current size of the US military too small?


  • So, given the fact that we seem to be stretching ourselves thin in Iraq, do you feel that we should increase the size of the US military? More combat divisions maybe? Or perhaps you feel that we’d be better served by shifting our foreign policy so that we are not overextending ourselves in conflicts where we don’t belong. (The US military currently has forces deployed in 120 countries.)

    Also, a second question. Do you think that the US military’s long-held strategy of being able to “wage two full-scale wars simultaneously” is still plausible at this time?


  • I don’t think it would be plausible to wage two full scale wars in our current state. The Navy and Air Force could do it, but on the ground I have my doubts.

    Solution: Never have gone into Iraq. Now that we’re in there, the solution is to hope a major war doesn’t occur outside of the region.

    Its a volunteer army, so its not like we can easily increase the size of the army easily. We could call on more reservists, but we’re stretched thin there too.


  • we have THE most sofisticated military in the world, but we are hopelessly outnumbered by other countries, are we gonna let them have a better military than us? heck no! everyone enlist! :D


  • We don’t need a bigger army, we just need to not go to war as often.


  • @Begoner:

    We don’t need a bigger army, we just need to not go to war as often.

    brilliant and elegant,
    marvelous.


  • we dont go to war very often, we usually try to avoid war any way possible, and it has cost us alot.


  • @marine36:

    we dont go to war very often, we usually try to avoid war any way possible, and it has cost us alot.

    Just as a Sydney newspaper wrote:
    "It accounts for 5 per cent of the world’s population, 20 per cent of the world economy, and fully 50 per cent of global defence spending. It is structured for war.
    In the 228 years since it declared independence, the US has made 200 military interventions abroad, says the Congressional Research Service, an average of one every 14 months. "

    follow the thread at:
    http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3289

    I would consider that in no way as “not very often”.


  • @F_alk:

    @marine36:

    we dont go to war very often, we usually try to avoid war any way possible, and it has cost us alot.

    Just as a Sydney newspaper wrote:
    "It accounts for 5 per cent of the world’s population, 20 per cent of the world economy, and fully 50 per cent of global defence spending. It is structured for war.
    In the 228 years since it declared independence, the US has made 200 military interventions abroad, says the Congressional Research Service, an average of one every 14 months. "

    follow the thread at:
    http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3289

    I would consider that in no way as “not very often”.

    yeah, i laughed to myself when i saw that. The only time this was true was the beginning of WW II, i think.


  • we have THE most sofisticated military in the world, but we are hopelessly outnumbered by other countries

    Interesting thought, and what became of Russia and their immense military industrial economy. Further the US has only 260 million people the rest of the world 6+ billion we are never going to win this fight unless we allow open immigration, but here again is a problem as those who are the most hawkish are also the most resistant to immigration.

    By the way has anybody ever considered that a real threat presented by outsourcing is that Americans might start emigrating. From what I hear 2000 dollars a year will let you live like a prince in Mexico, and I figure that given my education I could easily earn that.


  • cc, im not talking small operations like desertstorm, or grenada. im talking real wars, ones that we fight other powers, like ww2, ww1, the civil war, vietnam, korea, spanish american war, etc.


  • @marine36:

    cc, im not talking small operations like desertstorm, or grenada. im talking real wars, ones that we fight other powers, like ww2, ww1, the civil war, vietnam, korea, spanish american war, etc.

    calling it an “operation” does not change the fact that it is “war”.
    And what major powers do you think that the US should have actively engaged for that matter?


  • I believe we should engage against N. Korea, and disarm them! But name a country that has a larger army than us… Russia, well there in complete disarray there and its not even united and the troops arent that disapplined. N. Korea doesnt have a bigger army then us, but they do have the weapons, and i dont think they have more of them than us. China, who is just a large group of people with guns. They get low amounts of food, and i question there discipline! Uk? They just kiss the usa butt so if they need help they can get it. if i forgot any powers with even a comparable army, do tell!


  • somebody that would put up a fight.


  • you forgot the french :D


  • @marine36:

    you forgot the french :D

    “I fart genreal direction, your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberry!!”
    -The holy grail

    If you remember the quality of the french in that, there army hasnt improved at all! :lol:


  • Ha ha ha! How soon we forget. We loved the French in the first Iraq war. They where our allie and fought by our side. They flew missions over Iraq daily. What has changed? Has an entire nation become cowardly? Hmmmm. Makes one stop and think. Or not. It’s easier to get mad at them and change Frech Fries to Freedom Fries. After all, if you are not with us, your with the terrorists. <sigh>Yes, we need to increase the size of our military. Since enlistment is down 22% the only way to do that will be conscription. Have a nice day.</sigh>


  • it was a joke mutharussia. what do you call 100,000 men with their hands up? the french army. :D


  • :roll: We are our own worst enemy. Oh well. America is great enough to make up for our short comings.


  • im gonna have to agree. we have always been a divided nation over many things. We are not united in the war on terror as we were in other wars. not being united hamperes our ability to act.


  • So it’s a good thing we’re divided.

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