via SLDInfo.
In early 1916 “Big Army” was not so big, it had around 110,000 solders, eventually America mobilized close to 4 Million members in uniform with 2 million arriving in France to fight and win. The peacetime “Big Army” of 1940 on the eve of WW II had 269,000 in uniform and was mobilized to over 8.3 million solders by1945.The US Army is in the fight of its life and acts as if it doesn't even know it. All the talk about "jointness" has been tossed aside, first by think tanks, then by the AF Chief of Staff and now by SLDInfo.
So it is not a cliché to sing, “we did it before and we can do it again.”
The one thing Grant and Sherman did not anticipate however is the airplane, and the need for a Navy/Marine/Air Force team for combat in the expanse of the Pacific.
They also had no way to anticipate nuclear weapons, subs and ICBMs. It was just not in their scope of knowledge or concern because they had a country to save and they did just that.
In today’s world the USN, USMC and the USAF are the core elements for military power as the foundation for global reach. If a large army is needed, mobilization can be done. History has shown that.
The long knives are out for the Army.
I hope Army leadership pulls its head out and starts fighting back. I tease and love the rivalry with the Big Green but more importantly I believe in having strong ground forces. Unfortunately many don't. The Army's enemies are out for blood and the battlefield is Washington.
Read the entire article here.
***American Mercenary had a FANTASTIC response to SLDInfo that sums things up nicely...
You know what the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam had that we no longer have?WELL SAID AM! Well said! These "military theorist" are twisting history and in doing so are failing to understand where we are today. They are literally putting our nation in danger by cutting the Army.
The draft.
Good luck cutting the Army down to nothing then creating a great big Army based solely on recruiting volunteers in wartime.
