Eastern Europe, here comes the cavalry.Ok.
The U.S. Army says it will soon be sending armored Stryker vehicles on a 1,100-mile convoy through six European countries to show solidarity to allies in the wake of recent Russian actions in the Ukraine and Crimea that have Eastern Europe on edge.
The move was first reported Thursday in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. U.S. Army Europe posted the Stripes story on its website on Friday.
The convoy is "a highly visible demonstration of U.S, commitment to its NATO allies and demonstrating NATO's ability to move military forces freely across allied borders in close cooperation," U.S. Army Europe spokesman Lt. Col. Craig Childs, said in a statement, according to the Stripes report.
I get the need for a "visible" response to what many see as Russian aggression in Ukraine (this war confuses the hell outta me though...I keep reading the timeline of events and I just don't know...) but an 1100 mile convoy through 6 European countries?
Seriously?
I've been to Europe and you're looking at a traffic nightmare, serious regulations with regard to traffic laws (the closest comparison I have is to try driving Strykers through the Northeast or maybe Los Angeles during rush hour), inevitable accidents and a pissed off populace looking at the "Ugly American" ruining there day.
I need more info, but sometimes overt displays aren't worth the effort. This MIGHT be one of those times.
This is all part of corrupt game to waste money to prove the value of our Army as its Generals try to con Congress to increase their budgets ever more. Our corporate media is filled with propaganda about how sequestration will result in deep, dangerous cuts in our military. These arguments mischaracterize current
ReplyDeletelevels of Pentagon spending, asserting that the 2011 budget caps represent a $1 trillion reduction over ten years, while Generals dispatch American troops to every place on the globe where a conflict may occur to suggest an even greater need. Meanwhile, Generals and Admirals blame lower readiness on non-existent "cuts" to excuse their mismanagement, neglect, and incompetence. To make matters worse, Obama just appointed a military industry lobbyist as Secretary of Defense, who was enthusiastically confirmed by Congressional committees packed with military industry reps.
In fact, Pentagon spending is going up. The Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation's latest briefing book on the Pentagon budget notes that even under the caps, the Pentagon's base budget is slated to receive more money this year than it did last year, and to continue rising through the end of this decade and beyond. There was a small course correction in Fiscal Year 2013, when the caps brought the record post-World War II Pentagon budget down by 6%. But after that the trend has been onward and upward. The misleading "cuts" are based on comparing current spending projections to the Pentagon's unrealistic wish list for double digit annual spending growth, not to actual spending levels.
Marine Generals are playing the same budget cut pretend game rather than cutting fat and overhead in the Marine Corps. Here is a list of where to cut for those who think the Corps is "lean."
http://www.g2mil.com/rightsizingMarines.htm
When you get a chance, ask a General why the Corps has no plan to cut fat.
Uh wow. i don't agree with every suggestion but do think that MANY of them are spot on. This is going up tomorrow! thanks Norman!
ReplyDeleteLook at this from other side... this will be serious test for Strykers mechanical strength.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-PxUyBnqqo
ReplyDeleteRomania
I suggest including one recovery vehicle per armored convoy participant.
ReplyDeleteOne Cavalry Troop will make the 1,100 mile trip from Estonia to Bavaria. The other Cavalry Troops involved are starting from different locations (such as Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia). There will be multiple routes (an obvious considering the multiple start points) and a lot of "rest overnight" activities on host nation military facilities.
ReplyDeleteFor up to date info from the horses mouth follow 2 CR Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/2ndCavalryRegiment Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/2dCavalryRegt and get pictures from the flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dragoon2scr
I expect a few white papers to come out of "Operation Dragoon Ride" as this isn't like anything we've done before in terms of ground movement with Strykers.
Thanks for that clarification and insight into the indeed confused press release and possible confused interpretation.
ReplyDeleteNorm -- Sorry, but wrong. DoD is NOT expecting/planning to increase budgets at double-digit levels year-over-year. Where did you get that disinfo?
ReplyDeleteRecent DoD base budget cuts are real and will not be increasing to anywhere near what was originally dreamed of to reach by FY20, back in say FY2010. The cuts are real (per indefinite austere budget environments), but going forward there might be slight increases again, but still likely at a loss in actual buying power and absolutely not in double digit annual increases.
Very true, and the problem is that we aren't dealing with Saddam's post-ODS Iraq. We are dealing with another power that was once our economic and military rival before the wall came down.
ReplyDelete"The misleading "cuts" are based on comparing current spending projections to the Pentagon's unrealistic wish list for double digit annual spending growth, not to actual spending levels"
I wish more people would realize this before they go into existential panics about "defense cutting ZOMG!". It actually helps to, uh, read the data.