Category: Military

Conscription Anyone?

Remember the draft?

Of course you don’t.

Well here we go again.

That is when males turn 18 they register for military if needed (that is the short answer)

The actual draft has not been needed for many years but that does not stop idiots in Congress to propose an end run….

A bill has been proposed….

On Wednesday, during markup of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to the NDAA that would automatically register all draft-aged male U.S. residents with the Selective Service System for a possible military draft, based on information from other Federal databases.

This system of automatic draft registration would replace the system in effect since 1980 in which young men can decide for themselves whether or not to sign up for the draft – and so many choose not to register that the Selective Service database would be useless for an actual draft.

The automatic draft registration proposal was instigated by the Selective Service System as part of its annual budget request to Congress, introduced in the HASC by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), “wholeheartedly” endorsed by HASC Chair Mike Rogers (R-AL), and approved by voice vote of the full committee without audible opposition.

Rep. Houlahan had been one of the leading proponents of proposals in previous years to expand draft registration to women as well as men. Her latest proposal for automatic registration of men only for a military draft indicates that she is more deeply committed to militarization than to any purported feminism.

The provisions for automatic draft registration are now included in the version of the NDAA that will go to the House floor. The NDAA is a “must-pass” bill, so these provisions are likely to remain in the version of the NDAA adopted later this year by the full House unless some House member introduces, and the full House agrees to vote on and approves, a floor amendment to remove them. It remains to be seen whether a similar provision will be included in the Senate version of the NDAA, although we fear that this may be likely.

US House Committee Proposes ‘Automatic’ Sign-Up for Military Draft

Is this a good idea?

I have mixed emotions about this….on the one hand it would be good for the society if more Americans had a sense of unity that the military could instill….but on the other hand this would just give the warmongers in DC a larger pool of bodies to be used to further whatever adventure they deem necessary.

Any thoughts on your part?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

Benefits For IDF Veterans

I call bullsh*t on this bit of stupidity.

It seems that American serving in the IDF can claim benefits from the US….if this idiotic bill goes through the process.

A bill introduced in the House by Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Max Miller (R-OH) would extend certain benefits for Americans serving in the US military to American citizens in the Israeli military.

The legislation, introduced on May 17, would give Americans in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

The SCRA protects US service members from civil legal action while they’re on active duty and for up to a year after. The USERRA protects the civilian employment of active and reserve military personnel when they’re called to active duty.

“Over 20,000 American citizens are currently defending Israel from Hamas terrorists, risking their lives for the betterment of our ally,” Reschenthaler said in a statement on the legislation.

The Washington Post reported in February that an estimated 23,380 American citizens are serving in the Israeli military. Many are dual citizens who were already living in Israel, but as of November 2023, about 10,000 people living in the US had traveled to Israel to report for duty with the IDF after receiving draft notices. According to Responsible Statecraft, 21 American citizens serving in the IDF have been killed in Gaza, and one was killed in northern Israel near the Lebanon border.

Reschenthaler said his legislation will “ensure we do everything possible to support these heroes who are standing with Israel, fighting for freedom, and combating terrorism in the Middle East.”

(antiwar.com)

Who do you think paid for this bit of nonsensical legislation?

Go ahead…..venture a guess.

Does anyone remember the days when it was illegal to fight in another’s war wearing a foreign uniform?

I have a strong opinion on this serving in the IDF….my though is if they serve in another country’s military then that is their primary citizenship and get nothing from the US….if they cannot serve in our military then nothing is what they get.

I have had enough of these bullsh*t bills that the GOP and even some Dems have offered up for consideration….this country needs help and we had rather focus on this dust bowls around the globe.

Time to get to work on this country and screw the rest let them fend for themselves.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing thought–15Apr24

Today is tax day….get your paperwork in or pay the penalty….what better day to inform my readers about where some of their tax dollars go.

I bitch about the massive amount of money thrown at the War Department….well I do this for good reason….as you will soon realize….

The average U.S. taxpayer was forced to contribute more to militarized programs than to Medicare and Medicaid combined in 2023, according to a new analysis released Tuesday by the National Priorities Project.

Published ahead of Tax Day, the analysis sheds light on the extent to which the federal income tax dollars of ordinary Americans are fueling “militarism and its support systems” such as the Pentagon, which currently accounts for roughly half of the federal government’s total discretionary budget.

“Overall, in 2023, the average taxpayer contributed $5,109 for militarism and its support systems—including war and the Pentagon, veterans’ programs, deportations and border militarization, and federal spending on policing and prisons,” according to NPP, which is a project of the Institute for Policy Studies.

By comparison, the typical U.S. taxpayer contributed $4,308 to Medicare and Medicaid, $346 to K-12 education, $516 to nutrition assistance for low-income Americans, and $58 to diplomacy-related programs.

“Right now, millions of Americans are struggling to stay afloat—it’s become so expensive to live, eat, and have a home. Yet, instead of addressing the cost-of-living crisis or funding measures to address our communities’ needs, this year $5,109 of the average American’s taxpayer dollars went to fund the military and its support systems,” said Alliyah Lusuegro, NPP’s outreach coordinator and a co-author of the new analysis.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/us-taxpayers-funding-militarism

The Pentagon gets a budget that is pushing one trillion dollars and programs to help the American people scrambles for the crumbs that Congress gives them.

I wish the American people cared where their money goes….instead they fall for every lie the government tells them that is in their best interest….that is such bullsh*t!

This country always has enough money to piss away on some new weapon system but little to nothing for hungry children….why is that?

But I will keep bitching and complaining for it is what I do.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Are You US Army Retired?

If so you might not want to pass this post by.

For a few years now the Army has failed to meet its projected enlistees…..and since the “c” word (conscription) scares the living B-Jesus out of Congress what is the Army to do to fill all those empty positions?

I wrote about this problem a couple of years ago and the incentives the Army was offering to coerce people to enlist…

Closing Thought–24Jan22

Ever heard of the program designated as “ALARACT”?

On March 20th, the US Army Publishing Directorate published ALARACT 017/2024.  The title of the form is “Utilization of the Army Retiree Recall Program” and it cites Executive Order 13223 under “References”.  Executive Order 13223 is a Bush-era EO from September 14, 2001 titled “Ordering the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty and Delegating Certain Authorities to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Transportation.”

The 18-page PDF for the ALARACT, which stands for “All Army Activities”, contains a slide titled “Directorate of Military Personnel Management.”  Under the first slide, it states:

“What is a Retiree Recall?  -A recalled retiree is a retired Soldier who is ordered to active duty from the Retired Reserve or the retired list under 10 USC 688/688a, 12301(a), or 12301(d) and serves in his or her retired status.  Retiree Recall is not an extension of your MRD.

Who can approve a Retiree Recall? -The Assistant Secretary of the Army (ASA) of Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA) is the authorized approver to recall retired Soldiers.”

Lots more information in the article and if you are a retiree you might want to keep an eye on the situation and learn as much as possible about this program.

WWIII Alert: US Army Publishes ALARACT for “Utilization of the Army Retiree Recall Program”

If you thought you were safe because you are retired you might want to think twice and prepare for what may come.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

War Tourism?

To be brutally honest it is Sunday and I am feeling lazy so I thought I would re-post this article from my other blog, Gulf South Free Press, this for those readers that do not know of my other blog….I do not want to have them miss my brilliant interpretations of things.

I recently got an email from a person that served in the 9th Infantry Division, the unit I served with in Vietnam, saying that he and others were putting together a trip to Vietnam and would like it if I would accompany them as well.

My reply was short and sweet….NO!  I saw that country twice ….do not want to do it a third time.

That email got me to thinking about war tourism.

I know many people like to re-enact and visit famous battlefields and such….but why?  Most do not care one whit for history so what makes the ugliness of war so attractive?

I can understand to a point if you are a student in the field of Conflict Management or Political History….but to vacation with war is just stupid at least to me.

Any way there is a big industry in war tourism…Gettysburg, the Alamo, Battle of New Orleans, Normandy, Pearl Harbor, etc. etc., etc…..again….why?

War tourism, despite the contradiction in its name, refers to recreational travel to areas associated with past or current war zones. These destinations encompass active conflict zones, famous battlefields, war memorials, cemeteries, and museums. Sites of darker historical significance, such as prison camps, mass graves, and execution sites, even fall into this category. The motivations behind such travel are multifaceted, with educational and memorial purposes at the forefront.

While it may be challenging to comprehend the appeal of traveling to regions marked by devastation and conflict, war tourism is not new. It can be traced back to the 19th century, during wars like the Napoleonic, American Civil, and Crimean Wars. Early war tourists were observed visiting war-ravaged cities’ battlefields after the fighting had ceased. Onlookers would picnic at a safe distance from skirmishes and take home macabre souvenirs. Their motivations, it seems, ranged from morbid curiosity to a desensitization to death and suffering.

Another common motivation for war tourism is education and preserving collective memory. Students, scholars, and history enthusiasts often embark on tours of former battlefields, museums, and prison camps. Their primary goal is often to gain a deeper understanding of how wars have shaped a region’s history.

https://travelnoire.com/what-is-war-tourism

I do not agree that it is to educate and impart some sort of understanding among participants….like I stated earlier in this post….most could care less about the history behind the battle but rather some perverse sense of awe at the concept of death and destruction.

I visited many war sites but not out of fascination but rather to further my knowledge because in those days I was a grad student in Conflict and political history….did it help my understanding?

Not so much but it did throw some light on the myths that pop up around war.

So no I will not be going back to Vietnam for a ‘visit’…..I do not need healing, I do not want to heal, the war helped make me who I am and I will forever be grateful for that.

Any thoughts on war tourism?

Have a great Sunday and as always….Be Well and Be Safe…..

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

To Infinity And Beyond

I have not written much about the Space Force lately….the US Space Force our 5th branch of the military…..

I was never a fan of this idea….not when Obama was pushing for it and then Trump came into power and it became a reality…..I still think it is a waste of money because we have the Air Force which has a space commend within its structure.

In case you are not too damn sure just what the Hell the Space Force is or does….then I can help.

https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/space-force-ahead-its-time-or-dreadfully-premature#space-force-multilateral-space-governance

I agree with the conclusion…there may come a time for a Space Force but that time is not now.

After about 3 or 4 years of sucking on the budget and we have little to show for the cash spent.

The US Space Force is apparently anything but, according to a think tank report that concludes the newest American military branch is woefully unprepared to defend space operations from Chinese or Russian aggression.

Instead of being primed to counter threats to US space operations, the USSF is a sitting duck, while both China and Russia have performed public tests of weapons capable of destroying satellites, the report states.

In response, the analysis argues, the USSF needs extra funds to train more people and “develop a suite of defensive and offensive counterspace systems” to compete with countries that the report’s author seems to believe are running laps around American space defense power.

It’s not just any old policy wonk who wrote this report, either: it was authored by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies senior fellow Charles Galbreath, who spent 27 years in the US Air Force before a two-year stint in the Space Force as its deputy chief technology and innovation officer. 

Galbreath’s warnings of Russian and Chinese orbital shows of force aren’t merely supposition – both Russia and China have blown up their own decommissioned satellites, and China has even launched a satellite with a grappling arm that US military leaders fear could be used to grab spacecraft and toss them out of orbit or otherwise disrupt their operations. 

Both China and Russia have also warned that civilian satellites, such as Starlink internet orbiters operated by SpaceX, could be legitimate targets.

Late last year, the Biden administration’s nominee for chief of USSF space operations said much the same: China is outpacing the US in the latest space race toward military orbital domination.

“The most immediate threat, in my opinion, is the pace with which our strategic challengers – first and foremost the Chinese – are aggressively pursuing capabilities that can disrupt, degrade and ultimately even destroy our satellite capabilities and disrupt our ground infrastructure,” USSF Lieutenant General B Chance Saltzman told the Senate during his confirmation hearing.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/30/us_space_force_report/

Just another example of the Pentagon’s waste of taxpayer cash.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Rein In The War Department

As long as budgets and debt is on everyone’s mind let us look at a major part of our problem, IMO….

In case you have been remiss and avoided reading IST then you do not know that I have little faith in the War Department and its contractors (read someplace there are about 50,000 of them)…..if you have read my posts then I need explain nothing (and thank you for reading).

Since Reagan more and more of the responsibilities of the Pentagon have been outsourced.

This is a report, granted an old one, that explores the growth of so-called ‘contractors’ for the Pentagon it was published by the Center for Public Integrity in 2004…..and its findings….

The Center examined more than 2.2 million contract actions totaling $900 billion in authorized expenditures over the six-year period from fiscal year 1998 through fiscal 2003 (Oct. 1, 1997-Sept. 30, 2003). Most of the research was focused on the biggest contractors, those that won at least $100 million in prime contracts over the period studied. Some 737 prime contractors, mainly but not exclusively for-profit corporations, fit that criteria, along with several thousand of their subsidiaries and affiliates.

Half of all the Defense Department’s budget goes out the door of the Pentagon to private contractors. This percentage has stayed virtually constant over the past six years; as the Pentagon’s budget has expanded with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, so have the dollars going to contractors.

The Pentagon’s contracting force is top-heavy, and growing more so. Out of a total universe numbering tens of thousands of contractors, the biggest 737 collected nearly 80 percent of the Defense Department’s procurement dollars. The 50 biggest contractors got more than half of all the money; the top 10 got 38 percent.

If you want more info (which I doubt will be used)…..

The Biggest Contractors
Competition
Cost-Plus Contracts
Joint Ventures
Foreign Contractors
Political Influence I: Campaign Contributions
Political Influence II: Lobbying
Small Business: Bigger Than You Think
What the Pentagon Buys
The Rise in Service Contracts
Accuracy in Pentagon Reporting

Like I stated it is an old report and since then the budget for the War Department grows and grows and like most government stuff the holes and the problems were given a band-aid so the money continues to flow.

Let’s look at the most recent ‘deal’….

The agreement between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to raise the debt limit for two years, if approved by the House and Senate, will avert a potential economic catastrophe. Biden started off demanding a “clean” debt limit increase with no extraneous provisions. McCarthy sought deep cuts in domestic discretionary spending and large increases in military spending in exchange for raising the debt limit. 

The compromise, reached Sunday, includes a small decrease in domestic discretionary spending and a record $886 billion for defense, a 3.3% increase over the current year. The money allocated for the defense budget is exactly what Biden requested in the 2024 budget. Notably, about half of that money will go to defense contractors. 

In 2015, the United States spent $585 billion on its military. The United States has added more than $300 billion in military spending in less than a decade. (Had military spending kept pace with inflation, military spending would still be less than $700 billion annually.) Biden has added nearly $150 billion to the military budget since 2021, the last budget approved by President Trump. The budget of the Pentagon now exceeds “the budgets for the next ten largest cabinet agencies combined.”  In 2020, Lockheed Martin received $75 billion in government contracts, more than 1.5 times the budget of the entire State Department. 

Last year, the United States spent more on its military than the next 10 highest-spending countries combined…

https://popular.info/p/there-is-always-more-money-for-defense

While most domestic programs are cut to the bone…..the War Department is rolling in cash….now you tell me where the problem is now that you have read this post.  (Of course that will depend on the capability to read)

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Is This How They Support Our Veterans?

I personally think that this country does not give enough support to our veterans…..especially those that suffer damage because of our moronic wars.

The GOP always plays hard to the veteran and lies to them every election and when they are elected they stab the vets in the back…..almost every time.

The GOP controlled House has done that exact thing while playing the debt game…..

When the new House majority passed its grab bag of government spending cuts last month, setting up an on-going game of chicken with the White House over any federal debt limit increase, they also directed their fire at essential services for military veterans, a constituency long courted by their own party. Included in the “Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023,” was a proposed 22% reduction in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Right-wing Republicans scrambled to provide political cover for themselves by insisting that “our budget cutting plan doesn’t harm veterans.” Instead, claimed Mike Bost, a former Marine from Illinois who now chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee, his  conservative colleagues were just trying to force a long-overdue discussion of whether VA funding is “actually helping veterans.”

Fortunately, a VA patient, elected to Congress last year, took the House floor to accuse the Republican majority of passing a “B.S. plan” that’s “an absolute betrayal and a disgrace.” As former Navy Officer Chris Deluzio (D-PA) noted, House Republicans are “threatening to blow up our economy and to push us into default unless we agree to cuts to the VA and veterans, and to so much else.  There is not a single protection, not a single one for veterans in their bill. …Millions of veterans are going to be screwed by this plan.  They won’t get the care they’ve earned, and they will have to wait longer for benefits.”

Deluzio’s fiery speech generated much media attention and set the tone for other Democrats, like Joe Biden and California Congressman Mark Takano, who have weighed in, with similar criticism of GOP hypocrisy. Democratic Party consultants and strategists are, no doubt, already sketching out the kind of attack adds—focusing on Republican support for VA benefit cuts—that will be aired to help the White House woo the “vet vote” away from right-wing candidates next year, who need to be defeated for myriad reasons.

Amid Debt Ceiling Debate: VA Cuts Passed by House Give Corporate Dems Political Cover

How f*cked up is that?

We have a Pentagon play war around the world that gets almost unlimited funds and our vets will have to deal with a possible 22% cut in need funds.

And yet this betrayal will be forgotten by 2024 vote…..now that is what is f*cked up!

Our vets deserve so much more than they get….thank you for your service is just a feel good tagline….if you really want to ‘thank them’ then make damn sure they are looked after as they should be.

On an unrelated note:  DeSantis announced Thursday that he would seek the presidency and in the first 24 hrs he has raised $8.2 million….that should scare any rational person into start looking closely at the candidates.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

AUMF–The Long Good-bye

AUMF?

For those that spend more time worrying about what Tater Swifty is doing….AUMF stands for….Authorization for the Use of Military Force…..the power for the president to go to war with consulting Congress.

The US Senate has finally shown a little spine (something I never thought they were capable of doing)….

The Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the resolution that gave a green light for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, an effort to end more than 20 years of authorization for US presidents to use force in that country and return those war powers to Congress, reports the AP. The measure would repeal the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the US-led Gulf War as well. What you need to know:

  • Background. The October 2002 votes to give George W. Bush broad authority for the Iraq invasion were a defining moment for many members of Congress as the country debated whether a military strike was warranted. The US was already at war in Afghanistan, and the Bush administration had drummed up support among members of Congress and the American public for invading Iraq by promoting what turned out to be false intelligence alleging Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. Then-Sen. Joe Biden voted in favor.
  • Background II. Some lawmakers fear the Iraq war powers could be used for purposes Congress never intended. President Trump’s administration cited the 2002 Iraq war resolution as part of its legal justification for a 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani, but the two war powers resolutions have otherwise rarely been used as the basis for any presidential action. A separate 2001 authorization for the global war on terror would remain in place under the bill, which President Biden has said he will support.
  • Wednesday’s vote. Senators voted 66-30 in favor of repeal. If passed by the House, the repeal would not be expected to affect any current military deployments. But lawmakers in both parties are increasingly seeking to claw back congressional powers over US military strikes and deployments.
  • Supporters. Supporters, including almost 20 Republican senators, say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the United States.
  • Critics. Opponents have raised concerns about recent attacks against US troops in Syria, including a recent drone strike and rocket attack that Iranian-backed militants are thought to have been behind. Biden and his administration have argued that the repeal would not affect any response to Iran. American troops are authorized to protect themselves and respond to attacks, including under Article 2 of the Constitution, which gives the president the authority to protect troops.
  • Prospects. The repeal’s future is less certain in the House, where 49 Republicans joined with Democrats in supporting a similar bill two years ago. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has suggested he is open to supporting a repeal even though he previously opposed it, but Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has indicated he would like to instead replace it with something else. It is unclear what that would be.
  • Congressional history. The New York Times reports that of the lawmakers who cast a vote for the 2002 Iraq war authorization, just 69 are still in Congress. Roughly half of them voted in favor of authorization. Today, all but 17 are in favor of repeal.
  • Implications. Should the repeal come to pass, “it would also be a crucial first step toward building momentum to tackle more significant and far more complicated endeavors,” such as “replacing the authorization Congress passed in 2001 to start military operations against terrorist groups in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks,” notes the Times.

The best thing I can say about this issue is….It is about goddamn time!

I guess that makes me a peace-nik….

Peace campaigners cheered Wednesday’s vote by the U.S. Senate to repeal the authorizations for the 1991 and 2003 invasions of Iraq, while calling on the House of Representatives to follow suit.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/aumf-iraq

Enough Said!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The ‘Yellow’ Menace Is Coming

If you bother to keep up with the news then you will have heard the canned predictions that if Russia does not come for us then it will be China.

The words are starting to become louder and louder as the public opinion on Ukraine is starting to crack….we need that enemy and the M-IC and the MSM will make sure we have what they want us to have.

Sadly the reports coming out after a war game that was recently held to impress China that we mean business had an unexpected side effect.

Last year, a war game simulation looked at what might happen if China launched an amphibious attack on Taiwan. China would be happy with the results: The US side ran out of long-range cruise missiles in a week, writes Michael R. Gordon in the Wall Street Journal. The reasons behind that are complex, as detailed by Gordon in a lengthy and bleak assessment of America’s military readiness in the modern era. “Five years ago, after decades fighting insurgencies in the Middle East and Central Asia, the U.S. started tackling a new era of great-power competition with China and Russia,” writes Gordon. “It isn’t yet ready, and there are major obstacles in the way.”

Among those obstacles: The US has fewer arms manufacturers because of corporate consolidation, military recruitment is down, shipyards “are struggling to produce the submarines the Navy says it needs to counter China’s larger naval fleet,” and US weapons designers lag those in Russia and China on hypersonic missiles. Yes, the US had military successes in the Mideast and Afghanistan, thanks largely to air superiority, but things would be different in a conflict with China. For one thing, our Asian bases rely on “long and potentially vulnerable supply routes.” The US has new weapons systems in the works that may be game-changers (Gordon provides details. But they won’t be operational for another decade or so, raising fears China will strike before then.) Read the full story.

But yet the cheer leading for confrontation continues….why?

I know why but do you?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”