Defense Department cuts

TLAM Strike · 03-03-11, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

What do you think about closing the oversea bases?

Or scaling them way back?

Our enemies are overseas. Waiting for them to come to us would be stupid.

August · 03-03-11, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Our enemies are overseas. Waiting for them to come to us would be stupid.

He said close permanent overseas bases, not eliminate our response capability. Engineers can whip up a functional base in a few days. We're paying a lot of money to keep units stationed in Germany for example that no longer serve much purpose, at least not enough to justify their expense.

TLAM Strike · 03-03-11, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by August

He said close permanent overseas bases, not eliminate our response capability. Engineers can whip up a functional base in a few days. We're paying a lot of money to keep units stationed in Germany for example that no longer serve much purpose, at least not enough to justify their expense.

What about stocks of propositioned gear?

What about our overseas ELINT stations?

Are the Engineers going to built them under fire? (I'm not talking about a few pots shots with a sniper rifle here, I mean heavy attacks.)

August · 03-03-11, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

What about stocks of propositioned gear?

What about our overseas ELINT stations?

Are the Engineers going to built them under fire? (I'm not talking about a few pots shots with a sniper rifle here, I mean heavy attacks.)

It takes comparatively few troops to run an Elint station or maintain a warehouse. We're talking combat troops and their dependents. What is the advantage to keeping a few divisions in, say Europe, that could not be achieved back in CONUS?

TLAM Strike · 03-03-11, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by August

It takes comparatively few troops to run an Elint station or maintain a warehouse. We're talking combat troops and their dependents. What is the advantage to keeping a few divisions in, say Europe, that could not be achieved back in CONUS?

I say get rid of the dependents, for one.

I'm thinking less europe more asia.

How long would it take to get several divisions mobilized and fully transported over seas. Key word seas, the heavy gear needs to go by ship. 72 hours to get underway? Another 48 to cross the Pacific? Basically a week, the $heet could be over by then.

August · 03-03-11, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

I say get rid of the dependents, for one.

I'm thinking less europe more asia.

How long would it take to get several divisions mobilized and fully transported over seas. Key word seas, the heavy gear needs to go by ship. 72 hours to get underway? Another 48 to cross the Pacific? Basically a week, the $heet could be over by then.

Well base closings are not an all or nothing proposition. Keep what you need and close the rest.

But I hear your point about deployment time. You just need to remember that you're also putting those troops way out on a limb. Look at 1942 Philippines. We lost a lot of desperately needed troops and materiel that could have been used elsewhere.

TLAM Strike · 03-03-11, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by August

Well base closings are not an all or nothing proposition. Keep what you need and close the rest.

But I hear your point about deployment time. You just need to remember that you're also putting those troops way out on a limb. Look at 1942 Philippines. We lost a lot of desperately needed troops and materiel that could have been used elsewhere.

well I think holding the Philippines in 42 was not a bad thing. If the fleet was not crippled the Philippines would have been a great place to stage an attack against Japan, that was the basis of the old War Plan Orange. If Mac Arthur's air force wasn't annihilated on the ground it could have been a real pain in the Japanese's backside. I know some of MA's officers wanted to bomb Formosa right away but the decision got postponed right up until the B-17s got plastered.

Holding the Philippines would have helped cut off the Japanese from the Dutch East Indies. Save the oil of the Dutch East Indies and you deny the Japanese one of their main reasons for starting the war with the Allies. If anything we should have fortified the islands more.

Ducimus · 03-03-11, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Are the Engineers going to built them under fire? (I'm not talking about a few pots shots with a sniper rifle here, I mean heavy attacks.)

I think so, if it proves neccessary. Every branch has combat engineers, and their all self contained units, trained, and equiped to work independantly, "outside the wire". Air Force combat engineers, have even gone so far as to have an airborne detachment. Yeah thats right, Air Force engineers that went through army jump school. Makes me wonder what the world is coming to.

AVGWarhawk · 03-03-11, 04:28 PM

Quote:

So the question still comes up: How many nuclear attack subs does the US need?

Enought to dominate the worlds oceans!

TLAM Strike · 03-03-11, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I think so, if it proves neccessary. Every branch has combat engineers, and their all self contained units, trained, and equiped to work independantly, "outside the wire". Air Force combat engineers, have even gone so far as to have an airborne detachment. Yeah thats right, Air Force engineers that went through army jump school. Makes me wonder what the world is coming to.

My point is are they going to be able to build an airbase with underground aircraft shelters/fuel tanks while taking BM fire and enemy air strikes?

I guess they are going to need air cover from carrier planes to do it until they finish and the air force can fly in. So the Navy would have to divert its carriers from locating and sinking enemy warships and striking targets on land to cover the Air Force Engineers as they build the air force and airbase. If the place where they are trying to build an airbase is contested by enemy ground troops than its becomes even more difficult.

Ducimus · 03-03-11, 05:35 PM

It's my understanding that everything's a joint task force in this day and age.
Each branch supporting the other in some capacity. (As an AF engineer, ive built up ammo and patriot missle battery emplacements for the Army, we've borrowed Army medics, etc etc. )

One thing i know for certain though. If the engineers don't work, nothing works.

03-03-11, 05:35 PM	#11
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	It's my understanding that everything's a joint task force in this day and age. Each branch supporting the other in some capacity. (As an AF engineer, ive built up ammo and patriot missle battery emplacements for the Army, we've borrowed Army medics, etc etc. ) One thing i know for certain though. If the engineers don't work, nothing works.