Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: draft Message-ID: <1990Nov27.044021.2375@cbnews.att.com> Date: 27 Nov 90 04:40:21 GMT References: <1990Nov21.221810.20549@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 75 Approved: military@att.att.com From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) > > From: Randy Appleton > > In article <1990Nov16.052603.22130@cbnews.att.com> yun@eng.umd.edu (Dragon Taunter) writes: >> > Pretty damming, if you ask me. Are you saying that the resuve system doesn't > work? This is exactly the type of thing the reserves was supposed to do, > provide extra troops after some notice. Well, the crisis has beem building, > amd will continue to build. We need some more troups. I say either the > reserves have to handle this, or we should disband them as a waste. > > Actually, I'd trust the trained and prepared reserves much more than people > drafted off the street, who don't want to be there. Also, there is something > more ethical about sending people off to fight who volenteered than those > that did not! > > Do you have some evidence describing why the reserves are inadaquate? The Reserve system, don't forget, was designed to support a war in Europe against the Soviet Union. It assumed that there would be a gradual escalation of tension over, say, 1 year, during which time the armed forces would be expanded in an orderly fashion. This was modified somewhat when NATO planners assumed away the need for sea lift (POMCUS, air lift, rapid deployment). It isn't just the Reserves that are having to adapt to a different mission; the Regulars are having a difficult time, too. For example, note that there are a bunch of Marines dug in in the sand - not really their mission specialty. Even if the draft had been activated in August, the first troopers would not be ready for combat deployment for another 6 to 8 months; technical people would take another 6-8 months after that. So the draft is really not going to help much. The reality is that a "limited" war (like the one in the Gulf) is pretty much going to be a "come-as-you-are" party. That means you will make do with the people and equipment on hand. The major problem with the Reserves, IMHO, is age. Many units (not all) have a lot of older, senior people who are career-oriented (E-6 and up). Lots of experience, lots of good judgement, and motivated. They will tend to have more difficulty with the stress, though. Reservists are supposed to pass physical fitness tests periodically, designed to measure against mission requirements. However, these tests are not by any means physical conditioning programs, so it is a hit-or-miss proposition. The post-WWII Reserve was designed to back-fill Regular units as they deployed. Using this model, the age and experience would be a definite benefit, as these folks would be training the new guys as the deployment ramped up. But the organizations now have Reserve units as part of Regular units (total force concept), meaning that a Reserve division should be just as ready and fit as a Regular combat division, it that is their mission. What you are seeing now is how the AVF/Reserve system will really work (or now work, as the case may be). Note that (1) the AVF is not adequate to handle deployment of a .5million person combined force, and (2) the Reserves will have to be deployed very quickly with the Regulars, because there is no large standing military, and no draft, and (3) Iraq has ~900K troops within ~300-400 miles of the objective, gassed up and ready to roll. BTW, the Marine Reserves have the most stringent physical fitness program I know of; more frequent testing, and the semblance of a program to get people fit and keep them that way. My observation was that they tended to be younger on the average than the other services. My guess is that the average Reserve unit will be about 80% as effective as the average Regular unit with the same mission, at the get-go. Within 6 months in theater, there should be no difference, and possibly the Reserve units will surpass the Regulars (many have a high percentage of Vietnam combat vets who, demonstrably, know how to stay alive).