How?

[CrazyHippy]

I keep wondering how Kerry plans on keeping his promises.
He wants to add 2 divisions to the military, OK, great. HOW? Is there currently a line to join? Are the recruiters turning people away?
He wants more special ops guys, OK, great idea. HOW? Correct me if i'm wrong, but anyone that wants to be special ops can try. So is he going to HAVE to lower the requirements and end up w/ "sorta special ops?"
Then there is health care. Another GREAT idea, and he claims to pay for it by repealing the tax cut. Lets look at some numbers. 1.2 Trillion dollars is what Kerry claims it will cost. Bush claims it to be closer to 2 trillion. and the Tax rollback shoulld raise in Kerry's words 800 billion dollars and 600 billion in Bush's words.
I'm no math major, but even using the more favorable (probably not accurate) numbers there is a 400 Billion dollar defict there.... Using Bush's #'s (again probably not acurate) there is a 1.2 Trillion dollar deficit. I imagine the truth is somewhere between those numbers. So HOW wil this get payed for?
There are lots of other inconsistancies in "The Plan" but these are what i was yelling at the TV over last night. Can Anyone explain how this can possibly work?
BJH

[kahanamoko]

I keep wondering how Kerry plans on keeping his promises.
He wants to add 2 divisions to the military, OK, great. HOW? Is there currently a line to join? Are the recruiters turning people away?
He wants more special ops guys, OK, great idea. HOW? Correct me if i'm wrong, but anyone that wants to be special ops can try. So is he going to HAVE to lower the requirements and end up w/ "sorta special ops?"
Then there is health care. Another GREAT idea, and he claims to pay for it by repealing the tax cut. Lets look at some numbers. 1.2 Trillion dollars is what Kerry claims it will cost. Bush claims it to be closer to 2 trillion. and the Tax rollback shoulld raise in Kerry's words 800 billion dollars and 600 billion in Bush's words.
I'm no math major, but even using the more favorable (probably not accurate) numbers there is a 400 Billion dollar defict there.... Using Bush's #'s (again probably not acurate) there is a 1.2 Trillion dollar deficit. I imagine the truth is somewhere between those numbers. So HOW wil this get payed for?
There are lots of other inconsistancies in "The Plan" but these are what i was yelling at the TV over last night. Can Anyone explain how this can possibly work?
BJH
There were divisions in the Army which were only recently deactivated. It would simply require reactivation. Simple.
Even though anyone can try to be in special ops, there are limited numbers of slots (line, paragraph) in a unit's MTOE which only permits a limited number of personnel. Increasing the number of units within special ops would increase the number of slots for personnel. As of right now, special ops units in the military are the most deployed and thus most overextended in the military. Simple.
Not sure on the figures for the health plan. Perhaps if you look on Kerry's own site you can get an answer. Maybe then have an email address where you can send your question.

[CrazyHippy]

Aren't the kerryites Beating bush up over not letting troops out? Would reactivation be the exact same thing?
BJH

[CrazyHippy]

The health plan figures came from the 2nd debate.
Straight from their respective canidates mouths
BJH

[Red Eye]

How is it simple by simply reactivating divisions that have been de-activated? Like the thread starter stated, there is no line to get into the military. So by activating divisions, it would simply be taking away from the current ones and making them weaker by depleting there current numbers. How is that possibly going to make anything better?

[kahanamoko]

As for where the recruits would come for the two new divisions, your guess is as good as mine. Currently, I don't believe recruiters are turning people away from the military because they don't have slots for them. More money for college, or other incentives for military service is the usual pitch. Not sure what Kerry plans to do for bodies to fill two new divisions. Two new divisions would undoubtedly help though. Bush would apparently prefer to exhaust his current military strength and ultimately reduce overall morale with repeat and extended deployments of reserve and national guard soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coastguardsmen.

[CrazyHippy]

More money for college, or other benefits sounds like it's going to cost me (a taxpayer).
BJH

[kahanamoko]

Probably. Better to pay someone that is doing service for their country than someone on the welfare system though. At least they are providing a valuable service to their country, right? Plus, with the increase in their education, they will eventually be in a higher tax bracket and will ultimately pay the money back in taxes. It's all good.

[Red Eye]

As for where the recruits would come for the two new divisions, your guess is as good as mine. Currently, I don't believe recruiters are turning people away from the military because they don't have slots for them. More money for college, or other incentives for military service is the usual pitch. Not sure what Kerry plans to do for bodies to fill two new divisions. Two new divisions would undoubtedly help though. Bush would apparently prefer to exhaust his current military strength and ultimately reduce overall morale with repeat and extended deployments of reserve and national guard soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coastguardsmen.
Two new divisions would undoubtedly help if the numbers were there to fill the billets. As for the morale being low, that is going to happen no matter what. Nobody "really" wants to be over there, but in the big picture they do it for their Country. I remember when I signed the enlistment contract, they did not hide the fact that my time could be involuntary extended so this should be no suprise to anyone.

[CrazyHippy]

My best friend is currently home from Iraq (wounded in a Mortar attack) and cant wait to be cleared to go back. Must be that low moral :sleeping:
BJH