"The War Fighters are BACK!!!!!!!!" Topic

For the last two months the US Army has posted record shattering recruiting numbers. The youth of America are enlisting in numbers not seen for the last 15 years.

link

Strong leadership gets strong results.

link

It may be that the Army itself has been working on improving recruiting for quite a long time, and deserves the credit for those results.

Free trip to Greenland, Panama, Canada or Gaza as an incentive.

"Free trip to Greenland, Panama, Canada or Gaza as an incentive."

No need. Denmark has already agreed to increase funding for the defense of Greenland and to allow increased U.S. basing there; Panama has rejected China's Belt and Roads initiatives and will not charge transit fees for U.S. government shipping; Canada and Mexico have both agreed to deploy troops to their borders to stop the smuggling of Fentanyl and human trafficking.

I suspect the Gaza rhetoric is to encourage an eventual agreement where a coalition of Arab countries agrees to take over the governance of Gaza and fund its reconstruction.

Trump's statements are to establish bargaining positions and start discussion.

Inch High +1

Inch High +1

Do you think the same results could have been achieved with a more reasonable approach than what he has used?

By his "bull in a china shop" approach he has pissed off both his closest neighbors and Denmark.

Has Canada or Mexico signed any binding agreement with the troop deployments? Or can they just, quietly, pull back the troops in a month or so without sanctions?

How will this approach, belligerent and aggressive compared to before, influence further dealings with these and other countries?

1+ Oberlindes. More worship from the Pundit. Data from the end of 2023 shows that the recent causes of low recruiting numbers was not Biden. Trump did win the white youth blue collar vote, but nobody knew that until November. But he is only part of the story at best.

That said, it is a great thing that the new recruiting efforts the Army launched a couple of years ago have slowed the decline and are turning things around. Much of this comes from research that addressed fundamental concerns about military careers that young people had been having for quite some time. Which was not about wishing Trump was back.

Whatever your politics, the end result is great news.

IMO, the US Military finally has a real combat leader in charge with Hegseth. Not a political appointee, even if he served. Plus many like the real leader in the WH. He gets things done quickly and effectively. Many in this admin are getting rid of the woke progressive DEI, CRT, woke, LGBT+, go green, etc. agendas that the last POTUS and his admin supported.

All that time and money wasted on that flotsam took away from the Military's real mission. Warfighting … and winning.

Many saw what a debacle A'stan was at the hands of the last POTUS/admin. Along with all the bad choices, poor decisions, agendas, etc. E.g. open border policies that demonstrated the last POTUS and his minions did have the right stuff. This situation in the WH/DC, etc. showed our enemy's clearly that the US could be taken advantage of.

But thank the gods of war we are on our way of being able to effectively do what the #1 Priority of any Republic is – Protecting its citizens from threats foreign and domestic. And I am not the only one that believes this.

No need. Denmark has already agreed to increase funding for the defense of Greenland and to allow increased U.S. basing there; Panama has rejected China's Belt and Roads initiatives and will not charge transit fees for U.S. government shipping; Canada and Mexico have both agreed to deploy troops to their borders to stop the smuggling of Fentanyl and human trafficking.

I suspect the Gaza rhetoric is to encourage an eventual agreement where a coalition of Arab countries agrees to take over the governance of Gaza and fund its reconstruction.

Trump's statements are to establish bargaining positions and start discussion.

Bingo ! It amazes me many[most!] in the media, Congress & DC just don't get it … They must be so wedded to hating the new POTUS, regardless of what he, his admin, the GOP, etc. does it is wrong. I'd say that is pretty much my assessment of the previous POTUS, Admin, etc.

Well, look at how many said that about Biden. Objectivity is not one of our strengths these days. The great divide is still at the heart of the country's conflicting beliefs.

I see that Trump is up to a 48% aggregate poll approval rating, his best ever. The Project 25 implementation is rather amazing. It may help him, at least in the short term. Time will tell.

Legion +1

Yes in the voice of Lord Vader: "The hate is strong with this group"

But here is a first hand from one of my friends after the new numbers were announced:

"I called that one, Biden and his policies single-handed killed moral in the services, at least in the ARMY for certain where I had direct input. <girl friends name> son did not renew his enlistment, and he said at least 1/3 of his platoon had left since Biden took over in 2020. He said that low moral, the massive disorganization, and focus on the woke "crap" the past couple years caused him to leave and many others in his platoon as well. And this platoon was stationed in Hawaii, one of the most desirable assignment in the corp. Can't imagine the turnover at Camp Drum in upstate New York on the Canadian border. They likely left in droves.

When DJT was elected, I told <girlfriends name> – watch moral soar and enlistment pick up again. I was spot on there!! I was asking <girlfriends name> just a couple days ago if she thought <girlfriends sons name> was going to sign back up, she thought he might. Guess we will see….

I heard the same from a neighbors son currently serving.

@soledad -- yep, Bull in a Chy-Na shop, eh? Turns out bulls, like Trump, are surprisingly nimble and graceful and avoid destruction as much as possible…

YouTube link

Wowsers!
How many more Fox News hosts are available for duty!?!?
That seems to be a sterling qualification!
What job do you have in mind for Sean Hannity? Pope?

BULLY in a china shop more like.

Again, the Army should get some credit. They knew it was a problem, they admitted it and they went to work on assessing it. None of the top ten reasons for not enlisting involved a POTUS preference, or woke training , as I recall the research data.

My own experience talking with a serving Marine last year was that initially he hardly knew what I was talking about re woke training. He did get it, but thought it was not much of a thing. I believe McKinstry here said the same thing.

But Trump might address some of the bigger issues, including things like housing. And hopefully, the worry about federal cuts affecting veterans'services can be addressed.

Tort as I posted, my first hand experience locally and with my friends above in Georgia, says DEI and the previous administration, had much to do with it. We will see in the next few years.

Bit harsh for a 40yr veteran surely?

I think a bull in a china shop normally results in the complete destruction of all the china. A poor comparison, or at least I hope it is.

What happened to post order?

Mexico also scored with the USA agreeing to cut the flow of guns to Mexico, another good result.
But tell me, if Hegseth is such a leader, how fair is the treatment of Milley?
Nothing wrong with being positive as a leader but surely a good leader unites everyone, and doesn't purge.

I do have to say, after reading about how lego is described in a British museum I can understand how people do crave someone putting an end to nonsense.

I personally do not like Milley, I see him as a deep stater. So I have no issues as to how they treat him. But Maybe give him a job as a guard on the Southern border. One with a lot of Cartel action. Or send him to Gaza to help clear mines and ordinance.

Subject: Citizen Free Press on X: "WAIT UNTIL DOGE GOES TO WORK ON THE DEFENSE BUDGET. Pete Hegseth -- We will audit the Pentagon. t.co/m4o8SwDmd6 / X


link

Edwin Stanton and Elihu Root were lawyers; Josephus Daniels and Frank Knox were newspaper editors.

None of the people on this thread who are huffing and puffing about Hegseth's qualifications would be considered qualified for even a Schedule C appointment as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, let alone the Secretary's position.

What happened to post order?

Yeah, I thought the same thing ? 👻 in the machine ? Or we are being monitored by ?

Do you think the same results could have been achieved with a more reasonable approach than what he has used?

Sometimes an aggressive "shock" action, blitzkrieg if you will is more effective. Then a slower more measured approach. As it seems to me the previous POTUS and admin really had little idea of what had to be done to be effective. E.g. giving Iran billions of $, pushing the Green agenda, DEI, CRT, pronouns, etc. does not make warfighters.

How will this approach, belligerent and aggressive compared to before, influence further dealings with these and other countries?

Well IMO letting everyone know. We are playing hard ball now. So, wear a cup. The days of the US being taken advantage of like with the previous POTUS's Admin are gone.

Strong leadership gets strong results.

Something that has been proven throughout history. The surprise would be to think otherwise.

Which was not about wishing Trump was back.

It had little to do with wishing Trump was back. It had much more to do with the need for stronger leadership, who put the USA first. Not appeasing … Again, the last POTUS/Admin did not have the right stuff. For what was required in a world still full of predators. Predators target the weak …

It may be that the Army itself has been working on improving recruiting for quite a long time, and deserves the credit for those results.

Well they tried so many things, sooner or later, they must have learned some lessons. And like Grant at Vicksburg, the correct solution eventually was found.

E.g. after the Army commercial with the little girl who had 2 moms then joined the Army. Seems they really didn't know their target audience. Just like Bud Light and the tranny who looked like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffiny's" … Who thought either of those ideas was going to have mass appeal ?

OVI +1

Inch High +1

Hegseth is such a leader,

He is that leader based on everything I have seen, etc. He saw what the emasculation of the military with woke progressive, DEI, CRT, pronouns, etc. 🐴💩. Had 0 to do with combat readiness, creating an effective fighting force, etc. It divided the Military. A place where cohesiveness, operating as a team, etc., etc. is part of being effective and efficient, etc. Hell, he even wrote a book about.

He was an Infantry Officer who served in combat … That really is the tip of the spear.

how fair is the treatment of Milley?

I think many including Hegseth saw that Milley really could have done more. When dealing with the Biden and his Admin's staff. E.g. Blinken, Sullivan, etc. Of course the Military has to follow the [legal]orders of the POTUS …

Nothing wrong with being positive as a leader but surely a good leader unites everyone,

Yes, but like a sports team all are not on the 1st String.

and doesn't purge.

Hegseth like many in the Military may think for whatever reasons, Milley "didn't have the right stuff". Of course, at that level of command as Milley was it is political in many ways. But the debacle of A'stan, with was the 1st strike, Russia invading Ukraine, and Gaza. 3 strikes you're out …

My own experience talking with a serving Marine last year was that initially he hardly knew what I was talking about re woke training. He did get it, but thought it was not much of a thing. I believe McKinstry here said the same thing.

Regardless, in the big picture, things were not right. And they now are on their way of being fixed.