President Trump is like the stone living on the sand near a lake.
The Someone picks up the stone and throws it into the water and a series of waves make it to the shore.
President was thrown into the D.C. swamp waters by his supporters and did he not make waves?!
Let start with one.
His insistence that the NATO start paying their fair share, which they signed on for, of their military budget which was 2 percent of their GDP.
The vast number of NATO countries did not meet the 2 percent goal and, thus, relied on the U.S. to be the protector of the world. Trump said “no more.”
How about this situation “Europe Reckons With Its Depleted Armies” In The Wall Street Journal on 6/3/17: “Soldiers in Germany’s Light Infantry Battalion 413 near the Baltic Sea coast complained last year that they didn’t have enough sniper rifles or antitank weapons or the right kind of vehicles. During exercises, they told a parliamentary ombudsman, their unit didn’t have the munitions to simulate battle. Instead, they were told to imagine the bangs.”
Imagine the bangs. Are you kidding me?!
The article continued: “During the Cold War, the Netherlands had 445 battle tanks. In 2015, the country put up for sale its last 60 tanks and its transport helicopters and many of its naval minesweepers. Instead, the Dutch sent solders to operate German tanks.”
There is more: “Stories of shortages abound. Britain’s storied Royal Navy is without a single battleship or aircraft carrier…”
There is still more: Transportation remains the most critical need, U.S. and NATO officials say.
The U.S. has been urging allies to extend rail lines to training bases, since its transport trailers can’t legally carry tanks on European roads due to weight limits.”
More: “ Cargo planes and helicopters are also in a big capability gap, officials say. If tensions with Russia flare on NATO’s borders, war plans call for reinforcements of front lines with NATO rapid-reaction forces. But deploying those forces quickly would likely depend on American equipment.”
And this in the Wall Street Journal on 5/12/17: “Lithuania Leader Seeks U.S. Troop Presence’” — Lithuania President Della Grybauskaite said she wants a continued presence of U.S. troops in her country as Russia builds up its forces in the region and prepares for military exercises in September…We need the serious involvement of the
U.S. to not only deter but to defend.”
And the beat goes on. America protect us in Europe…please!
And how about the home front?
This in The New York Times on 6/7/17: “Army Bonuses To Rise In Bid To Boost Ranks: “Struggling to expand its ranks, the Army will triple the amount of bonuses it is paying this year to more than $380 million, including new incentives to woo reluctant soldiers to re-enlist, officials said. Some soldiers could get $90,000 upfront by committing to another four or more years as the Army seeks to reverse some of the downsizing that occurred under the Obama administration….”
This article on 6/13/17 in The Wall Street Journal caught my eye “What We Don’t Know About Veterans” – “After Word War Ii, just about all Americans knew veterans.. Today, American don’t understand veterans.
This is partly due to the professionalization of the military.
In 1973 the federal government ended conscription and established the all-volunteer force.
As the population grew and the military drastically shrank, the military-civilian divide grew wider and became self-reinforcing.
Today, the child of a career-military parent is six times as likely to make the military his career, while less than 1 percent of Americans serve.” [Today, on colleges all over America, we have tens of thousands of young “men” who are snowflakes who have to run to safe places on campus, cuddly with little dogs, to avoid opinions of others. Just a reminder to these “warriors” the same young men during WW II had safe places to go. They were called fox holes]. Should we br ing back the draft?
President Trump has increased the military budget.
This is what Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, stated in The Wall Street Journal on 6/12/17: “Only three of the Army’s 58 Brigade Combat Teams are “ready to fight tonight.”
More than half the Navy airplanes cannot fly because they are awaiting maintenance and spare parts. The Air Force is short 1,500 pilots and 3,000 mechanics, and its fleet is older and smaller than ever.
How did this happen? Since 2010 the defense budget has been cut by more than 20 percent, but the world has not become 20 percent safer.”
Question: Who was the Commander-in-Chief in 2010?
John Messina
East Williston
