You just gotta love how US military say everything openly and in their reports. In particular, it has a forecast of US casualties and mobilization reserves in a conflict of this level.

Thesis:

  • military doctors project a [KIA and WIA] casualty rate for the US Armed Forces of 3,600\day.
  • The combat replenishment rate is 25% or 800 troops per day.
  • In 20 years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. has lost about 50,000 people.

In a conflict of the Ukrainian level, the U.S. would suffer such losses in 2 weeks.

  • The recruitment shortage is a major problem.
  • every soldier not recruited today is a strategic mobility asset [IRR or reservists] that the US will not have in 2031**
  • IRR was 700K in 1973, 450K in 1994, now at 76K.
  • These numbers will not make up for the projected losses.
  • the 70’s concept of contract forces is outdated and does not fit the current operational environment.
  • The needs of the U.S. Armed Forces for a Ukrainian-level war require a transition to conscription.

  • ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    They have extreme enlistment requirements. For example, if you have ADHD, Autism, or depression in any form, even if you have treatment or are completely the same as a nuerotypical person, you are still barred entry.

    Same goes for any form of drug use. A whole list of genetic or physical issues, and so on. They’ve limited their pool significantly.

    • olgas_husband@lemmygrad.ml
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      1 year ago

      depression and drug use, physical issues

      lmao, so basically no usian can make in, psychological problems are sky rocketing because of shit living conditions + fentanyl addicts + people with diseases from low quality food like high blood pressure or diabetes.

      speaking serious now, i fucking bet that in case a war breaks out, they will lift these restrictions immediately and send the “undesirables” to die, with the exception of prisoners jails are private and having people release could result in profit loss.

      • ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml
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        1 year ago

        They’ve already done that.

        Look up “McNamara’s Morons”. The US lifted those restrictions during the Vietnam war, and those units had a casualty rate of nearly 3 times that of standard units.

            • Shrike502@lemmygrad.ml
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              1 year ago

              And I’m still wondering how could there be people who know these things, who know about Tuskegee trials, MOVE bombing, fuckin Bonus Army - and still cheer for USA, or at least “liberal democracy”. But nope, somehow in their mind USSR is still worse

        • Dessa@lemmygrad.ml
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          1 year ago

          Holy shit, I never expected there ti be an actual RL explanation for Forrest Gump and Bubba

          • ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml
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            1 year ago

            Yep, they were part of Project 100,000, if you also notice during those scenes, the other men in their platoon have some physical disabilities, alcoholism, poor eyesight, under/overweight, and other “McNamara” traits.

      • very_poggers_gay [they/them]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        It’s like a new contradiction unlocked: The government and military industrial complex needed to starve people of health, opportunity, and fulfillment so that they would be compelled to join the armed forces (which promised those things), but people are so sick and jaded that they are either unwilling to fight for a gov’t that is forcing them into sickness, or they are simply too sick to be let in

      • usernamesaredifficul [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        exception of prisoners jails are private and having people release could result in profit loss

        not if you pay the prisons to recruit prisoners.

        someone please take the lathe away from me

    • uralsolo [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      IMO those requirements exist to give the military a certain class character, at least for now. There’s a waiver for everything and during times like the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq they had no problem softening the requirements in order to put a lot more poor people in the path of enemy bullets.

      • ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml
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        1 year ago

        Well, technically you can have ADHD, you just can’t have any stimulants or treatment.

        Which is a bit ironic given the fact that almost all modern day soldiers in all armies are issued a massive emergency dose of stimulants as part of their combat gear.