grow the force, II
RedState's military roundtable looks at Kerry's election promise of doubling the number of special operations forces (SOF) and goes into detail on why such men can't be mass-produced.
The recruitment issue boils down to two numbers:
1. How many young men in the general military population are physically and mentally capable of SOF?
2. What percentage of those men become SOF?
It is a fairly obvious statement that the answer to #2 is nowhere close to 100% (more likely, < 1%). However as the essay above makes clear, that percentage is likely impossible to raise. So the best route to increasing the pool of SOF is to address #1.
Namely, if the answer to #1 is N, and the answer to #2 is p, then the total number of SOF = Np. Since p is effectively fixed, N is the only variable left to adjust.
I think that we have to adopt a "trickle down" approach. Financial incentives therefore would serve to increase N - and broaden the pool of those men who might at some point be exposed to the opportunity to be challenged and inspired enough to consider SOF.
There are many young men in urban environments who are full of potential but are ultimately wasted. Any young punk on the street today can be a fearless warrior and honorable officer tomorrow. The issue is to increase the incentive for that punk to take a chance on a military career, to inspire them with a vision of something beyond their present existence.
Yes this means disproportionately target the underclass for recruitment. But what a majestic means of class uplift!
This is why I think that a new GI Bill for the 21st century - the need to grow the force, not build it - has promise to solve all the manpower issues, not just with SOF but also for the greater counterinsurgency role that teh general Army will be expected to play. More men attracted to military service means a rising tide that will float all boats.
The recruitment issue boils down to two numbers:
1. How many young men in the general military population are physically and mentally capable of SOF?
2. What percentage of those men become SOF?
It is a fairly obvious statement that the answer to #2 is nowhere close to 100% (more likely, < 1%). However as the essay above makes clear, that percentage is likely impossible to raise. So the best route to increasing the pool of SOF is to address #1.
Namely, if the answer to #1 is N, and the answer to #2 is p, then the total number of SOF = Np. Since p is effectively fixed, N is the only variable left to adjust.
I think that we have to adopt a "trickle down" approach. Financial incentives therefore would serve to increase N - and broaden the pool of those men who might at some point be exposed to the opportunity to be challenged and inspired enough to consider SOF.
There are many young men in urban environments who are full of potential but are ultimately wasted. Any young punk on the street today can be a fearless warrior and honorable officer tomorrow. The issue is to increase the incentive for that punk to take a chance on a military career, to inspire them with a vision of something beyond their present existence.
Yes this means disproportionately target the underclass for recruitment. But what a majestic means of class uplift!
This is why I think that a new GI Bill for the 21st century - the need to grow the force, not build it - has promise to solve all the manpower issues, not just with SOF but also for the greater counterinsurgency role that teh general Army will be expected to play. More men attracted to military service means a rising tide that will float all boats.
Comments
Everyone in Switzerland -- men and women -- are eligible for military service. All men are required to serve unless exempted. About 1/3 are exempted, so about 2/3 of all men serve.
Service is from about age 20 into your thirties. Officers server longer, into their forties or even beyond.
Everyone who serves is trained, is armed, and is responsible to do some national-guard level service.
The standing army per se is very small, some tens of thousands.
2/3 of the population of service-age American men is tens of millions of men. One percent of that is a very big number.
Thanks -