Last report I read said that y'all were buying up aircrafts like you were planning on carpet bombing everyone...

Right, we export civilian aircraft.
We don't have know-how for jet fighters and the Air Force has been trying to buy new ones since 1999. So you better sit down while you wait for the President's decision.

I say trade our old ones for oil. America LOVES to be on the cutting edge of technology, despite the cost and the fact we don't use half the shit we buy.

@Christian Lafay
Well, thats the thing with most nations.
I remember the german army buying Euro fighters just to realize they did not have enough armys to buy the weapons for them too. But hey, who needs weapons, if you can have a fancy aircraft?

What can I say? I'm a firm believer of form over function. I'm so sad all those MOABs aren't being used.

Such as using bombs, rockets, and guided mortar rounds that cost twenty-five times what the Technical they just took out cost.

But then you get some really smart armies like the Frenc Army that used concrete bombs to crush Lybian tanks.

I still think Maddox had the best idea. Take a C-130, load it with pennies (not rolls, loose), fly over the enemy and drop. It takes a long time thing into one act. Attack, war crime, and reparations all in one.

IIRC, it was a guided concrete bomb.

The guidance system was more expensive than the tank, crew training/food/whatever, and ammo/fuel combined. (Of course, we shouldn't put a price on human life. We're not Megas after all.).

Counterpoint - how many of the less expensive munitions were needed to take out the Technical?

One well placed 50 cal round through the engine block and one through the mounted weapons assembly for non tanks. For tanks, one satchel charge and a guy who can do an amazing baseball slide.

Plus a few thousand bullets that aren't well placed and a bunch of guys who slide like they're still in little league get spent as well..

Why we should focus more on specialist then general soldiers for specialized situations. When I went through Basic training I was scared shitless of the way a lot my fellow soldiers were "prepared" for war. My only comforting thought was that most soldiers never see warfare. And if we lose little leaguers then we pull something from the Soviet's playbook and train remote detonated dogs to run under their equipment, instead of ours (the part the Soviet's missed).

Boots on the ground or elite soldiers, which do you pay for? The US, for all it's training, is more focused on manpower, and gadgets. They're highly trained, yes, but are very specialized in what they know.

Canada, in comparison, knows it's numbers are going to be limited by politicians, and also has a tradition of being highly trained, so had the basic training manual written by the British SAS, and then heavily cross-trained. Less high-tech gadgets (Except commo), but able to do more with what they have.

On one side, you have forces you can send all over the place (US) and rotate through so you don't overwork everyone and gear, or to one place (Canada) and wear out what equipment you have.

All depends on how you use the forces you have, and what plans you have for a military force.

All good points. I just worry that America's battle strategy is so frighteningly archaic. "Best equipment and more troops can win any war", which is laughable because it was the exact opposite that got us our independence. Look at our current "war". General McChrystal (before talking to Rolling Stone) released a notice saying that if anyone told him they had a solution to the current combat problem he would dismiss them entirely because that person surely didn't understand all the complexities of the situation. Bullshit. We're attempting to use a World War mentality in a situation that is far from it. The best we can hope for is our staggering number of no-highschool-diploma soldiers looking like an unstoppable force. The Big Dog philosophy.

Quick Side Note: My Drill Sergeants made me pay for all my anti-military views. But I think all that extra PT made me one of the deadliest men of my platoon, so go figure.

Do not be afraid. Most of your europien allys adopt the same kind of thinking. You only consider the things you have on your map (and add a big heap of lobby interests) and do not give a crap on the situation in the real world.

There was an interview with a german soldier at the beginning of afghanistan. He stated, that it is impossible to succeed, because they do not have the means to build an infrastructure to take care of the security and basic needs of the civil population.
And after 10 years we see, we did not succeed because the civil population is afraid of beeing killed by the taliban at night if they cooperate and we have major problems with the infrastructure. Well, who would have known that...

That are bought by our government, despite being noticeably crappier than what the European companies make for the same price. And apparently nobody is bothered, bar one newspaper run by a former spokesman of the communist regime. That often digs up dirt against pretty much eveyone and rarely has to back out of it.

Curious... You have heavy anti-military views, and yet you joined a voluntary only military? That's... Odd.
What branch of the service were you in, if I may ask.

Ask away. I'm proud of the time I spent in the military and have many fond memories, just think the direction is wrong. I was in the US Army and trained to be an "intel-ranger". I like to consider myself a patriot in the same sense as the Tea Party, that being the men who committed acts of vandalism in Boston. I would love to call myself an anarchist but the title brings up too much studded leather and mohawks for my liking. I joined the military to see if my views on the government were as I suspected. And it's easier to become a soldier than it is to become a politician. But even with my views on the military being that it is bass-ackwards I still did my training and my job to the best of my ability. And for those of you thinking of going into the military never debate with an intelligent Drill Sergeant. Despite how calm and collected they are when showing how you are wrong on your views they will flip shit on the topic of self-governing actions in the realm of "threats, foreign and domestic" if you say the name Timothy McVeigh.

Thanks...
Appreciate the Information.

And yes, Never debate with a DI. The ones I had in the Corps were exceedingly intelligent. And really, really BIG. My Senior DI routinely worked out with 380 Lbs on the bench press. His arms were as big around (if not bigger) as my thighs (26.25" for reference).

I don't think I would have talked to that man. Period. Just maybe cried in fear. But it's my own fault really, getting a thinking MOS I thought the Army would be happy I could think.

Heh...
He was an impressive specimen to be sure.
But then again, Most Marine Corps DI's are.

I had the opportunities to go anywhere in the Corps, but Chose the Infantry. At least then I got to blow stuff up.
After the First Gulf War, when I wanted to actually go into the Intel Field, well, my MOS was frozen for transfers (too many people getting out - Should have transferred before the War it turned out). And since my Promotions were frozen for my Pay Grade (Too Many E5's and E6's) I could not get promoted before mandatory "retirement" at 13 years (You must be E6 by 13th year to continue on to 20). So, No transfers, and No Promotions, so I got out. *shrug*

I would not change it for the world, though. And I got to learn a LOT of really great things that have absolutely no application in the Real World (Unless I wanted to be a Merc or PMC).
Semper Fi...

Like I said, I may not agree with it but I did it the best I could and wouldn't change a thing so I get what your're saying. And I'm honestly surprised they wouldn't let you go intel, but that is from an Army thinking. Many of our intelligence were the guys who were running with infantry and special forces to get data on the spot. Sounds like it may have been right up your alley.

Yeah, it would have been perfect. Unfortunately, I should have taken it when I enlisted. Or at least prior to the First Gulf War. Ah well. It turned out okay in the end.