Heard of this "Blue to Green" program in the Air Force?

[Marr]

I have a friend who's career Air Force, and he told me the Air Force has been instituting a serious draw-down in their force size recently; ditching something in the neighborhood of 40,000 personnel.

But the thing is, they tell the people (officers and enlisted alike), that they can only stay in the military if they switch over to the Army. This is how they're recruiting for the Army now- they're cannibalizing the Air Force.

[BlueStateGirl]

1. ABC News is doing a story right now about the shortage of Army personnel.

They need another 60,000 troops to be able to meet current and future obligations.

[Warpy]

5. Meanwhile there was a story out last week (or 2 weeks ago?)

that the army had been meeting its recruitment goals.

I was wondering what universe that was in, but now it makes sense. They're meeting their goals by cannibalizing the other services.

[wakeme2008]

2. Right... Sign new recruits up for the Air Force and switch old AF types

to the Army... It is the Rummy way... :grr:

[tabasco]

3. About 2 years ago they ran a volunteer blue to green program.

Trying to get Navy and USAF people to switch over.

The idiots expected something like 17,000 to take the deal.

I think less than 1000 volunteered and they scrapped the program.

It's not surprising that they made it mandatory.

They need boots on the ground in Iraq.

They say that recruiting is going great, but stuff like this shows how desperate they are.

The Pentagon crowed about making this year's quota, but forgot to mention they lowered quotas and lowered standards. Also no discussion of making up last years 8000 recruit shortfall. Ground units are really hurtin g for troops right now.

[peacetalksforall]

4. slime and slimey slimes nt

[true_notes]

6. Yes! and I know a lot about it.

It was used as a tactic to get sailors and airmen to convert from their "Boring Desk Jobs" to a full blown infantryman. The dumbasses blitzed us with ads telling us of the "glories of battle" on AFN (Military Television) and how much more patriotic we would be if we crossed over to get shot.

Not only that, the Navy and Airforce are cutting manning on a plethora of things, so it's no surprise they were trying to rid themselves of us.

Now the Navy has a program called IA. IA means Individual Augmentee. It's a voluntary force of sailors who have had very very very limited combat training, and I cannot emphazize limited enough to fill in ranks along side the Army and Marines. They only go through a 12 day "familiarization" course on an Army base, then soon thereafter, they are sent to either Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti, or Kuwait for Duty.

I signed up for the Navy, not as a bullet catcher. 2 more years....I'll be a hippy again hehehe.

Peace out

[tabasco]

7. Godspeed to ya' bro!

I hope they let you out.

Don't go near the Army because they are fucking the Army HARD.

I got out and I am enjoying the hippy lifestyle now myself. :smoke: