Step Three: Active Duty Forces

U.S. Marines--as of Feb. 5, 2007, there were 179,695 U.S. Marines. If we drop our imperialistic pretensions, stop maintaining outdated policies and the means to execute them, recognize that we are not going to fight Russia or anyone else in a conventional war, discontiune a foreign policy that sanctions invading sovereign countries, and cease trying to dominate the world through a worldwide network of military installations this is more than enough conventional fighting force to defend us.

U.S. Navy--our present Navy has 332,000 personnel, 280 ships and 3,700 aircraft; this is ridiculous. Like so much of our military, it is several times overkill and under no believable scenario will it ever be utilized in the conflicts of the future. Huge naval battles are no more concievable than another land war in Europe. And because of staellite reconnissance and anti-ship missiles surface ships today are sitting ducks.

Navy units are necessary to suppport the Marines. We need a number of what are called expeditionary strike groups. Each consists of an amphibious assault ship (looks like a small aircraft carrier), a dock landing ship, an amphibious transport dock, a Marine expeditionary unit, airplanes, three kinds of heliocopters--heavy-lift, medium-lift and combat--and often cruisers, destroyers and attack submarines. We do not, however, need the current 12; six groups would still leave us with more of this type of moveable and self-sustaining force than all our potential enemies combined.

As progress is made on nuclear bomb elimination, the Navy of the future would begin to completely phase out ballistic submarines; of those remaining, some would be mothballed and some, now called attack submarines, would be shifted to a mission that is strictly defense.

As further support for the Marines, several aircraft carrier strike groups would be retained. They consist of a super carrier, air wing, three destroyers, one or two guided missile cruisers, two or three guided missile destroyers, two attack submarines and a supply ship. These floating bases, each with 10,000 people, now exist primarily to demonstrate our power anywhere in the world, an existence that is necessary only to sustain imperialism, it has nothing to do with protection of Americans. Again, reducing the present 12 to six--two at sea, two in port ready for sea, two training and refitting--would be sufficient.

Navy Special Warfare (NSW) units include sea, air and land forces--SEALs--as well as special warfare combatant-craft crewmen, who maintain and operate an inventory of high-performance boats and ships used for special operations missions and to support the SEALs. NSW has 5,400 active duty personnel including 2,450 SEALs and 600 combatant-craft crewmen plus support persons and would be retained as an asset in future small unit and anti-guerilla conflicts.

All other Navy operations would be subject to an eight-year program called Shutdown, Trim, Eliminate and Mothball (STEM). All operations should be examined with the objects of shutting down unneeded foreign and domestic ports and bases; trimming manpower; eliminating unnecessary weapons systems and other equipment; and mothballing ships and planes. Normal separation and retirement would take care of most of the manpower reduction with positions in the reserves offered as an alternative.

Even if only the modest goal of a 50 percent cut for the Navy is achieved, its budget would be reduced from the 2009 level of $150 billion to $75 billion.

U.S. Army--a standing Army the size of which we now have is justified by neither national defense nor cost; it mostly serves to further our imperialistic pretensions. A plan to eliminate the Army as it now exists should be undertaken through STEM. The first step would be to analyze all operational aspects in order to begin a phased shutting down of unneeded foreign and domestic bases, forts, camps and centers; trimming manpower; eliminating unnecessary weapons systems and other equipment; and mothballing what might be needed in the future. Soldiers would be given retirement packages, retrained for civilian occupations and offered positions in the reserves.

The Army now has seven Special Forces units each responsible for eight missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, counter-terrorism, counter proliferation, psychological operations and information operations. The units consists of three battalions and up to 3,600 soldiers; total strength is 25,000 well-trained individuals.

Although generally stationed in the U.S., each Special Forces unit is responsible for one of the seven geograhic areas into which the world has been divided for purposes of their missions. For example, the 5th Special Forces Group, headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky., has responsibility for the Middle East, Persian Gulf, central Asia and northeast Africa. These units would continue to have primary responsibility for dealing with terrorists and other non-conventional threats, including developing the systems to counter novel weaponry.

U.S. Air Force--the entire Air Force would be subject to STEM. For this branch in particular the key point would be defense of the United States. Our redundant nuclear capability, thousands of U.S. based planes, and the need for bombing missions to support invasions must be critically scrutinized. Most offensive weapons should be eliminated. A defensive force of 1,200 fighter planes and 43,500 personnel could be permanently retained in addition to what the Air Force needs temporarily to accomlpish its role in nuclear deterrence as discussed earlier.

The 10 existing special Air Force units should also be retained. Their mission would continue to be providing forward presence and engagement, information operations, precision employment and strike, and special operations forces mobility. Total manpower is approximately 12,000.

The bottom line--at the end of the eight-year STEM plan, a mobile, equipped and ready active force of just under 450,000 persons at an annual cost of $275 billion would be in place as the our first line of defense and to deal with any crisis.

Here's a summary of personnel required and the cost in millions of dollars:

Compare these totals to what is current: 1,377,474 active duty service persons at a projected 2009 cost of $515.4 billion, not including special war appropriations--Berkley Bedell and Jim Frost.