tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post7316600881426894534..comments2024-03-20T12:03:26.126+00:00Comments on Thin Pinstriped Line: What have the 2*s ever done for us? (apart from lead, manage and command the military?)Sir Humphreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-15668849227903855842012-02-23T22:51:51.699+00:002012-02-23T22:51:51.699+00:00SH,
It is no surprise to me you know so many DAs....SH,<br /><br />It is no surprise to me you know so many DAs. It is a surprise that they do anything particularly useful - never did for me (different gig to you though).<br /><br />We have been downscaling for rather more than 20 years. Oddly enough, I worked on a programme a few years back which was supposed to look at the long term prospects for the size of the British armed forces by looking at the historical trend, of course not adjusted for strategic change - it wont surprise you we had to pay a fortune to Quinetic for them to state the bleeding obvious.<br /><br />What is, or was, rather more startling was the Department's assumption that the pattern was not expected to hit a critical mass below which it could not continue in the next 30 years (now 25). This being the case, we need to look at our mates.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-41165402570576242822012-02-23T22:09:28.260+00:002012-02-23T22:09:28.260+00:00I think the US would have far more generals if it ...I think the US would have far more generals if it could, were it not limited by congress. Its much easier to keep people in for a career if they think they can get promoted! <br /><br />I think the problem is that people see an issue where there isn't one. There are 130 people out of over 200,000 occupying the top 4 rank slots - the vast majority of these are occupying 2* jobs, and from next year, only 7 of these posts will be 4* jobs (Chiefs, JFC, and the DSACEUR post) - the US has nearly 40 4* officers still. <br /><br />I personally believe we will see a further decline in the overrall numbers, but this will take a couple of years as the shape of the Forces emerges as part of the Force 2020 construct. We'll no doubt see less, but thats the point - we've been downscaling for 20 years, but the public continue to believe we have nothing but Field Marshals in service. The reverse could not be more true - It seems that every meaningful naval post other than service chiefs has been downgraded, or multi-hatted to make it more than one job in recent years. <br /><br />As it happens, I know plenty of DAs, and not only are many of them extremely good, but also they provide a valuable link in country. I often feel that people seeing their role as a jolly is often jealousy mixed up with a misunderstanding of how crucial a role it really is.Sir Humphreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-84785270598044303502012-02-23T20:21:48.356+00:002012-02-23T20:21:48.356+00:00Interesting rebuttal of TrT, but its not really a ...Interesting rebuttal of TrT, but its not really a rebuttal at all is it?<br /><br />Fact is, if our closest ally has down graded its rank structure, the "representational" nature of the 2* in Washington does not really make sense. Surely you can see that? We are in danger of "Idi Amining" our forces - but of course Amin was taken much more seriously when he appointed himself a Field Marshall, wasn't he?<br /><br />Of course, it suits our forces to pretend that diplomacy will suffer were we to downscale appointments - but that is not true is it?<br /><br />Look at the people sent on these DA posts - you must know some. I have certainly known quite a few and they are for the most part at the end of their career path. Perhaps it would not be too much to say the posts are a jolly for more than a few.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-24906800200530682302012-02-23T16:37:15.904+00:002012-02-23T16:37:15.904+00:00@TRT - the US has got a congressional ceiling on i...@TRT - the US has got a congressional ceiling on its upper military strength. They have essentially shifted one grade downwards for the bulk of their appointments - e.g. you see a lot of US full colonels doing jobs that UK 1*s would do. <br /><br />There is no DA in Botswana - I believe the representation is covered either by one of the two staff in South Africa, or the single DA in Harare, the highest ranking of whom is a Colonel.Sir Humphreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-53749020662845985312012-02-23T15:43:15.819+00:002012-02-23T15:43:15.819+00:00I have no doubt that these people are very busy an...I have no doubt that these people are very busy and work very hard.<br />But being busy and working hard is not the same as accomplishing tasks of value.<br /><br />Recently, I read that the US army, with an active strength of 550,000 and a total strength of 1,100,000 has 300 "Generals".<br />The British army, of 110,000 and 250,000 comparitive has 200 "Generals".<br />One fifth of the manpower, but three fifths of the generals.<br /><br />Do we need a Field Marshall in Botswana?<br />Why, its not 1895 anymore, if the President needed his ego polishing, Davind Cameron could jump onto video chat for twenty minutes<br />Does the Field Marshall in Botswana need to be a Field Marshall? Send a Lt Col brevetted to Warmaster...<br /><br /><br />How do we compare to the Germans, or the Swedes, or the Israelis, or the Swiss?<br />Or even the Russians?<br /><br />Do they "keep up with the Jones'"?TrThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07316335177828136131noreply@blogger.com