Army - 5 BCTs set to inactivate this year; MEBs also going away

NorwichDad

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Stange thing is I have been seeing so many commercials to join the Army lately. Even the strange one discussed on another thread.

“The Army has a plan to accelerate the downsizing of the Army’s active component end-strength to 490,000 by [fiscal year 2015] instead of FY17 in order to achieve necessary cost savings to fund critical programs.

http://www.militarytimes.com/articl...-to-inactivate-this-year-MEBs-also-going-away
 
Did quite a bit of research on this in one of my classes this year. Its going to be interesting to see how it works out. Even with downsizing, there's a need to continue to recruit so you keep the right proportions of all ranks and jobs. Additionally, where one field/MOS may be downsizing, another may be hurting for people. The Army will hopefully learn a lot from the lessons the downsizing in the 90's taught us
 
Speaking strictly from experience, some of which occurred 20 years ago, I can see the Army and the Marine Corps pushing recruiting for the following reasons:

1) we still have troops in combat zones and will for a foreseeable future

2) they still have members who were wounded or otherwise injured who are going through the PEB process.

3) there is 'dead wood' in the ranks that commanders wish to remove.

During the Clinton drawdown during the early to mid 90's the Corps actually increased recruiting standards and minimally lowered recruiting goals to remake the force into a brighter, better educated force. This led to a more professional Marine Corps that was better prepared when 9/11 occurred. I believe all branches did similar things. As a result, it is not uncommon to see a Senior SNCO (E8-E9) that holds Master Degree's.

Good points, what may also help with turnover is an improving economy. We will see. I dont think the economy came around in the 90s until later in the decade.
 
Did quite a bit of research on this in one of my classes this year. Its going to be interesting to see how it works out. Even with downsizing, there's a need to continue to recruit so you keep the right proportions of all ranks and jobs. Additionally, where one field/MOS may be downsizing, another may be hurting for people. The Army will hopefully learn a lot from the lessons the downsizing in the 90's taught us

The biggest challenge will be retaining "good" mid grade soldiers.

Initial entry soldiers should be easier to manage by changing accession standards.

Most soldiers with 12 to 14 years will stick around for retirement and these soldiers can be managed through retention boards or early retirement. In case some of you are not aware, the Army is holding retention boards for CPTs and MAJs in 2014. The initial notice went out back in October 2013 (I think).

But for junior CPTs and newly minted NCOs, how do we retrain them when we can't tell them what the future holds?
 
But for junior CPTs and newly minted NCOs, how do we retrain them when we can't tell them what the future holds?

.....Freudian slip there.
 
But for junior CPTs and newly minted NCOs, how do we retrain them when we can't tell them what the future holds?

.....Freudian slip there.

Getting old and not paying attention, meant "retain".

"Retrain" applies to an old soldier like me, join to fight when called upon and not to be armed peace corps member.
 
The biggest challenge will be retaining "good" mid grade soldiers.

Initial entry soldiers should be easier to manage by changing accession standards.

Most soldiers with 12 to 14 years will stick around for retirement and these soldiers can be managed through retention boards or early retirement. In case some of you are not aware, the Army is holding retention boards for CPTs and MAJs in 2014. The initial notice went out back in October 2013 (I think).

But for junior CPTs and newly minted NCOs, how do we retrain them when we can't tell them what the future holds?


That's exactly the challenges my professors have had us working on. Also, the rotating faculty on post now is around the year group which these kinds of boards are starting to impact.

Obviously as cadets, we're not in a position to have a world of experience but its the Army we're going to be entering. Its important for us to understand how the Army's evolved over time and what that could mean for our forces in the future. My dad faced similar issues in his early part of his career and we've had some really good conversations about it.

For the individual, it means you need to make sure you're doing the best you can at everything; don't give them a reason to cut you by making stupid mistakes that may have been overlooked before. Even just looking at the disciplinary actions taken against cadets in the last year compared to my plebe year when I came in, there's a difference.
 
The Army is reducing Brigades but it will be adding another maneuver battalion to each Brigade as well (3 versus 2). Along with that comes additional engineering and support companies per Brigade.

They are definitely reducing the end strength as shown by the Separation Boards previously discussed. Still, they need new blood.
 
The Army is reducing Brigades but it will be adding another maneuver battalion to each Brigade as well (3 versus 2). Along with that comes additional engineering and support companies per Brigade.

They are definitely reducing the end strength as shown by the Separation Boards previously discussed. Still, they need new blood.

Does this mean more per capita opportunity for becoming an Engineer, Military Police, Logistics, or EOD officer? (There are more of course but those came to mind first)
 
Does this mean more per capita opportunity for becoming an Engineer, Military Police, Logistics, or EOD officer? (There are more of course but those came to mind first)

In an actually tangible sense, probably not. Just sort of reshuffling the deck.
 
The Army is reducing Brigades but it will be adding another maneuver battalion to each Brigade as well (3 versus 2). Along with that comes additional engineering and support companies per Brigade.

They are definitely reducing the end strength as shown by the Separation Boards previously discussed. Still, they need new blood.

The way I understand it, and maybe you can shed light, is that the brigades that are deactivating are spreading their battalions amongst the other brigades which is where the additional maneuver battalions come from. Essentially just eliminating the staffs and structure associated with an additional brigade. Am I understanding correctly? Thanks
 
The way I understand it, and maybe you can shed light, is that the brigades that are deactivating are spreading their battalions amongst the other brigades which is where the additional maneuver battalions come from. Essentially just eliminating the staffs and structure associated with an additional brigade. Am I understanding correctly? Thanks

Basically yes. There will be a net loss of Brigades and Battalions but the remaining Brigades will be larger. An Armored Brigade will go from two maneuver Battalions to three maneuver Battalions.

There are other changes, though. Some Armored Brigades are becoming Stryker Brigades.

Some Battalions will case their colors though.
 
There are other changes, though. Some Armored Brigades are becoming Stryker Brigades.

Some Battalions will case their colors though.

Yea, I heard about this over the summer. One of the BCTs I worked with this summer at Ft Carson is losing Abrams and gaining the double V-hull Strykers. Should be interesting to see this all work out
 
The Army is reducing Brigades but it will be adding another maneuver battalion to each Brigade as well (3 versus 2). Along with that comes additional engineering and support companies per Brigade.

They are definitely reducing the end strength as shown by the Separation Boards previously discussed. Still, they need new blood.

What is a maneuver battalion?

Thanks in advance.

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
What is a maneuver battalion?

Thanks in advance.

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app

Light Infantry Battalions, Stryker Infantry Battalions, and Armor/Mechanized Infantry Combined Arms Battalions are classified as maneuver battalions.

In a brigade combat team you will also have a recon squadron (either Light, Stryker or Bradley/HMMWV depending on the type of brigade), a fires battalion (field artillery), an engineer battalion and a support battalion. 7 total battalions.
 
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