[GK3]

Reading all that is depressing.  One armored division?? Really?  If our adversaries decide to play hardball and work together, we will sink or swim on airpower and sea power and the threat of nuclear retaliation. It almost feels what it must have been like in the 1930's and the Isolationist movement. Back then we might well have survived by sitting on our little island surrounded by ocean and letting the rest of the world go to hell in a handbasket.  I don't think that has a prayer of working in today.

It certainly won't work today. It wouldn't have worked in 1938 either. While the US was getting out of the depression, we weren't there yet. Without European commerce our economy would have nosedived again. We were at that point an exporting nation. Without customers, we were in a world of hurt. Getting "back to normal" would have been impossible.

A country has to have a Will to find a Way.  I am not sure we have that Will. It may take a Russian advance into Western Europe to create that Will.  Unfortunately, you don't instantly create well trained combat forces out of thin air.

You certainly can't create well trained (and well lead) combat forces out of thin air, as Ukraine has demonstrated. It literally takes at least a year to fully train a combat soldier. Yes, you can get by with much less, but only if the unit the lesser trained solder is joining has a lot of highly trained ones to help him (and hopefully keep him alive).   We certainly lack the Will at present. Our national leadership isn't even willing to talk about it. There is no problem, right? Our military leaders keep saying "Yes Sir, Yes Sir, 3 Bags Full Sir." as they reorganize yet again to "do more with less" as they lower standards and still can't meet their recruiting requirements. At least the leaders of the Luftwaffe had the courage to resign in response to irresponsible leadership by the politicians. Not that it helped.

Fortunately, we probably do have a few National Guard units who can fight, after that, not so much.

We have 8 ARNG Infantry divisions. Some of them have many soldiers who have experienced some "combat". Some of the units are undoubtedly "ready to go" today. Some units have been activated to fill "gaps" in the active forces. These current ARNG divisions are undoubtedly better than the ones called up for WW II but they are probably without exception not "ready to fight tonight" as a division. Parts are "ready", the whole is not.
After these are "used up", they call you and me.

 If I was a NATO country I would start getting a little worried.  I need a drink.

We are a NATO country and I am worried. I know I do. :-).

Leadership, Leadership, Leadership! It is all about leadership.
The junior officers from the First Gulf War are probably mostly retired or long gone from the service. Those from the Second are probably still around if they were any good.  Just because you pin a pair of railroad tracks on a man's shoulders doesn't make him a leader, same with the chevrons of an NCO.  Back in my day, way too many men died because the man in charge was not a leader and had no clue what he was doing. Of course 90 day wonders have been fed into the meat grinder far too many times and not just in Viet Nam.  JFK's adage, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country" still rings true for me. If the world continues on its current path we are going to have to make some hard decisions as a country regarding the draft and national service.

[GK3]

Reading all that is depressing.  One armored division?? Really?  If our adversaries decide to play hardball and work together, we will sink or swim on airpower and sea power and the threat of nuclear retaliation. It almost feels what it must have been like in the 1930's and the Isolationist movement. Back then we might well have survived by sitting on our little island surrounded by ocean and letting the rest of the world go to hell in a handbasket.  I don't think that has a prayer of working in today.

It certainly won't work today. It wouldn't have worked in 1938 either. While the US was getting out of the depression, we weren't there yet. Without European commerce our economy would have nosedived again. We were at that point an exporting nation. Without customers, we were in a world of hurt. Getting "back to normal" would have been impossible.

A country has to have a Will to find a Way.  I am not sure we have that Will. It may take a Russian advance into Western Europe to create that Will.  Unfortunately, you don't instantly create well trained combat forces out of thin air.

You certainly can't create well trained (and well lead) combat forces out of thin air, as Ukraine has demonstrated. It literally takes at least a year to fully train a combat soldier. Yes, you can get by with much less, but only if the unit the lesser trained solder is joining has a lot of highly trained ones to help him (and hopefully keep him alive).   We certainly lack the Will at present. Our national leadership isn't even willing to talk about it. There is no problem, right? Our military leaders keep saying "Yes Sir, Yes Sir, 3 Bags Full Sir." as they reorganize yet again to "do more with less" as they lower standards and still can't meet their recruiting requirements. At least the leaders of the Luftwaffe had the courage to resign in response to irresponsible leadership by the politicians. Not that it helped.

Fortunately, we probably do have a few National Guard units who can fight, after that, not so much.

We have 8 ARNG Infantry divisions. Some of them have many soldiers who have experienced some "combat". Some of the units are undoubtedly "ready to go" today. Some units have been activated to fill "gaps" in the active forces. These current ARNG divisions are undoubtedly better than the ones called up for WW II but they are probably without exception not "ready to fight tonight" as a division. Parts are "ready", the whole is not.
After these are "used up", they call you and me.

 If I was a NATO country I would start getting a little worried.  I need a drink.

We are a NATO country and I am worried. I know I do. :-).

Leadership, Leadership, Leadership! It is all about leadership.
The junior officers from the First Gulf War are probably mostly retired or long gone from the service. Those from the Second are probably still around if they were any good.  Just because you pin a pair of railroad tracks on a man's shoulders doesn't make him a leader, same with the chevrons of an NCO.  Back in my day, way too many men died because the man in charge was not a leader and had no clue what he was doing. Of course 90 day wonders have been fed into the meat grinder far too many times and not just in Viet Nam.  JFK's adage, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country" still rings true for me. If the world continues on its current path we are going to have to make some hard decisions as a country regarding the draft and national service.