Never fear, new Nukes will soon be here!

originally posted by: Wrabbit2000
I heard they were accepting new recruits over 40 for a period of time at the height of the wars. So, apparently, it's not something totally out of the question.

I had them actively trying to get me to re-up Air Force when I hit 45. I told the guy "If you guys need me back, things must be pretty sad". But then, my old group tried to do the same through the back door a couple of years earlier with the "Mentor the Next Generation" scam. They sent you this very nicely done bit of tear jerking emotional prose, with "You learned from the best - now come back and pass on what you know" as the theme. Then they sent guys to the HOUSE trying to sell it - the unmentioned bottom line was that you had to re-up in the Guard, which was tantamount to saying "He's BAAAAAAACK!" I asked them "Once I'm in the Guard, what's to keep you from just sticking me back in the sand, instead of 'tutoring the next generation' in my spare time?" and got "We pinky swear". So I showed them the door.

a reply to: Bedlam

I'd say that that's hilarious because I got the same spiel!! But, you know...it's not. Reading between the lines, to me it meant "Mentoring - aka 'Get your ass downrange and take these kids with you'" I was the graybeard in 03 and again in the surge, with a nice vacation in scenic afghanistan in between. I'm in no rush to be daddy top again.

a reply to: Wrabbit2000

Never fear new nukes are here!

I wasn't fearful b4, but I am now.

A weapon unused is a useless weapon.

a reply to: Bedlam

On topic of your post, this was put on the Army site today

Army units headed to Eastern Europe

The US Army is sending one company of paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade to each of four countries in eastern Europe - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

Each company will stay in its deployed country for about one month - conducting live fire training exercises with the local military forces,

originally posted by: BobM88
a reply to: Bedlam

On topic of your post, this was put on the Army site today...

That's my old stomping ground. I actually would have no issues tutoring new charlies but # if I'm going to do that myself anymore at my age. I've slept on my last poncho liner, and 'travel light: freeze at night' no longer applies. We'd have to be in some hard core trouble before you'd stir my old ass up for that again.

Now, my buddy Bob, they let him have some special deal teaching people how to ride and maintain horses in combat, including lessons on how to do minor farrier work and tack repair. But he gets to go home every night. I'd happily take a deal like that.

a reply to: Wrabbit2000

Thanks for the post and info! Horrifically fascinating.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Zaph, and wrabbit2000, I thought struck yesterday and I'd like your feedback on it.

Just for arguments sake, lets assume that Putin's move in Crimea and eastern Ukraine would have been far less likely to have happened IF the Ukraine had maintained it's nuclear arsenal.

That the Ukraine has insufficient conventional means to stop Putin.

Now let's assume this fact is not lost upon the European/NATO members as they also have limited conventional means and no nuclear deterrent capability.

Now enter this gambit(?) with a new nuke deliverable by an F-35. A program suffering from borderline turkey perceptions world-wide with a huge financial investment stateside. Let's assume those new nukes aren't delivered for now but are held back "in case of" I.E. no violation of the Non Proliferation agreement...at this time.

But, if you buy F-35s, you have a chance of becoming a "nuclear power" over night...if the situation demands it. ( of course, once you have them, your not giving them back) Now, if you don't have any F-35s and your neighbors do, you left out in the cold and looking like a political moron to your own people.

The safe move becomes buy F-35s...just in case...... the real reason behind this "development"?

a reply to: nwtrucker

There are other reasons behind it as well, but that may have very well played a role in it.