Milley urges 'relook' at permanent overseas basing of troops

Manpower is probably the DoDs biggest expense. I have said for a while now the US should put a lot more of its combat forces in the Reserves and National Guard. Keep the training, logistics, research and development and procurement organizations full time but majority of the ground combat elements should be reserves. The Navy and Air Force could put half their forces in an active reserve status.

The next change would be to change the drill format and annual one week of active duty training to something different, spread out over two years culminating in a six or maybe even eight week active duty period, long enough to deploy abroad to Europe, Japan or South Korea. After the eight week active duty period the unit would stand down for a couple of months with no drill, then drill every six weeks for a time, ramping up to monthly drills. In the six months before the next deployment the unit would move from drilling every four weeks to every three as it works up for deployment, then every other week the month before deploying. Something along those lines. Money saved on payrolls could be used for new equipment and expanding the size of the Navy and Air Force, with half the Navy in an active reserve status ready to go if necessary but normally not cruising. Navy and Air Force Reserve air wings along with National Guard air wings could share continental air defense duties to keep pilot skills honed.

I will also add that the Navy at least could save money developing its weapons in house. It has the talent and their civilian wage rates are lot lower than those of the big defense contractors. Much of the technology used in weapons made by the big defense contractors is developed in DoD labs on the taxpayers dime anyway. Then it is handed off to big corporations to use in new weapons. When it comes time to actually manufacture the developed weapon most of the work is done by an army of subcontractors. The Lockheed Martins and Raytheons of the world just screw other companies parts together. The military could do much of what the big defense contractors do now and save money doing it.

The best solution is to double the military pay for anyone who is single, no significant other and has no dependent children. If the person wants to bring anyone to Japan, Korea, Germany, etc. to live with him/her, it is at his/her expense.

The best solution is to double the military pay for anyone who is single, no significant other and has no dependent children. If the person wants to bring anyone to Japan, Korea, Germany, etc. to live with him/her, it is at his/her expense.

The strength of most western military organizations and especially that of the US military is their mid and senior grade career enlisted people. They are the people who make things happen. They have the experience to know before being told what needs to be done and they get it done. They organize and train the new recruits and do the hands on technical work of fixing broken aircraft, ships and military vehicles. A smart military wants to retain these people as their experience and training are almost priceless. Your suggestion would drive these people out. They want a family and now you are telling them they are not worth as much as their single counterparts. People will just leave and it would gut the services. The best choice is, as Gen Milley said, keep the dependents at home and deploy forces on a rotational basis from bases in the US.