Major Reorganization of US Army - Emphasize National Guards and State Militias over Nationwide Army

Peace
1

The primary goal of the US Military - other than “Kill People and Break Stuff” - is to defend the United States in military conflict. Typically, this is only necessary when the United States is actually at an official state of war, as declared by Congress.

At present, it is extremely easy to send US troops to places where they do not need to be for questionable reasons.

As a means of decreasing unnecessary US military activity, the United States should overhaul the current system that the US army operates. Rather than a large national US Army, the Army would instead primarily consist of National Guard and militia forces that are based on a state-by-state level. The national army would be minimized in size, while the State National Guard and Militias would be increased to compensate.

The US Army wouldn’t be disbanded entirely, but it would mostly consist of a small number of officers (mostly Generals) who exist to coordinate between the State forces and provide national-level leadership in case of actual war.

Unless the United States is actually attacked, or war is officially declared, it would be far more difficult to deploy the US Army for unnecessary military operations.

In circumstances where there is still a genuine need for the US to deploy its military muscle in emergency circumstances, the other US military branches - Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force - would maintain the same core organizational structure.

2 Likes
2

You obviously have not served in the military. Peace thru strength. A fraud waste and abuse hot line I could educate you on some of the thing going on in the military.

2 Likes
3

Could you please give an actual response rather than using an unnecessary number of words to just say “Your idea is bad”?

4

This would take a constitutional amendment as the formation of the Army and the Navy is in the constitution. So very unfeasible, won’t happen.

5

I agree with this policy. It offers states a “vote” to go to war. If the state decides a foreign war is not in our interest then it refuses to send it’s young men and women.

However, the nature of war is changing so fast that we will be completely autonomous in short order. That’s why they’ve given up recruitment strategies and ensuring that we have standing army capacity (70% of young men are ineligible due to health).

I like the direction of this thinking, however!

6

There is no provision for either Army or Navy in the Constitution; past funding for it being controlled by congress, and POTUS being CiC

7

Article 1 clause 12 13 and 14

8

This was the original configuration modeled after the Swiss military. (The modern equivalent is like the E.U. member-states’ militaries, though they don’t exactly have a unified E.U. Military, while our Union does.) They are answerable only to their commander-in-chief, the executive of the member-state (the governor in our context).

There’s the Texas State Guard,

… as well as the recently-revived Florida State Guard.

And it’s not just a Republican thing, since both California & New York also have theirs.

Unfortunately, not all our member-states have their activated. My neighbor South Carolina has theirs.
https://sg.sc.gov/
But my North Carolina only has it in the books.
https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_127A.html

IF the State citizen-militia were revived, it would crowd-out the Federal, so forever-wars abroad would be too difficult to implement, we’d still be safe, and we’re probably going to be a fitter, more disciplined people.

9

The Constitution give Congress the authority to raise Armies and a Navy. Only Congress has that power.