Understanding Military Downsizing Case Study

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Understanding Military Downsizing BUS 610 Dr. Prior February 25, 2012 Understanding Military Downsizing On October 21st, 2011, President Obama held a press conference, one of many actually, where he stated “virtually all U.S. troops will come home from Iraq by the end of the year -- at which point he can declare an end to America's long and costly war in that Middle Eastern nation.” (cnn.com, 2010) Over the past nine years, in order to even fight the “War on Terrorism” as previous President Bush once said, the military branches had to increase their fighting strength and with September 11th still fresh in most peoples’ minds, this was not a difficult task. People from all walks of life and from every corner of the United States, were joining the service to help fight terrorist activities in Afghanistan and Iraq. While the Iraq war was going on, the world economy took a major hit which caused even more people to join the military services. So the influx of people wanting to join the service from the result of September 11th and the economic downturn has…show more content…
With no more conflict(s) to fight or any future conflicts on the horizon, a reduction in force is practical. It reduces the amount of tax money being spent which I’m sure everyone would be thankful given our current debt crisis. However everyone, both military and civilian lawmakers, need to understand what a downsizing in military force means and who it affects. This particular downsizing, especially while the economy is still in the slumps, is affecting everyone. Not only is it affecting the people who are being sent home with the unemployment rate still high, but it is also affecting the people who are staying. The military needs to understand who exactly it is affecting, the proper way to approach this endeavor and what it will mean in the long run for the effectiveness of the US Military to handle future
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