The Army National Guard is reorganizing its brigades, moving most of them under the command of its eight-division headquarters to prepare for large-scale conflicts with Russia or China. The move will increase the Army’s fully manned divisions that it can deploy from 10 to 18.
The reshuffling of National Guard forces reflects the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) that outlined the Pentagon’s shift away from counterterrorism to “great power competition.” A military confrontation with Russia or China, or “peer competitors” as US officials call them, would require much greater manpower than counterterrorism operations in the Middle East and North Africa.
“When you look at the National Defense Strategy and competition among near-peer competitors, peer competitors — that great power competition, there is a potential for large-scale combat operations … it could actually be division level fights,” Lt. Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the director of the National Guard, said in an interview.
Actions and rhetoric coming from the Trump administration reflect the strategy outlined in the NDS. Although US military operations in the Middle East show no sign of slowing down, there has been an increased military presence in the South China Sea to confront Beijing.
While the administration announced troop cuts from Germany, the US has also established a permanent military presence in Poland, and more troops might deploy to Baltic states, closer to Russia’s border.
That’s irrational; large scale conflict with China and Russia…. where?
Syria? The African Sahel?
The Eurasians have the overwhelming force advantage in the Ukraine, South China Sea, Black Sea and Barents.
This is more like a pretext to ready the National Guard for renewed aggression in the usual quagmires plus new wars as the Trump Presidency enters its terminal lame duck phase.
That is the question of all questions. Looking at the strange plunge of US-China relations into the abyss of condescending, ideological rants — is Trump administration really going to pull a war, bad enough to delay elections?
I am not sure that would be in his interest. He may have had good chances as peace time, prosperity president. But I cannot see him as person people can rally behind in crisis. He would more likely be blamed for it.
Bianca,,Prez. has been made impotent long ago by the deep state and DC. Ghouls,,he has no real power left. Time to put stooge JB at the helm. HuRaHH!
Actually, the duly elected President is critical to the legitimacy of the Deep State.
Without the elected officials, including an elected President, the Deep State has no legitimacy, because the Deep State legally exists in the service of the public government.
If there is no legitimate public government – which is only legitimate if elected – then there is no legitimate Deep State.
Even if there were a nuclear war, the Constitution by default requires a duly elected government must exist to legitimize everything the government does.
If there were no more elections, governmental inertia would last as long as the last Cabinet.
Sorry for the delayed reply; busy week.
Trump is not likely to delay elections. That’s actually a troll to his opponents; they want to return to power so bad, they desperately want this election.
Constitutionally, there is no provision for delaying a Presidential election. However, under the 22nd Amendment, President Trump’s term ends Jan 20, 2021.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-04-13/can-trump-postpone-2020-election-here-s-what-constitution-says
Furthermore, power would not default to to Nancy Pelosi, presently Speaker of the House.
Under Article I, Section 2, and the 17th Amendment, Congress and the Senate also must face election at fixed dates.
So, if only the Presidential segment of the general elections is delayed, Speaker of the House would become a hotly contested position in 2021 with Pelosi having no guarantee of taking power.
https://www.constitutioncenter.org/blog/does-the-constitution-allow-for-a-delayed-presidential-election
In the absence of legitimately elected officials, odds are that Mike Pompeo, the present Secretary of State, would assume the Presidency, provided he was still Secretary of State on Jan. 20, 2021.
The Presidential Cabinet does not expire with the Presidency; they usually offer their resignations as as a courtesy during a transition. Defense Secretary Robert Gates served under Shrub and Obama, Obama refusing to accept his resignation, for example.
https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/do-cabinet-secretaries-get-the-boot-at-terms-end
AT, so Trump is the war monger??? LOL!
Sorry for the delayed reply; its been a busy week.
Trump is a lame duck president. Everyone is preparing for the Biden transition. This would include preparing war options.
However, no hot wars are likely under Trump, regardless or any reorganization, even if Trump were to be re-elected. There are no easy targets left. Iran and Venezuela, are too large to occupy. Same with most African countries, even Libya.
Confrontation with Russia and China will be through economic warfare and proxy wars, except, there are few places to proxy war China. In fact there seem to be none…
Even though the economy has collapsed, there’s a plague, and civil war looms…..
We also MUST sort out the issue of Chinese dams on Mekong river. There were dangerous nationalistic Serbs causing bar fights in Bosnia, and we must protect the youngest democracy, Kosovo from unjustly being persecuted by courts over the fortieth witness meeting untimely death, We have to stay firm. We have to. Since we do not have any defense of mainland — the puny domestic problems must give way. We are fighting over there, so they do not come over here? Do they actually want to come?
Why would anyone want to go to the US at this time?
The real question is — why would anyone want to STAY in Washington heat over the summer? I never do. Escape to Scotland in July and August. This year, the plague is holding everyone a hostage. Even without warnings — who on earth would want to be outdoors, drinking humid air, and having a headlight smashed while stuck in the middle of “peaceful” protests! But in Pentagon — all’s well, and they are playing war games. How sweet!!
If there is war, Russia will destroy the UK first.
1943, because Perv JB, has invited them, in all their glory.
“Even though the economy has collapsed, there’s a plague, and civil war looms…..”
Such minor concerns, when America’s “greatness” is readily achievable. A nation’s “greatness” is measured by how many thousands of innocent people it kills each year. USA! USA!
(I am being sarcastic.)
Have you find your job now. I am sorry this is off the topic, but I am just concerned and I have no other way to reach you.
Although my direct job search has not panned out, I could still have some part-time remote work through my former boss fairly soon. My main concern is that I continue to be able to pay for my psychiatric medications. If I get to the point where I just can’t purchase them, I am in big trouble.
Thanks for asking. All in all I think there are a lot of people worse off than me. At least I have a place to live and food to eat, and a car, such as it is. When I was homeless in California, living in my car, it wasn’t so bad because of the mild weather. I now live in Montana, and winters here would probably be fatal to an actual homeless person, even if living in a car.
So we have come to a stage that liberty-loving people have to struggle for the very basic provision. I doubt you would have a psychiatric condition had we lived in a free society.
I am glad you are somewhat OK in Montana, at least for now. I read most of you back and forth with the others on antiwar.com, they are the most intelligent and inspiring. You always voice what I would like to express in perfect English.
I, on the other hand, have this VISA issue that has cost me quite a few jobs even if I am willing to compete with my skills. I can’t imagine the days when Americans were too competitive to require these counterproductive regulations to protect the jobs from internationals like me.
We should help each other in some way.
I appreciate the kind words. I think most of the feedback I receive for my comments defending immigrant rights is negative, and it is refreshing to hear when someone actually appreciates them.
As far as my psychiatric illness goes, from discussions with my doctors and reading I have done, it looks like I was pretty much destined to be schizo-affective, as it is simply caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. I have been ill since I was 24 years old, and this is consistent with most cases of schizophrenia, in that it first shows up in late adolescence or early adulthood. Now, certainly, If the entire world had been a free society for the last 200 years, it is entirely possible cures for many psychiatric illnesses could have been discovered by now. But, then, everything would have been different and I likely would never have been born. In any event, I am not going to blame my illness on the existence of a tyrannical state, but it certainly would be easier to survive, if the economy were free and we had no massive warfare state.
I am not sure how to get in contact with you. I don’t think we are allowed to put email addresses or phone numbers in disqus comments. There may be some method of sending private messages, but, if so, I have no idea how that is done.
Someone please explain to me just exactly how breathing down “peer competitors'” necks is anywhere near a “national defense strategy”. It’s clearly a provocation. How about instead rerouting all this energy into cooperative relations rather than competitive?
It’s no wonder U.S. foreign policy is sociopathic with people like this Lt. Gen. Daniel Hokanson running things. It’s easy to imagine him on the verge of orgasm as he states in part ” . . . there is a potential for large-scale combat operations … it could actually be division level fights.” Yeah, no, how about not?
Without there always being an enemy, the American people wouldn’t put up with a trillion dollars a year being spent on “defense” while millions go without health care and eat from food banks. Or maybe they would.
1943,,this can change quickly,,just all take to the streets like the Marxist, BLM has, the gov. is actually helpless as we have seen.
73,,It is the DC GHOULS,,WTF is there to be surprised about?
Oh! — so that’s the plan – the old “mouse that roared” deal. Threaten war with overwhelmingly superior opponents in hope that they will treat our threats as desperate pleas for help and then give us aid. Maybe the Chinese will teach us how to really fight the virus, and maybe the Russians will pick up the tab for giving our ex-workers $600/wk. Otherwise, our military experts are mad.
Can the Pentagon really be that stupid? Is Germany just going to let that happen?
MD,,WTF?? Care to explain…….
Does this restructuring of the National Guard have implications for the imposition of potential martial law in our own country?
Good question.
Vic, are you really afraid Biden will claim martial law?
No idiot, I am pretty sure you will find Trump to be the one demanding martial Law, however If it is Biden that claims martial law it is obvious that you think Trump will lose the election, which might in fact stop the China madness
Adriaan,,hey bud,,you are truly way off the mark,,so suck China’s ###..:)
Putting aside the mindless ranting of Hokanson,this strikes me as another obvious move to get more funds for “military strategy” or whatever passes for such and also for trump’s endless ranting against china and russia for domestic political purposes.
They’ve got to keep the money rolling in to the military-industrial complex and its shareholders, and its minions in Congress and the Senate.
77, so now you realize Prez. was never in the pocket of Putin! LOL!! So, you actually think China is harmless,,wake up dreamer!
Maybe we should move the elections forward and get rid of Trump and his ill-advised cohorts once and for all. They have done enough damage to our country and he should be isolated in a small room with padded walls under 24/7 observation. Enough = enough.
Aleut,,the answer to Prez.,,a senile perv,, “gimme a break” JB,,your dreams come true. The Demoncrats, Republicratz, and the courts have not allowed Prez Trump to act as Prez. from day one, that is reality, dreamer.
The US military can’t even find enough recruits because too many Americans are either obese, have chronic diseases like diabetes, or have criminal records, making them ineligible to join the military, and they think they could win a war with Russia or China? They’re crazy.
We have them surrounded with 800 military bases. We can go in from any direction with experienced top of the line troops. Their alleged over sized armies would be easy targets for us. Our kill ratio would be off the charts. Both countries have Khrushchev era tanks and armament. We are better foxhole diggers and are bigger, stronger and smarter. Don’t judge us by those long drawn out wars that we have been pretending to fight in the ME. We are mainly there to spy not fight. We use less than 2% of our military strength in those post 2000 areas.
BIG PLANS FOR THE LARGEST DEBTOR NATION DURING AN ECONOMIC SLUMP. A SURE WAY TO EMBRACE BANKRUPTCY AND FAILURE. KEEP IT LOW WHEN YOU GOT NO FLOW…
We will just print any funds necessary. Everyone believes that we have precious metals backing up every dollar we print. We had to build an annex to Ft. Knox just to hold it all. We make money when we engage in warfare. We have gotten into a couple of draws lately but we are still undefeated.
incompetent military that loses all wars—your stupidity is typically amerikan
cechass,,how is your sji# ho#e country doing? 🙂
Then all our equipment breaks and can’t be fixed because it relies on Chinese supply lines. In fact our entire economy just implodes as it relies on SE Asian supply lines. Not that reality need enter into any of your delusional fantasies involving oceans of blood…
Our 800 military bases have more than enough equipment and supplies on hand to replace an occasional need for a replacement. We will fire up all our old munitions plants we had during the big one WWII. Our country will be renewed with patriotism for the war effort just like they did then. We would have 320 million people all joining together to defeat and take over that communist block country.
1943,,alot of bad azz rioters though! 🙂
Criminal mindedness is not a problem for a dog of war, while being out of shape,is an occupational hazard in the new warfare using remote control drones and such.
national guard is a domestic police state force, nothing more
cechass,,U are wrong. 🙂
… Haven’t you been following the U.S. race riots?
The regular police of most large cities do a fine job of police-stating.
All the politicians have to do is require cops carry professional liability insurance, and price the abusers out of a job.
However, they won’t. They want politicized police brutality, it seems.
“Haven’t you been following the U.S. race riots?”
I was too young to follow them when they were happening. I’m only 53.
I got yer Great Power Competition…right here!
We are back in the 1950s. Is anybody actually falling for this?
The National Guard had better decide whether it will be going to Russia and China OR helping the population of the States that they come from after those big flashy bombs that turn sand into Glass explode in their relevant capital cities. China has the ability to turn huge swathes of the US into slag heaps, as does Russia. Now that doesnt mean that the US cannot do the same, the fact is that NO one wins thermo nuclear war, especially the general public who will be generally dead immediately or shortly there after!