TW war replacements
 

antimedic 06-27-2005, 03:21 PM With the draft being used in the TW War, how many trained replacements could the Army and Marines field a month. This is geared for before the nukes flew, and with the world having a bit of time to gear up with events leading up to Americas entry. I was reading recently about how few Infantry and certian other combat arms replacements were available in the ETO towards the end of WW2, and that was after several years of war.

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pmulcahy 06-27-2005, 05:14 PM I'm not sure of the numbers, but I can guess that the training of new troops is going to be limited by the training facilities available, and (critically), the amount of experienced troops available to train them. The problem is that those same experienced troops are also who you want leading your troops in combat.


I think that one of two possibilities (or eventually both) will occur: older soldiers, including those old salts who have retired, and disabled troops who are still able to conduct some sort of training, will be recalled to duty as trainers. The second possibility is that initial training will become more and more cursory and basically worthless; FNGs will be of less and less quality when they arrive in the combat zone, and more OJT training will be needed.

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Rochkano 06-28-2005, 05:02 PM The in theater training is taking place now... a few months ago, they conducted infantry MOS qualification course in Afghanistan, the first time that's been done since WWII.


Basic training would become exactly that... very basic - how to march, use/clean your weapon, a little customs and courtesies (yes sir, no sir, yes SGT, no SGT), and off they go.

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Abbott Shaull 06-30-2005, 02:06 AM During WWII the quality of Basic Training had reach such a low that many of the replacements had to get additional training once they reach their units. I think I read somewhere that Basic Training was even reduced from 8 weeks to 6 weeks in some cases due to the fact that replacements were needed so badly(IIRC).


I don't think Basic would be shorten, but kept at 8 weeks. Some short cuts would be involved, yes. They would introduce more basic infantry tactics in the course so that if you are selected as a replacement for Line unit that you wouldn't get yourself and anyone else in your new unit killed the first 10 minutes you were there.


Just some thoughts.

Abbott

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Privyet_Anton 07-03-2005, 02:49 PM Chello!


Just a couple of points to make.


My father was contacted not long after 9-11 about the possibility of being called up to active duty to serve as a DI (My father was 56 at the time but served 3 years in Vietnam). So, in a WW3 scenario, I can see that happening.


As to shortening basic, I know that when I was in some of the old sgts mentioned that their basics were shortened during Vietnam to 6 weeks...they sped up a lot of the admin paperwork and trained on Sundays as well.


Tony

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