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Role of Navy in Iraq: IA

Should IA be part of the Navy's future?

  • Yes

    Votes: 32 45.1%

  • No

    Votes: 39 54.9%
  • Total voters
    71
Not enough choices for me. If we are still fighting the same war the same way in the future, then yes IAs should be a part of the Navy's future. But I hope we aren't.
 
WannaGoFast said:
The Navy was created to to maintain, train and equip Naval forces capable deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas. Just because our current administration believes otherwise, is that enough to change our fundamental heritage? Could it be that we are stretching so thin and just grasping at whatever manpower we can find? Maybe. That's the point of the poll. I'm interested to know what you think........
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I've read your poll and your comments and am one of those who did not vote. I can only speak for my reason not to vote. As I posted earlier, you're not considering the roles and missions of Naval Forces that DO involve being somewhere than deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas. Since you don't seem to want to consider the big picture related to roles and missions of the Navy and the fact that your chain of command has opted to man IA billets to meet the needs of the COCOM who happens to be a Navy admiral and pin the "blame" on the current administration. The administration is not changing the fundamental heritage of the Navy as you claim. This is a joint fight and the Navy brings a lot to it other than maintaining freedom of the seas. I think your poll is ill advised, but it's yours so be it. You asked for comments so now you have mine.
 
SteveG75 said:
We are not putting JG's in tanks or driving trucks. We are using our skills to help the Army and the Marines.
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Respectfully disagree with you on this one. What's a COD pilot doing kicking down doors with an anti-IED Army team? Explain how that is using our "skills" to help the Army and the Marines?
 
I voted ... not that it makes any difference :) ... and the poll is meaningless, as you WILL do what your handlers/leaders/detailers say .... but, were I in a position to choose orders TODAY ... I would NOT choose IA.

Why?? Because I prefer to be a member of a team, specifically a Navy squadron.

If I wanted to be an "IA" ... I would have become a Forest Ranger.
 
In WW2 the fighting was fierce and costly, but at least it was over fairly quickly. Battle, rest, wait for next battle. Rarely was the frontline static (except for Italy) and units could often be rotated to the rear. And, at least there was a clearly definable frontline. Nobody in WW2 had as much danger time as our guys currently face. Iraq has already lasted longer than WW2, and while the casualties don't compare, I believe the stress in this war is much worse. Many units are on their third deployment. This war is often compared to Vietnam. At least in Vietnam you knew after your one year you would never have to go back.

IAs are too much of a matter of convenience for the joint chiefs. Bottom line, our leadership has got us in a conflict in which they (the civilian leadership) do not have the will to win. They wanted to fight a war on the cheap, and as soon as the bill got higher than expected they made up the difference with those already serving. The Army and Marines are hurting for folks, the navy is downsizing, send sailors.

I don't think sending a Navy O-4 with millions invested in training to fill a job that could be done by a corporal is smart resource management.
 
Huggy -- what examples do you have of O-4's filling corporal's billets? I would be interested to hear that...
 
hscs said:
Huggy -- what examples do you have of O-4's filling corporal's billets? I would be interested to hear that...
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My squadron has filled about 10 IAs. 2 of those ten I still haven't spoken with, but the rest, except for one, have stated that they were doing ridiculously tedious staff work. It was not literally a corporal's billet. They came back with the opinion that other services expect less of someone in the same paygrade than we in the navy, and especially aviation, do. I don't have any personal experience with this.
 
My 2¢ … IA billets, especially Joint IA billets, are a convenient way to avoid reinstating the draft.

S/F
 
jarhead said:
My 2¢ … IA billets, especially Joint IA billets, are a convenient way to avoid reinstating the draft....
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Right. Convenience ...

So do the "right" thing ... bring back the draft, if you are going to use and abuse people, anyway ....

But then ... that would require a measure of political courage and the conviction on the part of politicians and the population that our actions are right and just .... but that courage and conviction should be easy to muster, yes ???

Just my $20 .... :)
 
jarhead said:
My 2¢ … IA billets, especially Joint IA billets, are a convenient way to avoid reinstating the draft.

S/F
Click to expand...

That’s exactly what IAs are, a draft within the Navy….. At least they’re moving more towards six months tours, that’s certainly a step in the right direction. Retention will suffer......... but with the DH selection rates where they are why would the Navy care? . :icon_wink
 
Can anyone provide any evidence that a Navy officer in Iraq or Afghanistan is kicking doors down? and to add that without proper training?

So I guess that Sailors or Airmen who are a mechanics aren't qualified to goto Iraq because they are in a different service which has a different mission?

Yet they would be in a logistical unit that provides the same type of support to the Army or Marines...as they would in the Navy?

...and they have the same or similar MOS as their Army or Marine counter-parts?
 
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