Pentagon proposes to shrink US Army to pre-WWII level

Google – AFP, 24 February 2014

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel speaks about the Defense Department's

 budget requests during a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, 

on February 24, 2014 (AFP, Saul Loeb)

Washington — The Pentagon plans to scale back the US Army by more than an eighth to its lowest level since before World War II, as it hopes for an end to 13 years of war in Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recommended shrinking US forces from 520,000 active duty troops to between 440,000 and 450,000.

In a speech outlining the proposed defense budget Monday, he said that after Iraq and Afghanistan, military leaders no longer plan to "conduct long and large stability operations."

If approved by Congress, the move would reduce the army to its lowest levels since 1940, before the American military dramatically expanded after entering World War II.

Dust lifts off the ground during a US 

operation in Afghanistan September 23,

2012 (AFP/File, Tony Karumba)

The proposed 13 percent reduction in the army would be carried out by 2017, a senior defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

The move comes amid growing fiscal pressures and after years of protracted counter-insurgency campaigns, which saw the Army reach a peak of more than 566,000 troops in 2010.

US troops have already withdrawn from Iraq and President Barack Obama has promised to end America's combat role in Afghanistan by the end of this year.

The Pentagon had previously planned to downsize the ground force to about 490,000.

But Hagel warned that to adapt to future threats "the Army must accelerate the pace and increase the scale of its post-war drawdown."

He said the changes "would result in a smaller army, but would help ensure the army remains well-trained and clearly superior in arms and equipment."

Hagel also said the army national guard and reserves would be cut by five percent.

The smaller force would entail some "added risk" but it would still be able to defeat an adversary in one region while also "supporting" air and naval operations in another, he said.

His comments confirmed the Pentagon has abandoned the idea of ensuring the army could fight two major wars at the same time.

The proposed budget also calls for scrapping the Air Force's entire fleet of A-10 "Warthog" aircraft and retiring the storied U-2 spy plane.

Instead, commanders have opted to invest more in the new F-35 fighter and the unmanned Global Hawk surveillance drone.

Hagel also called for slowing growth in pay and benefits, which make up nearly half the Pentagon's budget.

Military spending doubled after the attacks of September 11, 2001 but has started to decline as lawmakers push to slash the government's budget and debt.

Under a bipartisan accord adopted in December, the Defense Department will have a $496 billion budget for fiscal year 2015.

But the Pentagon has a "wish list" of $26 billion that would fund new weapons and bolster training programs.

Hagel warned that if automatic budget cuts resume in two years, the effects would be devastating and force more drastic reductions in manpower and equipment.

The full US federal budget will be presented officially on March 4.

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Matthew’s Message - May 12, 2013 - (Matthew channelled by Suzanne Ward)

“… There is legitimate speculation and also strategic dire rumors about where Syria's civil war may lead. There will be no more "full blown" international wars and attempts to use nuclear weaponry will not be successful. Ultimately, the freedom fighters in Syria will be victorious and, like other countries where the citizenry ousted despotic rulers, that nation also will go through a period of unrest before achieving social and leadership stability. …”

SaluSa channelled by Mike Quinsey – March 29, 2013

“.. The darkness will eventually play itself out and is already losing its power to create more fear. In this respect, in spite of the apparent threat of war, know that it will no longer be allowed. The Galactic Federation of Light is aware of the intentions of all Superpowers and we will prevent any attempts to start a global war. ..”

 "Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…  8 - The End of War

The last one is the best. For thousands of years on this planet, Human Beings have warred with each other. If you take a look at the reasons they warred with each other, you will quickly see there aren't any good ones - land, resources, greed. Those are not reasons. That is a description of old energy. Those are not reasons. Reasons would be perhaps defense against an aggressor. But what if there is no longer the consciousness of the aggressor?

When I appeared in my partner's life more than 20 years ago, I said to him privately that the first messages we're going to give will be unbelievable. There would be laughter. We told him that Human nature and consciousness itself would change, and that the seeds of peace would be planted and there would come a time where there is no more war. Indeed, the laughter was great because humans look at history and they see patterns based on an absolute energy called Human Nature. "Impossible! There always has to be war. There always has been. Therefore, there always will be." This is you, in a box, in a black and white potential, where you can only see the black and white of what is and the black and white of what has been. You have no idea the shades of color that are there in your consciousness and the beauty of the love of God.

North Korea is on the edge of change, as we told you it might be. What did this require? The death of the old energy, and I want you to watch this take place. The advisors of the young leader are going to do their best to pull him back into an old energy. This free choice of his will be far different than his father, for he sees some color. Watch for these things. They'll take longer than you want, but it is the beginning of the beginning.

You'll see a fresh unification of South America sooner than not, for what is going to take place potentially this year in Venezuela. You'll see Iran changing. We have no clock. These are the potentials. These can change with free choice. These are not prophecies. This is a reality shift, dear ones, so number eight becomes the propensity not to war again. This is what Humans are going to want. This is what governments are going to want. There is a wisdom factor that will begin to happen on the planet that is grander than what you think is possible. For when you look at government, what do you think about? You see dysfunction, and there is an axiom that says the more people that try to do something together, the worse it gets. It all settles to the lowest common denominator. I'm telling you even those things are going to become old energy concepts. Instead, you're going to watch wisdom become the top potential.

I have no clock. I cannot tell you when. I can just tell you it is in the works, and there will be the seeds of it for you to observe soon - right now, in every single of the eight categories I showed you.

There are those who will say, "Well, Kryon, you're doing a lot more predictions than you used to." I want to tell you what's going on, dear one. I am not predicting anything. I am just telling you what's already there in the potential soup of your reality. That's what Humans are doing on this planet, and for those who believe this communication, you should breathe a sigh of relief and say, "It's about time." ….”