Through organic cuts, not a predetermined plan, manning has been reduced to an all time low; 2380 when it was projected to have 2716.
“Most of the cuts appear to be organic, occurring while the USS Ford was on an active deployment, as the carrier operates on the fringes of a major conflict.” These are sailors that are leaving the boat, to another command or out of the Navy entirely and just not being replaced. The issue with using a draft to replenish those numbers is that our equipment isn’t designed to be quickly and intuitively learned and operated. It’s designed to need outside training and repair from people employed by these defense contractors.
Much like McDonalds realized they could shed expensive crew and still operate at profit, the Navy has learned the same lesson. “The Navy desperately wants to position the Ford carrier program for success, and, given that the extended deployment will delay key, high-profile testing events, shedding crew offers an immediate boost to the platform’s lifetime operational and maintenance savings, making the platform’s ragged business case far more viable.”
“But, rather than break down, the carrier is breaking performance records. In fact, the ship recently spent ten weeks away from port, in what appears to be the vessel’s longest uninterrupted period at sea since it was launched.”
Despite the crunch in crew, the gears are still turning, and neoliberalism is famously reactive instead of proactive. Since the war machine on paper appears as good as ever, these cracks will keep being bandaged over until there’s a sudden massive failure as the ripped apart seams can’t be held together any longer. A draft isn’t near enough to fix what is rotten here.
It won’t stay that way for long. Eventually they’ll institute mandatory service to keep their defense contracts pumping out money.
It’s completely disconnected in that way though. Take for instance the Gerald Ford, the newest class aircraft carrier.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/craighooper/2023/12/12/facing-a-navy-wide-sailor-shortage-uss-ford-sheds-500-600-crew/?sh=31a982e051c0
Through organic cuts, not a predetermined plan, manning has been reduced to an all time low; 2380 when it was projected to have 2716.
“Most of the cuts appear to be organic, occurring while the USS Ford was on an active deployment, as the carrier operates on the fringes of a major conflict.” These are sailors that are leaving the boat, to another command or out of the Navy entirely and just not being replaced. The issue with using a draft to replenish those numbers is that our equipment isn’t designed to be quickly and intuitively learned and operated. It’s designed to need outside training and repair from people employed by these defense contractors.
Much like McDonalds realized they could shed expensive crew and still operate at profit, the Navy has learned the same lesson. “The Navy desperately wants to position the Ford carrier program for success, and, given that the extended deployment will delay key, high-profile testing events, shedding crew offers an immediate boost to the platform’s lifetime operational and maintenance savings, making the platform’s ragged business case far more viable.”
“But, rather than break down, the carrier is breaking performance records. In fact, the ship recently spent ten weeks away from port, in what appears to be the vessel’s longest uninterrupted period at sea since it was launched.”
Despite the crunch in crew, the gears are still turning, and neoliberalism is famously reactive instead of proactive. Since the war machine on paper appears as good as ever, these cracks will keep being bandaged over until there’s a sudden massive failure as the ripped apart seams can’t be held together any longer. A draft isn’t near enough to fix what is rotten here.
Ten weeks away from port, sailing around like a leisure cruise. No active war, no active threats.
It’ll sink the moment there’s a real conflict with a peer nation
That’s how you bring back fragging