What are the arguments for and against US forces in Korea?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Cruddy
Erm... no.

Yes, you are. Flexible Response was most definately not a "look at us funny and we'll nuke your arses" strategy.

This is more accurately what you were describing:

The term "massive retaliation", as it was understood at the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, was a policy of responding to major Soviet conventional attacks - for example, in Western Europe, should that have occurred, with a massive nuclear response, a strategic response against the Soviet Union itself.

[DanS]

US forces in Korea at this time are little more than early warning cannon fodder.

Early warning? We don't need no stinkin' early warning. SK can just phone it in.

[Giancarlo]

The South Koreans have more than a powerful military to counter the North Koreans. Despite the North Koreans having greater numbers, this means nothing when they are technologically outmatched.

However I think the US should remain in Korea.

[DanS]

With regard to "flexible response", it doesn't seem like removing US troops from SK would hinder that doctrine. We still rule the sea and air.

[monkspider]

I agree with the general sentiment of this thread, US out of Korea is a good idea.

[Ecthy]

for: nobody wants the man to possess nukes. contra: can be solved otherwise, by giving in to his economic demands

against: the US could never hold it with troops, for lack of support etc. contra: can be solved by force unification with the south

I say kick the guy's arse NOW before he gets nukes (yes, invade!), then let the South take over politically.

compensate China for not starting WWIII out of it, too

[Mordoch]

Originally posted by David Floyd
The NK military isn't capable of conquering the South. Invading would be suicide.

The question is does Kim Jong-Il know this? He may be crazy enough to be believe he could win under those circumstances, and unpleasant things may happen to any military advisors who tell him things he doesn't want to hear. A invasion by North Korea would cause devestate South Korea and have negative economic consequences for the rest of the world. I believe this is in of itself a good argument for at least leaving some US troops in North Korea.

[Lancer]

"A small power like NK with nukes and missiles could be as great a danger as the Sovs were. They don't have to be able to destroy the world 10 times over, just the US, once. How do they get such an ability? Just like they're doing, one nuke at a time and developing their missile system.

We can't depend on our oceans to protect us anymore, we have to go after them. (the rectumites of the world that is...) That requires force and the abilty to project it. With much of our army tied down, we need to raise new forces."

Valid point, but it seems it's easier to ignore than address...

[Ecthy]

Lancer, are my points incredibly valid? please say yes.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by David Floyd


Obviously, but 5 new divisions would be what? Something like two or three hundred thousand more troops (including support personnel)? Where will you find that many volunteers? Without getting into the debate, we can ALL agree that the draft is not politically viable, right?

You could integrate them into existing Corps structures, but the problem isn't the manpower, it's the cost. You're looking at an additional 100,000 personnel in the divisions and related independent units, and about another 25,000 or so in purely logistics functions, but the cost of outfitting them would run into 12 figures, and annual support costs would run about 15-18 billion a year, not counting basing and deployment.

[Lancer]

Yes! Except China. They should pay the US a few billion for 'fixing' their sicko pal for them.

[Ecthy]

so why don't we kick his arse and force merge them with the south?

as soon as the people have t eat (and Japan's and South Korea's economies are sure strong enough to feed the north for a few months), they'll see how they'd been fooled.

and his military might be of high quantity, but it's made of paper. of his 1 million guys, like 500 000 are just workers.

and if you bribe China into shutting up, all is fine.

invade. remove. merge.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Of course, the real issue with raising additional divisions is training time. You can't just take existing E5's and make 'em E7's, and the capacity of training organizations for all MOS's is based on present staffing level. A 40% or so augmentation of direct combat and CS MOS's would take years to put in place, and those divisions would need a minimum of a couple of years to be at similar combat proficiency to current divisions. A big problem is that you won't really have a major league and a minor league, you'll dilute experience and proficiency within the existing forces by all the personnel you transfer out to new units.

[Ecthy]

honestly, they've been claiming the bomb for weeks, and our experts always say "might be the first in a few months". we should just invade now, he has nothing. but is building one. kick arse!

[Lancer]

Ect, because the South won't play.