US Navy desertions more than double in last year

The Navy is so fucked.....they plan to scrap a bunch of boats that are almost brand new because they are useless shit, it is increasingly looking like the new carrier will never work, the shipyards are just completely fucked and no one in the swamp as the desire or the competence apparently to fix them, their officers are likely the worst in the military which is saying something.....

The Navy is not going to save us, put that thought out of your head.
 
The US Navy, desperately trying to figure out how to prevent boats from being burned into scrap in its shipyards.




We are soooo fucked.
 
The US Navy, where competent basic navigation is a challenge, one which is sometimes lost (USS Connecticut et al).
 

Jesus, what a bunch of light weights. Contracts have been the system since the 80s.

Military law experts said the nearly unbreakable contracts — which can require up to six years of active duty — leave sailors with extreme alternatives: die by suicide or flee and face harsh consequences, including spending years behind bars as patriots-turned-pariahs.

“They feel trapped,” said Lenore Yarger, a resource counselor with the GI Rights Hotline, a nonprofit nongovernmental group that specializes in military discharges.
 
Among a fleet of more than 342,000 active sailors, there were 157 new Navy deserters in 2021


that is 0.00045% of the fleet

Agreed. Still, it's double from the previous year and the suicide thing is troubling. Agreed it's a small problem, but it's still a problem.

IMO, the Navy needs to screen their people better. Better to be one short than to recruit a problem child.
 
Among a fleet of more than 342,000 active sailors, there were 157 new Navy deserters in 2021


that is 0.00045% of the fleet
No surprise. As the article states, many were young. Some (maybe all) were probably subjected to a hard sell by a recruiter while still in high school. Promises of trips to faraway lands where exoctic women love sailors.


Then they get to live on a floating sewer for months on end. It's more like a prison than living quarters.

The only option is suicide or AWOL. There is no funding for mental health
 
Meanwhile, Army desertions have steadily declined since 2019, as its workforce has grown. There were 174 Army desertions last year — a reduction from 291 in 2020 and 238 in 2019, said Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Hewitt, an Army spokesperson.

Desertions within the Marine Corps also dropped, from 59 new deserters in 2019 to 31 in 2021. The Coast Guard said there were no deserters from 2017 to 2021, and Air Force figures remained steady.

Navy officials struggled to explain the increase in desertions, saying sailors can be exposed to “many different stressors.” Arneson said the reasons people choose to take extreme actions are personal. “We don’t want to guess at someone’s motives,” she said.
 
Agreed. Still, it's double from the previous year and the suicide thing is troubling. Agreed it's a small problem, but it's still a problem.

IMO, the Navy needs to screen their people better. Better to be one short than to recruit a problem child.
hard to screen young people for changing their mind a couple years later
They need more mental health support, and a possible medical discharge if they are severe depressed
 
hard to screen young people for changing their mind a couple years later
They need more mental health support, and a possible medical discharge if they are severe depressed

Disagreed on screening. Agreed on more mental health support.

Unlike your Russian Army, the US military does their best to care for people. The problem is lack of assets. The US mental health care system is subpar compared to the Euros and the US military can't be expected to be better without more support from Congress.
 
Disagreed on screening. Agreed on more mental health support.

Unlike your Russian Army, the US military does their best to care for people. The problem is lack of assets. The US mental health care system is subpar compared to the Euros and the US military can't be expected to be better without more support from Congress.
Navy is particularly bad because of the close quarters for months end.

There was a time back in the 80s/90s where gross insubordination got you kicked out of the service if you really wanted out. Not sure about now.
 
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