Happy Veterans Day (Observed)!

Yesterday was Veterans Day in the United States. Today most business are taking the day off. That's nice, but I really want to talk about reducing the number of veterans rather significantly. This of course means reducing the size of the current armed forces, and keeping them that way. I have a couple of suggestions that I think are reasonable preparations for the day when we will no longer need any military at all.

Reduce the size of the nuclear armament.

I am in favor of entirely eliminating nuclear weapons, they are nasty and don't seem to be relevant in modern warfare anyway. The air force does not need nuclear weapons, as any global nuclear state (a country that has nuclear weapons capable of being delivered anywhere on the earth with short notice) has the capability to shoot down almost any plane before it delivers its payload. The UK currently has 4 nuclear submarines that carry nuclear ballistic missiles (16 each, for a total of 64 missiles, or up to 768 warheads total, but probably less). One is out to see at any given time, the other three in port or on transit. The US has borders two large oceans, so a fleet of 8 nuclear submarines, 4 for each ocean, seems reasonable. The current nuclear missile submarine in the US, the Ohio class, has room for 24 missiles each, or up to 288 warheads. A fleet of eight would have 192 missiles with up to 2,304 warheads, plus probably extra missiles not deployed but kept as a reserve. (In practice, this would probably be limited to about 1500 deployed warheads, due to treaty limits) Each warhead is about 475 kT, or just under half a megaton. A weapon this size could destroy an area about 8 times that of the Nagasaki bomb, large enough to completely wipe out a city’s industrial area, harbor, or a decent sized military base. Even 100 of these bombs should be a sufficient nuclear deterrent.

Reduce the number of active duty army and navy personnel, with a corresponding reduction in ships and bases.

With the exception of the training bases, which obviously need to maintain a certain size, reduce army base size as well. A well staffed base should probably only have 100 people assigned full time to it. Reduce base acreage as much as possible. Transfer the excess land either to the BLM or to a state or national park. Reduce the number of naval bases significantly, I would suggest two on the Pacific coast, two on the Atlantic coast, and two on the Gulf coast, with one in Alaska, one in Hawaii and (possibly) one in Guam. Totally eliminate overseas bases. Convert surplus bases to additional civilian dock facilities.

Reduce overlap between branches 

Transfer all aircraft operations to the Air Force, and either eliminate special forces or transfer them all to the Marine Corps. (Alternately, eliminate the Marine Corps.) Most military action in the last decades has been highly coordinated between the various branches, increase efficiency by reducing overlap and promoting cooperation, not competition.

Expand the role of the Coast Guard

Expand the role of the Coast Guard, and move it out of the military. At this point in time, the coast guard is essentially a police force. It is even managed by Homeland Security. Complete the conversion by integrating with an existing police force such as the FBI. Spend more effort on enforcing drug laws and promoting boating safety in coastal waters. Move defense to a much more subservient role.