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“cuts to their pay
cuts to their housing allowances
cuts to the benefits
pay freezes
cut their pensions”

When I served I did it for love of country. I wasn’t paid that well, but it didn’t matter to me, it was an obligation.

What you outline is a disaster of a military where people serve because of the benefits and the entitlements.

The US military will have no role in Ukraine. Nor should it.

To try to cast this event as a way to parlay MORE MORE MORE for the DoD and the already over pensioned, over benefited DoD civilian class, the over-benefited, over pensioned portions of the military that do not ever risk combat is absurd.

The risk to the US “reserve” currency is primarily the fact that we spend too damn much on everything building a permanent bloated bureaucracy that benefits itself and it’s members over the private sector that must pay for everything.

It is the government bureaucracy that is the biggest threat to the American way - not Russia, not terrorists, not anything else but Americans who support and Americans who are part of big government everything - including “big welfare”, “big military”, and every other program that distributes checks to a majority of America, including probably most “conservatives” on this board.

Two questions for you:

1. Does the military need people who stay in longer than say, 4 to 6 years, that is a LONG term commitment of decades in uniform?

2. Thank you for your service! How long did you serve? What did you think about staying in, when it as time to get out?

The point is. some say those people who stay in are worthless lifers, who couldn’t make it on the outside. Others say, no they are the true backbone of the military, and their dedication, experience and knowledge is what makes the US military as good as it is. Most of the benefits you’ve cited are really there for those who commit to stay several decades rather than go back to being civilians and seeking their own personal desires and potential fortunes.

I served for 22 years. Sometimes I wish I had not, and had the opportunity to settle down, buy a house, build a lucrative career, etc. But I didn’t, and they, meaning the US Air Force and government, offered me a CONTRACT of things to stay in. I did. How is this CONTRACT like welfare, when I fulfilled all of MY obligations to it, down to the very letter of the agreement?

Please do not see this as an argument on my part; one to be lost or won, but rather another perspective on the thinking of another party to the scenario you’ve described.

You cannot treat your own employees with contempt, and expect them to perform well with high morale. The US military and its employees are not slaves. Contrary to your notion, the great majority of those serving both in and out of uniform are patriots. They love our nation. Many of them could have left to make more money doing other things, and now that is happening.

I have in the past on many posts (as you well know) cited and warned against the reductions in equipment, training, flying hours, weapon systems, and all the rest that is part of the disastrous dismantling of our military under Obama, with the collusion and aid of certain Tea Party types in Congress who think that cutting a dollar to SS Disability is the same as cutting a dollar to the military.

You are dead wrong that our military is over compensated for what they do. We will never agree on that, but you are entitled to your opinion of course.

Part of what you say about the risk to our status as the World's Reserve Currency is spot on. Our debt is murdering us. The Fed's medicine has become the poison. But the primary cause of our debt and deficit is not military spending. Far from it.