US airmen get Xbox Live in Europe ($200,000 in taxpayer money)

Gamespot ^ | 07/25/2003 | Matthew Broersma

[lepton]

The concrete illustration is in the fact that they spent $200,000 tax dollars on video games.

I have to say, that I would much rather see this type of thing (which can ably serve as a prototyping for training sims development) than two of the three most expensive activities that bored soldiers tend towards: drinking and womanizing/(manizing?). $200,000 is a drop in the bucket. It is also not like most military posts have a suitable infrastructure for the soldiers to do this on their own.

[Registered]

Yaawn. Yesssir.

Right. I wasn't passing judgment, I was stating how I feel as a taxpayer funding VIDEO GAMES.

[LonghornFreeper]

This is a great idea, but they better get a lot more of these set up before Halo 2 comes out in early 2004 (or this Christmas if the guys at Bungie put in enough 16 hour days), otherwise there will be mutiny over playing time.

[xm177e2]

Right. I wasn't passing judgment, I was stating how I feel as a taxpayer funding VIDEO GAMES.

How about taxpayer money to buy beer for soldiers? Is that a bad thing?

Besides, they're not "video games," they're "murder simulators" :-)

[LasVegasMac]

I got your "Yaawn".

Yesssir

Glad to have your attention. Thank you.

I, also, would normally object to tax payer funded VIDEO GAMES.

Unless you have been in remote locations - on duty - you can't possibly understand what this means to the morale.

This is money well spent.

LVM

[hmmmmm]

While you made a good point, I think it might be a very low price to pay if it helps our Airmen blow off some steam or just plain have a bit of innocent fun. It would be especially important for those without families or who've had to leave their families here while deployed overseas. I, too, would rather see our troops better equipped and better paid (and I think that day is coming) but the relatively small cost of this could go a long way to boost morale while it would do basically nothing to solve the other problems. Just my $.02

[undeniable logic]

I think this may be one of the first times I disagree with you. I am about as frugal as it gets with taxpayers' funds, but I really do not have a problem with this. Most private employers have entertainment type funds to boost the morale of their employees. I don't see why the military should be any different, especially since being in the military is not a job, it is a life. Think about the soliders overseas right now, they aren't just working - they are working 24 hours a day - no family, no entertainment, just life-risking activities.

To me, it doesn't matter if the money is spent on beer, pool tables, ping pong tables, movies, tvs, or video games. I do think that our soldiers deserve more than their measly paychecks. Video game systems also get good bang for the buck. I bet the average xbox will be used 5+ hours a day. Even over a year, assuming 1k per system for tv, furniture, etc, that is less than $1 an hour. I don't know how many military personnel we have, but if we assume 500k, we are talking about less than 40 cents per person.

We really don't pay them much, so we subsidize their food, housing, etc. Why not provide shared entertainment resources - if nothing else, it is far cheaper than providing the pay that would allow them to provide this for themselves.

[Jumper]

To the US using a phone card that costs 10 euros, you can call for about 6 hours to my dad, 4 hours to Korea; of course, if I go with AT&T I about 90 minutes for the same amount, if I dial direct from Belgacom (Brussels) it would cost about 15 euro an hour.

Wow, I've got both my X-Box and PS2 on wireless ADSL, I'll have to explore the phone calls:)

[joanil]

Agreed! I am with you 1,000%!
Ain't nothin' too good for our boys and girls in our military. They deserve the best we can give them.
Our troops already have their bodies on the cutting edge.
Mental stimulation completes the soldier and improves morale.
Damn the cost, give 'em the best of the best.
They lay down their lives for us.
They deserve no less. $200k is a drop in the defense budget.
The defense budget should be increased and our soldiers rewarded appropriately and their families at home waiting should be better taken care of.

[SauronOfMordor]

To me, it doesn't matter if the money is spent on beer, pool tables, ping pong tables, movies, tvs, or video games. I do think that our soldiers deserve more than their measly paychecks. Video game systems also get good bang for the buck. I bet the average xbox will be used 5+ hours a day.

An XBox costs a hell of a lot less than a pool table, and you can fit more of them into the rec room. I also like the idea of them being able to play death matches with friends and relatives back in the states

[joanil]

Actually, the war games that the Pentagon plays daily while looking for breeches and winning scenarios are not that far from the Xbox format.
These virtual programs keep the mind sharp and can show a potential problem in military structure,problem solving, and command.
Or would you rather risk another 9-11?