Guard survey hints at exodus

USA Today ^ | January 23, 2004 | Dave Moniz,

[2banana]

WASHINGTON

[Ramius]

I'm not even going to the question of whether he reported every time he was supposed to!

Oh, crap. I thought I was talking to somebody that knows how to use the Internet or at least do some basic fact-checking. Instead I find that you're easily amused by junk that you get in e-mail. Nevermind. I mistook this for a serious conversation.

Good night. Regards,

[Jet Jaguar]

All active duty and guard and reserve fill out these questionaires. If you want a pay raise, better benefits, and a better qualtiy of life, you answer that you are not happy and will get out when your time is up. Imagine if all troops said everything is going swimmingly. No improvements in anything because the brass thinks everthing is good.

I would not use this survey as a prediction of the future.

[Ramius]

I could easily lie to you, but I won't.

No, you couldn't. It's not as "easy" as you think.

I don't really care if you just plain hate GWB. Enjoy. Revel in your hatred. Let it steam. Let the pressure build. Let it eat you up inside. Be a hatemonger. Let it define you. Be smallminded. It's your choice.

[radiohead]

some macho G.I. who did serious service.

Nice slap in the face to the Guard and Reserves.

My late husband was a combat veteran who did service in VietNam, my father career Air Force, my uncle a colonel in the Army Reserves, my step-father served in the Army, my niece is in Tikrit - I don't belittle anyone wearing the uniform, 'serious' or not.

[Ramius]

No, of course not.

It's like when they report that 40% of the active duty are choosing to get out and not re-enlist, as if that's some kind of indictment of the current military. My thought was that a 60% reenlistment rate is pretty good, even in peacetime.

[Ramius]

Hey bro... thought you might wanna see this. Buttmunch alert. :-)

[Jet Jaguar]

When I was in Saudi Arabia, Madeline Albright came to visit the troops supporting Southern Watch. She noted on CNN that the troops were glad to be there and were re-enlisting at record rates while they were there.

Sounds good.

However, the general public does not understand that the bonuses paid for re-enlisting are not taxed in a combat exclusion zone (Saudi Arabia) But, re-enlisting in the states will cost 33 percent federal and then add your state taxes.

Some of my troops would be able to get a 28,000 bonus tax free. But if they had re-upped in the states, they would be lucky to get a bonus of 17,000 dollars. The bonuses are normally paid 1/2 up front and the rest divided equally and paid on the anniversary of their re-up. Re-enlisting in a combat zone is tax free for all payments; even after you are home and still serving.

[Jet Jaguar]

I can't speak for the other services. But, the Air Force troops are trying to get Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, or Afhganistan to serve and re-enlist. They want the tax free bonus before the combat ends. The vast majority would re-up even if the bonus is taxed, but 33 percent hurts alot.

[Ramius]

Why are you suddenly responding to something I posted 40 minutes ago, when you've reponded, and I've answered to, posts that were made more recently?

Uhh... maybe because I only read it later? Maybe that's it.

And if my allusion to something I said I wasn't going to was so outrageous, why don't you rebut it? I'll admit it's a little disingenuous to say I'm not going to something I then hang out there, but it also tells you that I'm not hanging my ass out on that particular point. (And by the way, I DIDN'T use the word "desertion.") So if you'd like to debunk this alleged urban legend, go ahead -- I'm not likely to come up with anything else to prove you're wrong.)

Huh? Honestly, I'm not real clear on what the heck you're saying. If you are talking about the nonsense of GWB being "AWOL" from the Guard... then it is waste of time to bother to "refute" your comment, since it is such obvious bulls#!t that has been refuted too many times to count.

In reality I don't care very much for what you have to say. So what... you have a seething hatred for George Bush. Well... lucky you. Big hairy deal.

Why should I care? If you have anything substantive to say I'm all ears. But if all you have is the usual Micheal Moore low-quality bitching and ranting, then we probably have little to discuss.

[xzins]

Yes.

He went in to fly jets. He had 2 years active duty, the same as if he'd been drafted and then he had 4 more years of part time duty.

He has an Honorable Discharge to prove it.

You might want to donate to President Bush at http://www.georgewbush.com

[adam_az]

"Can you imagine Dubya begging his Daddy to get him into the Guard now?"

Several Air National Guard units were sent to Vietnam.

Bush's unit was just as likely to be sent as any other.

Flying a jet, particularly the one he flew, is very dangerous. He hardly picked a cake gig.

Do you always speak about subjects on which you are ignorant, or only when it comes to the President?

[Ramius]

I'm leaning toward a war hero.

bwaahhaha... sure you are. Sure you are.

You're kinda fun to watch.

[Ramius]

So you were voluteering for duty in Vietnam, were you? And you're just angry because you didn't get picked? Is that it?

You would have gone, right?

[Sidebar Moderator]

Let's stop this sophistry now, shall we?

Stopped.

[xzins]

I don't know if Clark is a "hero" or not, but Kerry got a silver star. Some people make decisions based on those type of things.

My vote will go to the guy most likely to win who wants to defend america before we get shot at, slow down the murder of babies, and cut my taxes.