Wow - you must have had some really bad experiences with Reservists and Guardsmen. Please don't paint all of us with that brush. Personally, I spent 6 years on active duty, including Panama during Operation Just Cause, before beginning my reserve tour, which just passed its 13th year. My law partner and secretary would tell you it's tough having a partner who spends seven to eight weeks away every year from his full-time practice, but they appreciate it.
Wow - you must have had some really bad experiences with Reservists and Guardsmen. Please don't paint all of us with that brush. Personally, I spent 6 years on active duty, including Panama during Operation Just Cause, before beginning my reserve tour, which just passed its 13th year. My law partner and secretary would tell you it's tough having a partner who spends seven to eight weeks away every year from his full-time practice, but they appreciate it.
Reservists and National Guard do go soft. After they leave Basic and AIT training they are reintroduced to the civilian world and all of a sudden everything they learned and became accustomed to in the Army gets forgotten. I served in the Army Reserve for 6 years and you saw the new guys right out of training reporting for duty and standing at Parade Rest, saying, "Yes 1st Sgt!" or "No 1st Sgt." to any question by Top. Eventually after a couple of drills they are acting like every other weekend warrior, sometimes not even bothering to get their hair cut to regulation for the drill. Not everyone was like this, as I took it pretty seriously, but there were always a few bad apples.
I just wouldn't judge all Reservists or Guardsmen based on this, as quite a few of the guys getting maimed and killed in Iraq right now are citizen-soldiers.
Ask yourself a simple question. If your car was unsafe to drive to work...and you had money to fix it a thousand times over...why wouldn't you fix it...at least in six months...if not twelve months? There is not a VIP in the US government who would have moved mountains to fix their own luxery VIP caddy...if it was unsafe. This is a no-brainer. There should have been a Army 0-6 appointed 12 months ago...and given the money fix every vehicle in 120 days. He should have personally reported back to Rumsfeld and reported mission accomplished back in May of this year. For any troops to have to stand there now and say that the problem isn't yet fixed...simply is garbage. Either fix the problem or get the heck out of the way.
You all say it, but it sounds like you do not live up to your words when you say you support our troops.
My husband, a Naval Reserve officer, spent TWO STRAIGHT YEARS in the Middle East, having been recalled to active duty on 11/1/01. Our children were three and five at the time and lost the care and companionship of their father for nearly 1/2 their lives to that point! My husband joined the Reserve after active duty because he wanted to continue to serve. He got NOTHING for doing that other than the opportunity to step up to the plate when he was needed. No one who knows either of us would EVER state that we were nothing but honored and proud to serve in this way and certainly did not lament our separation.
I take great offense to your generalizing. Frankly, you could say that plenty of active duty just joined for a free education as well.
That said, I don't abide whiners, military or not. However, there is no reason that legitimate safety issues can't be raised. I think this article, like so many, was written with a point of view in mind. The truth may be quite far from the story.