Posted on 04/12/2007 8:59:57 PM PDT by PAUL REVERE TODAY
See Post #17.
So let me ask mine again: why would you denigrate the many women who proudly and capably serve in the Armed Forces of this country by proposing such a question?
Also, I think active service personnel should have their votes count more. Maybe, 2 or 3 times more. I don't think that will attract more service personnel, but It would be a nice reward for the great sacrifices they are making.
The truth doesn’t denigrate anyone.
I asked the question because I was interested in the answer.
But in whole, I'm with you, if you serve, then you have given more than anybody else in this country and we should ask no more. That means no taxes, free life time medical care (at where ever they choose to go, not just military docs) and free college tuition plus their military paycheck so long as they attend.
It's also a good time to get that put on the platform. Check to see if the the county delegate chair is open in your precinct, sign up and then put it forward at your convention and see how far it goes, I would bet that if you live in a conservative area it will at least make it to the state level.
I’d be curious if a number of them are signing up with PMCs.
They did their time and have left the military to pursue other careers as most junior officers do.
I was responding to text saying that they are leaving the service faster and more often now. What’s changed? What’s changed is now they might have to practice their military skills where as before it was rare that they’d be in harms way. Do we really need a military whose members are in it only to gain more than they give? When times are tough and the chips are down can I depend on them any more than I could from the draftee from yesterday?
My dad was regular army and I was regular army, now retired. I experienced relations with many of these grads and although many were willing to give, most were putting in their time, doing a little as possible while waiting for the day they could leave. Come war many looked for any way possible to pull strings to avoid risk assignments.
Well,
It may help some.
But honestly, the jobs that a West Point grad could get would probably exceed their attained pay grade during their five year term. In their minds, they paid their debt to their country, possible did a couple of rotations in Iraq, and now they want to get on with their lives, marry and have kids. Nothing wrong with that.
Howver, if people are specifically getting out because they do not want to keep rotating back to Iraq, that would mean we don’t have enough troops to keep below a deployment tolerance level.
Its hard to maintain the patriotic fervor for Iraq when you know we aren’t going to deploy 100,000 more or so to do the job. Its like we are just maintaining in hopes that the Iraqi forces grow large enough to take over, to develop their own networks and methods of dealing with the enemy within. It will be a lot less humanitarian but its hard to negotiatie with rabid dogs. But, it should be their problem now. We can give them supplies, equipment, SOF, and CAS, but that is where it should eventually end up.
Your experience differs vastly from mine, perhaps because the Navy is pretty much always in a wartime optempo, so there’s no such thing as biding one’s time. I don’t know anyone who joined the Navy expecting to avoid rigorous duty with months if not years spent away from family.
I’m sure many are leaving these days because the economy is good and there are other opportunities. Maybe some don’t want to go to war, again. I suspect many are fed up with the way the war is being conducted and are tired of being hamstrung by the ROE, the JAG types, the politics, etc. Then there are family pressures. When your husband or wife is threatening a divorce and your kids don’t recognize you when you return from yet another deployment, is it selfish to leave?
Like I’ve said, perhaps the Navy is different. I met officers with varied abilities and skill levels, but I never knew an out-and-out slacker.
Your experience differs vastly from mine.
Sounds like you are the one who is scared...hiding behind semantics.
I always thought the Marines had the best uniforms, especially for women. They actually looked at a woman’s body before they designed them. Navy uniforms are designed for women who are built like boys. The dress uniforms are altered to fit, but the everyday uniforms are garbage. The blouses don’t have darts and are cut straight up and down, so women with, shall we say, womanly bodies have to have everything altered or put up with yards of extra material around the waist.
I am a West Point grad with two years remaining on my contract, so hopefully I can dispel some of the gross inaccuracies I’ve seen posted here and give a good perspective on what’s going on.
-West Point grads are not political appointees. They must receive a nomination, but most never meet the person who gives them a nomination. Many others get athletic appointments to play in a sport and don’t have to go through the process.
-A very small percentage leave after the two year mark. If it was more than 1-2% I would be shocked.
-9/11 happened at the beginning of my second year. We all had the opportunity to leave after that, but we were too motivated to defend our country; even those who went for the wrong reasons initially.
-I plan on getting out as soon as I can. My wife(another grad) does as well. I would say that over half of the grads I know in my class will be getting out as well. Why? First, because the deployment tempo is taking a huge toll on families(over 70% divorce rate). Second, the deployments could be tolerated if our politicians would get their act together. The general feeling is that the country and the political leadership are not behind the troops. Third, opportunities are everywhere. Within one year of graduating, I was receiving job offers for 4 years down the line paying me >100K. Finally, the army is not doing anything to retain us. I don’t mean that what they’re doing isn’t appealing, but that nothing is being done.
I am the son of a Grad, and have 3 uncles and both grandfathers who are retired army. When I was commissioned I never thought about anything but staying in for a career. However, the atmosphere is bad and there are no incentives to stay in.
Walk a mile in our shoes before you make judgments...
Exactly!
Liberal troll.
(Do I need to add a sarcasm tag?)
The tax exemption should extend after they leave the military, if they serve something like 6 or 10 years. I think that might attract more people to the military, and it would be a round the back attack on the tax loving leftist who don’t want to pay our soldiers more.
Now you did it!!
Hey Allegra how is everything?
Got a shipment to Baghdad - anything I can add for you?
Remember this is coming from the Boston Globe!
I liked Radix's post but if someone goes to West Point and doesn't want to make the Army a career, what the hell is in their minds?
Arioch7.
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