Stripes letters--Army Sec's rationale incomplete/When will the war end?

[lebkuchen]

Harvey’s rationale incomplete

I was absolutely appalled when I read the Nov. 9 article “Army secretary: Can’t compare soldiers with contractors.” I can’t believe that the one person servicemembers think are helping them (Army Secretary Francis Harvey) can feel this way.

Don’t get me wrong: I love my job and I am satisfied with my job, but there is a price on my loyalty and satisfaction. The paragraph that included the words “there is no salary that can compare to the ‘satisfaction as a soldier of protecting the American way of life,’ Harvey said” turned my stomach. Yes, I volunteered for this job and I proudly serve my country, but that does not pay the bills.

I don’t want the Army secretary to misunderstand or lead people to think that all soldiers are satisfied with just serving our country. We have families and with that comes bills — and the last time I checked, the electric company won’t accept a letter of satisfaction as a monthly payment.

The article states: “Army officials will continue to work to provide well-rounded compensation packages for soldiers,” but how can someone with this mentality be looking out for our best interests? This is why Army re-enlistment and recruiting are falling way below requirements. But they are fixing that, too — by lowering the minimum standard for entry into the Army for what in school would be considered failing.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stanley Pebsworth
Forward Operating Base Speicher, Iraq


When will it end?

First off, let me say that I am so proud of our men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The truth of the matter is, it is all going to be for naught.

Our Army has trained for many years to fight on all types of fronts and against all kinds of enemies, but looking back over the 24 years I was a soldier, up to 2002, we never had to fight such a calculating and cunning “wannabe” martyr and kamikaze as we do now. When you mix this with the enemy’s interpretation of Islam, you definitely have an enemy that is going to be very hard to defeat. If history serves as witness, this type of war can go on for years with no real resolve.

We are training up to a 200,000-plus-man Iraqi army. Just how many of that number do you think is sympathetic or has some kind of allegiance to the insurgency? How soon we forget what happened when we also trained young armies and their leaders in South America at the School of the Americas in Panama. Some of the graduates went on to become rebel leaders and dictators.

It is costing the taxpayer billions of dollars per month, we recently passed 2,000 servicemembers dead , and are closing in on 20,000 maimed and injured. If we are going to wipe out al-Quaida and at the same time get involved with heroin eradication in Afghanistan, I can see us being there also a great many years.

I say to hell with them all, they will never be thriving democracies. We are spread way too thin. Though our troops remain positive and vigilant, they are worn out and their family and private lives are falling apart at an alarming rate.

Larry C. Bostick
Hanau, Germany


http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=32946

[texpatriot2004]

1. Kick it for the soldiers n/t

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. So they're saying if you're not a true patriot you should get paid more

I find that insulting to say the least.

[lebkuchen]

3. Yep. That's the gist of it.

Speaking of "patriot," here's my idea for a real "Patriot Act": bulk up the VA hospitals with staffing adjusted to the sign of the times--an on-going war, to ensure that vets get their needs met in a timely, efficient manner, and boost VA benefits across the board.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. But, but but, why should we take care of the vets? In my best

snotty Chickenhawk voice...

The way these idiots see the troops are as assets, and the VA is filled with those that did not have the good sense to die... I ain't shitting you

[lebkuchen]

5. I'd love to see another Stripes "Morale Survey"

Though, you'd better believe Rummy's office will put the kabosh on that idea right quick.