Marines Take Copters out of retirement (shortages due to war on terror)

[BOSSHOG]

The Marine Corps has taken "several" CH-53 Super Stallion Helicopters out of retirement "due to shortages caused by the global war on terrorism."

http://pao.navair.navy.mil/press_releases/index.cfm?fuseaction=press_release_view&Press_release_id=3516&site_id=4

The Copters have been in storage for 11 years. This is the first time any CH-53 has been returned to service.

The Army is now taking 42 year olds and Marines are using Copters which were retired more than a decade ago, and the white house is fighting a 1/2 percent proposed additional increase of active duty personnel's pay starting next fiscal year. I guess its all Clinton's fault.

[FUGW]

1. This is getting pathetic, I don't understand how anyone could

support these total A-Holes.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Welcome to DU, FUGW

Oh "conservatives" think its great. Death, destruction, despair, then blame the liberals and to hell with how much it costs, reagan proved deficits don't matter.

[FUGW]

3. Thanks BOSSHOG, dude would you want to fly in one of those

Heli's? GW should trade Marine One for one of those ancient CH-53's now that would be supporting the troops. This is a total outrage people are going to die when those old birds give out. I don't care how much they refurbish them, helicopters are very sophisticated pieces of machinery it doesn't take much to bring them down. Dam it the troops deserve more than bumper sticker support.
Sorry for my rant, this kind of shit makes me crazy.

[leveymg]

5. I'd rather ride in an old CH-53 than a brand new OV-22 Osprey

They're sending those things over there, too!

[skylarmae]

4. this reminds me of the soviets in the last days of afghanistan

depleted supplies, monies, men etc. or was that the fall of the Roman empire?

[BR_Parkway]

6. So let me get this straight. After the fall of communism, we were going

to have this huge peace dividend. But military spending didn't really go down by any significant amount. And we've gone from being geared up to fight the Great Red Menace, with all the equipment that entailed - to not having enough helicopters to support 150,000 troops in a country that's twice the size of Idaho? When Russia was 5 times larger?

What the hell did all that money get spent on?

BTW, welcome to DU!

[leveymg]

7. What did all the money get spent on?