U.S. Soldiers Re-Enlist in Strong Numbers

[burnedout]

Originally posted by: Hafen

He also thinks Bush has done more to destroy the military than Clinton ever did. Bush has taken away huge amounts of VA benefits, so much that there are essentially worthless to him and doesn't even bother to visit VA hospitals anymore. All the talk of Bush of raising soldier income was been mostly lip service, and would not even equal the loss of VA benefits if it actually ever materialized.

As far as I know, Bush is the only U.S. President in history to implement measures at least somewhat addressing the issue of concurrent receipt for military retirees.

Originally posted by: Ultra Quiet

TriCare Prime is $460/year for family coverage. It's called TriCare for Life.

$115/quarter is a great deal. On the other hand, we currently pay $88/month for Delta Dental.

Originally posted by: unixfool

My wife is still in and I've been out for almost 10 yrs. I'm currently an IT consultant. You wouldn't believe what I save in medical by relying on my wife's Tricare (Prime). I have NO medical benefits through my company. It awed one of my coworkers.

No complaints about VA benefits here, although I've only used my education benefits (and medical once, went to a VA hospital to be seen).

VA bennies are wonderful, no doubt. I still have about 6 years to use the GI Bill. I also declined the $200+/mo. HMO coverage through my employer in lieu of Tricare.

 

[xxxxxJohnGaltxxxxx]

Originally posted by: burnedout


VA bennies are wonderful, no doubt. I still have about 6 years to use the GI Bill. I also declined the $200+/mo. HMO coverage through my employer in lieu of Tricare.

When I first started getting the GI. Bill, it was like $440/month for FT students...when I had a few months left, it went up to $800, more of less, a month..now I think it's nearly $1200 clams....Hafen, have you been in the military and currently have an axe to grind with VA (or just a Bush whiner), or is your friend your only source of information on VA benefits...again, please explain what Bush has done to hurt your friend.

 

[burnedout]

Yeah, hehe, I'm holding off on using the GI Bill for that very reason. The monthly amount continues to increase. Besides, my employer has reimbursed some of my ed expenses over the past 3 years.

 

[xxxxxJohnGaltxxxxx]

Originally posted by: burnedout
Yeah, hehe, I'm holding off on using the GI Bill for that very reason. The monthly amount continues to increase. Besides, my employer has reimbursed some of my ed expenses over the past 3 years.

They also changed it to where your family can use the benefits, too...not just the military member...which they would stop hurting veterans like that

 

[Moonbeam]

There was no threat in Iraq and we shouldn't be there. All the billions we are spending because of that fools war are wasted and could have been spent on the quality of our nation. Patriotism that follows a lunatic into war is fanaticism and madness not patriotism. The partriots said hell no.

 

[Zebo]

U.S. Soldiers Re-Enlist in Strong Numbers
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Like they have a choice? Cheap-labor-neocons give us the worst economy since thier last disgrace, Hoover, to keep the poor and lowermiddle class in there to fight thier benefactors wars. Where the hell else are they going to go? There sure is'nt any jobs out there for em' and they're not like Bush or his freinds that can have daddy buy them a job or live off a trust fund. Gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[YellowRose]

So what has Bush done to the VA. Well how about cutting out of the VA budget millions slated for amputees. How about limiting who can receive VA services.

Now as far as re-enlistments you will see the following: Gaurd and Reserve will drop to such a low point they will become
ineffective as a fighting force. The Army will see a mass outflow when it comes time for soldiers to ETS. Iraq has become a 15 month combat tour. Thats
9 months more then Veitnam was and they only get a 2 week break during that 15 months. And with Iraq going down the tubes and Bush looking toward Iran now
people in the Army are going to leave at the first chance. Afterall they want to live too.

 

[colonel]

how much is the air force contributing to this operation?

NADA, the infantry men is the one taking the load.

 

[DoubleL]

Soldiers enlisting or re-enlisting has nothing to do with the economy, They want to serve there country, When I enlisted the economy was not even in my mind, To say so is a joke

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: DoubleL
Soldiers enlisting or re-enlisting has nothing to do with the economy, They want to serve there country, When I enlisted the economy was not even in my mind, To say so is a joke

For some thats definity true. Pat Tillman the biggest example. However disproportionate come from communities with the highest unemployment, and communities with the lowest wages. You can't deny many seek the miltary as a way out of poverty.

 

[DoubleL]

For some thats definity true. Pat Tillman the biggest example. However disproportionate come from communities with the highest unemployment, and communities with the lowest wages. You can't deny many seek the miltary as a way out of poverty.
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Still don't think so, It is very hard to get in the service now, Most that go would have little trouble finding a job, Like my nephew, He just got out of LSU med school and is thinking about serving, A guy that works for me his son was so upset over 9/11 he enlisted after collage, I don't like the way the service is now, I think there are a lot of good men that didn't finish high school that would make good soldiers but they can't get in, I never meet anyone in the service that went in cause they were in poverty, But can't say you are wrong just never meet one,

 

[NesuD]

Originally posted by: Hafen

Originally posted by: xxxxxJohnGaltxxxxx
It's usually the liberal-types who have never served (or done anything for this country) who want to make it seem like the sky is falling and presuppose that people won't want to fight for this country.

Hmm, my co-worker/ Lab partner is a former Marine who fought in the first gulf war, and was also stationed in Bosnia and Mogadishu. We have spoke on several occations how he is very glad not to be serving in the forces today and would never go back under the current administration. He thought the current Iraqi war was an enormous mistake predicated on (an obvious) lie. He also said the popular reasons given for the first gulf were also distractions from the real reason we fought there (I'm sure you can guess what.) He is not the first gulf veteran to tell me this.

He also thinks Bush has done more to destroy the military than Clinton ever did. Bush has taken away huge amounts of VA benefits, so much that there are essentially worthless to him and doesn't even bother to visit VA hospitals anymore. All the talk of Bush of raising soldier income was been mostly lip service, and would not even equal the loss of VA benefits if it actually ever materialized.


Also, I have some friends who are staunch conservatives and who the husband is a faculty member over at West Point (on 15 mi from me.) He basically said the whole campus hates Don Rumsfeld because he forced his rediculous invasion-plan-on-the-cheap, meanwhile ignoring and discrediting Gen Shinseki's (West Point alum) warnings about the need for vast more numbers of troops ("several hundred thousand") and essentially ruining his career over the flap, and directly causing the disorder there now. (To the needless cost of many of our men.) Consequently they are angry with Bush as well. My freind said he won't be voting for Bush this time. My co-worker essentially agreed with this view. "A$$hole" was his word for Rummy, and "elite silver-spoon coward" for Bush.

Man I just love the "My friend said" and "my coworker/lab partner said" testimonials. Please facts not whatever you choose to make up to support your position.

 

[pphysicsguy]

Hmm, I saw just a week or two ago, in USA Today I believe, that overall enlistment was down. Before the war, enlistment was growing, and now it's going down. It was still pretty high though (97% ?).

 

[Moonbeam]

The numbers probably need to be protected for national security reasons. If the iraqis could maybe connect falling numbers to the viet nam similarities, they might start planting jungle or something and besides there's always the draft..

 

[chess9]

Moonbeam:

I'm sure you hit the nail on the head. Very few people probably know the actual retention rate.

-Robert

 

[maluckey]

Let me see. Two of my old buddies re-upped. My brother extended, and the neighbor just joined at the age of 29 years old. Some people are exited about "prooving themselves". I'm sure that there are others who aren't motivated in the same way. This changing of the guard is normal in the military. During peacetime, the war hounds leave in droves, and during war-time, the REMFs, and wannabes run for the hills.

My guess is that if 9/11 hadn't happened, there would be more of a turnover. Same basic thing happenen when Iran took U.S. hostages two decades ago. enlistment and retention rose sharply.