No money for military pay, but…
Our buddy, Denise Williams, at Chicago Now read our post yesterday about Leon Panetta preparing us for cuts to military pay next year, and she noticed that despite our own cost cutting, there’s still money enough to arm the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
This short-sighted, misguided and simply foolish aid package does at least have some strings attached. Not in how those weapons will be used, not in securing religious freedom or any other human rights for the people of Egypt, but only in how the aid package must be spent. Simply put, we are giving Egypt money which they then must spend on US manufactured weapons of war. And our elected officials and military leaders in the Pentagon say those strings are there to bolster our economy and ensure US jobs.
Someone noticed in the comments yesterday, that there’s even enough money to extend benefits to same sex couples in the military – but none for our own readiness, and to keep the good warriors who learned the hard lessons of the last war – you know, the one that is still going on now (Associated Press link);
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has not made a final decision on which benefits will be included, the officials said, but the Pentagon is likely to allow same-sex partners to have access to the on-base commissary and other military subsidized stores, as well as some health and welfare programs.
Panetta must walk a fine, legal line. While there has been increased pressure on the Pentagon to extend some benefits to same-sex partners, defense officials must be careful not to violate the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. The federal law forbids the federal government from recognizing any marriage other than those between a man and a woman.
And then there’s that study to see if women can be manly enough. We can spend money on that, but not on retention, and the folks who have to pass on their lessons to the next generation of warriors – you know, like those guys who stuck it out after Vietnam to train my generation.
It’s almost as if they want to destroy the military and make us vulnerable.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Military issues
Ya think!
Well, were you all expecting some common sense from that quarter?
Same thing happened after Gulf 1. I was in a overmanned field and was shown the door. A year later, critically undermanned and begged to come back. For some reason they haven’t learned from past history. This seems to happen with every democratic regime.
And about the only folks in the Navy who are getting SRB (Selective Reenlistment Bonuses) are SEALs and nukes. I can imagine the same exists across all services.
Within the next week the Army is going to release the results of the QSP board. It is not like the QMP where you get the boot for not getting promoted after a certain number of years. The QSP is where they look for any reason they can find to give NCOs the boot.
@5
Hey Twist, QMP targets derogratory issues such as relief for cause, mediocre NCOER, DUI, getting booted from Army school/course…etc. Yeah, I know what your getting at.
From Army.mil, under the QSP, there are three distinct separation selection programs. These programs are:
— Qualitative Management Program, or QMP
— Over-Strength Qualitative Service Program, or OS-QSP
— Promotion Stagnation Qualitative Service Program, or PS-QSP
But those senior NCOs are expensive. Look how much they get paid, for pete’s sake. They cost too much. (snark)
Even a cursory glance at foreign aid is enough to make you wonder whose side our government is on. I don’t think it’s ours. 🙁
@7, yeah I know it only took me making E-7 and making it to 15 years of service to get the same base pay a 2LT makes on his/her first day in service. We are just too dang expensive. 🙂
@8 – I was thinking the same thing this morning… what, with all the foreign aid going to Egypt, and perhaps 20 F-16’s and some M-1 Abrams tanks to go with them?
That’s a chunk of change.
@twist is there a place the qsp will be published?
It’s ok though. If sequestration hits we’re apparently going to be knocking off the ROTC and Academy programs. That’s millions right there! Might piss off a few old grads though…..
http://www.duffelblog.com/2013/02/military-sequestration-cuts-would-close-service-academies-end-rotc-programs/
Let’s face it, the B. Hussein Øbama Administration has written us Vets off as second-class serfs because our votes aren’t bought as easily as those of the welfare flunkies, thus they get higher priority than we do. [Wannabe]Emperor B. Hussein Øbama is also looking for ways to offset the cost of his junkets and vacations, so we Vets need to sacrifice more for his wannabe eminence. OH YEAH, I forgot about the opulent luxuries that Congressmen and Senators treat themselves to, as well as their annual pay raises, silly me!! What do we have in DC other than self-coronated Royalty treating themselves to whatever they want to on our dollars and those of future generations? National Beat a Politician Month, anyone?
@11, From what I have been told everyone that is on that list will be told by the 11th. I don’t know if that is true or not.
@ArmyJ, I think that article is satire. Not sure, but it looks like it.
@12 and 15 – The Duffelblog is a satire site on par with The Onion. Funny as hell sometimes, but you really should not use it as a factual reference.
NO! That Colonel really DID violate the entire UCMJ! I seen it! 😐