Author Topic: Who Knows? (Read 1029 times)

vorticon · « **Reply #15 on:** June 02, 2005, 03:47:57 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Octavius
Think a law is going to stop 19-20 year olds from drinking in Wisconsin? The beer capital?

But that ^ is here nor there.

Drinking age - 16
Driving age - 18
Harsher penalties (excluding jail time) on first time DUI offenders. Revoke driving privileges, larger fines. You're gonna drink, then you're gonna be responsible and not drive above the limit.

oddly enough, currently those ages are reversed (here), and for the exact same reason...gives us kids some respect for the car before we start drinking (legally)

im also liking this dump a ****load of responsibility on people in one go rather than ease em in nicely you guys are promoting...

as for wisconsan...its not like there not just jumping the border into canada to get wasted anyway...

Gunslinger · « **Reply #16 on:** June 02, 2005, 07:40:59 PM »

well let me just sell you this from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

I reported to camp pendlton, CA the weekend before April 1st 1996. That weekend was the LAST weekend 18 year olds could drink and buy beer (yes they could only buy beer) on base.

It just so happens this was one of the selling points for the military for me and they changed the rules. That weekend I had guard duty and instead of drinking and living it up I was breaking up all sorts of fights at the E-clubs. The Mrines were living it up because it was there last chance to legally do so. (side note: this was also when E clubs were the place to be. The Del Mar Eclub was a happenin spot)

OK fast forward a bit. This did not stop 18 year olds from drinking...now they did it in their rooms quietly....they did it with fake IDs in clubs....and worse....they did it in Mexico. What this did was shift the "problems" off base and out into the public. Most notable was when a young Marine was driving home from mexico drunk and killed a family on their way to disneyland.

The irony here is you could still drink underage at most overseas installations. This didn't last too long though either. I say give them a "beer card" for on base, they screw up they lose it.

There is no reason a GROWN MAN who's seen combat on the streets of faluja should not be able to have a beer back home.

Shane · « **Reply #17 on:** June 02, 2005, 08:55:58 PM »

poepl should learn to drink *before* they learn to drive...

Nash · « **Reply #18 on:** June 02, 2005, 09:05:29 PM »

Allowing the kids to drink may work. Or drafting the 101st Fighting Keyboardists might help. Lord knows
there is a problem.

Getting close to being only a couple of choices left. Leave Iraq, or draft. Is there an alternative I'm missing?

Toad · « **Reply #19 on:** June 02, 2005, 09:10:57 PM »

Raise the pay, increase the GI Bill benefits, build better housing on base, improve the free medical care for the entire soldier's family, improve the ability to earn college credits while in service, increase SGLI....

in short, spend money.

You want an all volunteer military, it's costs will vary with what the volunteers expect to do.

Right now, the price of volunteers is up.

Nash · « **Reply #20 on:** June 02, 2005, 09:13:46 PM »

Is the money for happy homes there, when it isn't there for training?

rpm · « **Reply #21 on:** June 02, 2005, 09:16:34 PM »

Any state can set any age as the legal drinking age. The problem is, if they set it below 21 they lose ALL federal highway funding.

Toad · « **Reply #22 on:** June 02, 2005, 09:49:33 PM »

You asked if there was anything else that could be done. The answer is "yes".

Do they need more money for training too? Probably some but probably not as much as they claim.

Wars are expensive. Trying to have "guns and butter" is even more expensive.

Wonder how many volunteers we'd get if the only thing the army did was guard good lookin' chicks in bikinis.

Watch and see... the US and its military will survive this "end of the world" crisis in recruiting.

I think I'll save my angst for something else.

Hangtime · « **Reply #23 on:** June 02, 2005, 09:53:54 PM »

Quote

I think I'll save my angst for something else.

Ahhhh.. ummmm...

I got nothin.

Nash · « **Reply #24 on:** June 02, 2005, 09:56:54 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Toad
Watch and see... the US and its military will survive this "end of the world" crisis in recruiting.

Yeah, and you're really the go-to guy for these kinds of predictions.

Sorry. But....

And I'm not sure what the rest of your post has to do with the fact that there is a shortage. Your rosy picture of fixing it through better housing and medical care etc. aint in the cards and we both know it. It's not a realistic response to the issue. Hell, the drinking age prolly has a better shot.

Hangtime · « **Reply #25 on:** June 02, 2005, 09:59:50 PM »

VRB's will come back.

If that don't work, we'll draft illegal immigrants insteda deporting them.

See,, that was easy.

Next?

Gunslinger · « **Reply #26 on:** June 02, 2005, 11:15:53 PM »

this isn't a crisis. This is nothing compared to the recruiting shortage during the job market boom of the late 90s.

Retention/recruiting during that time sucked. Why enlist or stay in when I can get out and make 3x's that much (that's what I said in 2001.....(at least until 9/11) Even Navy Carriers were sailing 200 sailors short during deployments (wich were up 300%)
The marines were going to give me $30k and orders to Pensacola, FL instructor duty (choice assignment) and I turned it down to go work in silcon valley. I'd be an E-7 right now if I'd stayed in.

Our pay since then has increased draticly....almost every base I've been to is building new housing or new barracks. Bonuses in alot of the shortage areas are up. (side note: the USAF just cut the Egress bonus.....A co-worker just got $50k to reup....I can't re-up till next year

)

Nash · « **Reply #27 on:** June 02, 2005, 11:48:18 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunslinger
this isn't a crisis.

Our pay since then has increased draticly....almost every base I've been to is building new housing or new barracks. Bonuses in alot of the shortage areas are up.

yet...

midnight Target · « **Reply #28 on:** June 03, 2005, 08:02:56 AM »

When I was 18-19-20 I would have agreed with this... Now I would like the minimum drinking age set to 46.

Toad · « **Reply #29 on:** June 03, 2005, 08:04:21 AM »

Nash, I love your negativity. It's refreshing to have something that stable to count upon.

Step away from it........ you REALLY think this is the end of the US military? You REALLY think it's the end of the US as a world power?

Recruiting is down.... yep, it happens for a variety of reasons just like Guns pointed out. (BTW, you asked if there were any possibilities you were overlooking. I pointed one out. You feel it's highly unlikely they'll spend more in many areas to recruit. I feel it's much more likely they'll spend rather than draft. Draft is what's unlikely. IMO. Nonetheless, spending is something you overlooked.)

Be interesting to see a graph of Army recruits vs goals over the last 50 years, wouldn't it? I'm guessing it's not a perfect match...what do you guess?

You're becoming the go-to "Chicken Little" guy of the BBS when there's any possibility of poking and prodding to produce insecurity and worry over the good ole US.

Trust me.... we're here bigtime for your lifetime and a bunch more besides. Pretty much all you need to worry about, right? Unclench your hair roots.