>>Nexus thinks that he has more active duty time
>>You were the first to bring up your military service to give your >>statements some clout - not I..my comment was it's irrelavent.. >>and there are plenty more people who have more service than >>you and I combined.
>>Yet you continue to harp on this?
You were the one to make this an issue, I merely stated my case for relevancy. You made it some kind of "clout" issue for whatever reason. Yet YOU continue to make it an issue.
>>you know how reserves operate?
>>What kind of POT are you smoking? I did not post anything >>about how the reserves operate.
It was a question. I am still waiting for an answer. I'll wait until you've put the crack pipe down.
>>Some families do better than others at budgeting
>>So now it's the service man's fault for not being prepared... >>not budgeting for war...
Well, seeing how all we do is prepare for war, I guess it would be. What do you want, the chain of command to hold every service member's hand? We are all responsible adults and that means we have to be accountable for ourselves. If we are not prepared for overseas deployment its our own fault. But, hey, why not just blame Bush? I mean, he didn't call me to ask my opinion about the war while I am preparing for deployment. Yeah, I see it now, it is his fault....
>>Bush and the Republicans are stone walling the efforts in >>congress to give service men relief caused by the current >>conflict.
>>And that's ok with you! eh.
>>So you disagree that servicemen should get any support from >>Congress?
Again, stating something I never said. Coming from you that doesn't surprise me.
>>It's ok that they have to sell their homes, go on food stamps, welfare... etc.
>>And as a citizen enjoying your freedom and a reservist not yet >>called up for active duty... are you prepared to sell your house, >>put your family on food stamps and welfare (which if the >>Republicans had their way would not exist).
>>Are you prepared for that?
Yes, I am paid to be prepared for it. I had the foresight to invest my money and save it at the same time. My family will never need food stamps or welfare. Just to let you know, I have been in school the last 2 years, worked only part time and yet am still more than ready to be deployed for 12 months or more if called to.
>>Ready to do that for your country... because there's several >>thousand Americans serving this country who have already >>done that... but that's ok... they should have known that's >>what they were getting into... right?
>>That's pretty heartless of you. But it's the >>typical "Compasionate" Republican response... so much for >>the "Morals and Family values"...
>>Is that how your family takes care of their own?
That is really pathetic. When you join an establishment be it civilian or government, yeah it would pay to know what you are getting into before signing on the dotted line. Its funny how much you read into things that I type that have no bearing on this discussion whatsoever. But, as you prove with every post, you only believe what you want. Your compassion is to the point that my service to this country apparently means nothing because I am ready for deployment and that my family somehow become a target when all I did was use one member as an example of success.
>>I grew up in a different family - we take care of our own... in t>>his case in America - we should take care of our own. Take >>care of our service men and their families while they are >>serving their country...
Wow, you finally are making sense. What do you think will happen when they get more money? Like most Americans the services are full of members that don't budget as well as they should. I don't know why you can't see this. Obviously walking the halls of the CIA, the Pentagon and other high level areas have made you immune to the average person's plight.
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Nexus, I admire your passion in this regard, I couldn't agree with you more on the issue of taking care of our troops. But your hatred of Bush is apparent and it clouds your arguments as being nothing more than venom against the Republicans and using the average GI's situation as an excuse to accuse GW of whatever you feel. The pay of the armed services is low, GD dude, no argument here, but we do know that it is low, that we can't afford everything we want to. I guarantee you that if more money was the answer it wouldn't solve anything. Most people would just spend it without investing or saving it. What we do need is a tax relief, put more of our money in our pockets. Throwing money at a problem has always been the Democrats answer to problems. In this case it won't help.
Let me tell you about a situation I had with a unit member a couple of months ago. I had to do a counselling on her to establish where she wanted to be in 10 years with the Navy Reserve. The first question that I ask when I do these counselling checks is "Why did you join the Navy reserve?" You know what the most common answer I get is? "For the money and the GI Bill." I then tell them, well, if you joined for the money you joined for the wrong reason. The money isn't here, I tell them, and it never will be. It is up to the individual to research what they are getting into BEFORE signing on and taking the oath.
It breaks my heart to know there are service members that are in hard times due to financial reasons. I also know from actually BEING there that it is more of a product of poor planning than anything. The military has never paid well, will never pay well, and there is no secret that this is the situation.
Ski - Yes, his wife worked as well, just as mine does now and many others not in the military. I got off of active as an E-4 after 4 years like you did. But because of the lousy pay I would never consider starting a family at that time. At 23, you still have plenty of time to do that. When I got out I had saved quite a bit of money and am proud that I had that kind of discipline. I can't say I know too many others that got out with ANY money at all, especially guys who were E5's and E6's and had served 12 years. They didn't save anything and it showed.
