Remember during the presidential campaign when the Republicans argued that the US Military was "weak and unprepared" and that "morality was low"? Well, Bush was in office 9 months arguing about Social Security, the economy, and whatever else and the military never came up. So, how come with the same supposed crappy military, we look so good out there in Osama land? Looks like the military is pretty damn formidable if you ask me. Goes to prove that you don't need 100,000 troops and 5000 missles to have a formidable military. Those planes and advanced weaponry were not built in 9 months. Though Bush has grown on me as a president and I like the guy, what he said during the campaign was essentially...well, it was totally NOT true as evident by the ass kicking going on and the lightning raining from the skies in Afghanistan.
I believe his argument was that we couldn't handle a 2 front war. We're only really going after 1 area, so our resources aren't being stretched...
If it comes from the mouth of a candidate during an election, 999,999 times out of a million it's politics and not the truth.
all I know is: 1) we're fighting a weak and unorganized enemy with a lack of resources. -and- 2) my friend's uncle is an officer in the armed services, and he amen'd everything bush was saying about the state of the military. he decried the emaciation that had taken place during clinton's terms. -and- 3) the intelligence community is part of the military community, and the intelligence community got torn a new one on 9/11. if anything, we're seeing now the best part of the military that was kept in decent shape. the intelligence that could've known about the attack before it happened and could know more about everything that's going on now proved and is proving itself to be weaker than we need it to be, I think.
Our enemies fight wearing robes and sandals. They train on monkey bars. They storm across the desert on jackasses, jeeps and pick-up trucks. They have no air force and little air defense. They have few resources. They have been lied to by thier commanders. What did you expect?
I believe that one of the main reasons for low moral is the fact that the pay is so low. When I went into the military, $700 a month sounded like a lot of money. I was 18, never made any money before, never had any bills, or responsibilities. You think, "Hey, I have a place to live, they feed me, and I dont have to worry about much." Until you want to go somewhere and you have no way of getting around. So you buy a $300 83 Toyota Camry. Then you have to pay $90 a month for car insurance. Then you get tired of eating all of that waste that they call food in the galley and you try to eat out a couple of times. Then your brakes go. Then you want to buy a calling card so you can call home because you are lonely. Then you need tolietries. Then you need new undershirts. Then you need this and that and $700 doesnt sound like $hit anymore. Then you try to get a part time job to make some extra money and your chain of command wont let you. You feel like you are freaking poor and you are trying serve your country and they wont pay you crap. But your country has the money to send supplies and crap to some country that cant handle their own business. Then you start thinking about that damn recruiter and how you wish you could get your hands on his ass because he said that you would get to go to school and then if you did well you could choose your orders. So you bust your butt and graduate number one in your class and you can just smell the salt water and taste the shore duty in Europe. And then they want you to stay in Chicago, the coldest place on earth, and instruct other jerk offs like yourself. Then you think about how Clinton dodged the draft and sticks cigars in fat chicks while you are barely getting by. You see your CNO commit suicide and Tailhook and wonder about your chain of command. You see what kind of idiots are in charge and wonder, "If we are the strongest Navy on earth, what kind of jackasses are in those other Navies?" I love my country and I am very patriotic. I would go back and fight for my country and die if that was what was necassary but there are problems and there is low moral. Things need to change and hopefully they will soon. I want those brave men and women to have the best because they deserve it. I want the USA to stand tall and proud and those are the men and women that are going to preserve our way of life. Our military has a long and proud tradition and it needs to be maintained.
