TAKE CARE OF OUR TROOPS

I read an article today on military.com about a press conference or interview that now Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen talked to reporters about cutting the DOD budget nearly a half of trillion dollars over the next 12 years. Says that in order to do so, Military Personnel will be looking at a cut in pay and benefits. Sorry, but that really hits home with me!!!

I believe whole heartedly that we (America) need to get our fiscal house in order and when you have to do things like that, then all people are going to have to sacrifice.

However, this person feels that cutting the pay and benefits of our war fighting troops, the ones who go out on the front line and put themselves in harms way is not what we want to do. Especially not since every military person we have now is a volunteer. Nobody in the military was drafted to do these jobs. They volunteer to do it!!! So if we cut there pay, and cut their benefits, all we are doing is cutting the quality of people we have to defend this country.

If you cut their pay and benefits, then you will not have the same quality of people like the Seal Team 6 that went in and got Bin Ladin for us. Of course, we could always outsource something like that. Wonder what the going rate is for hiring a team to go in and get someone like that who we had been chasing for all most 10 years? Hiring a missionary team of civilian personnel would of cost America ten times the amount it cost them using military. I mean come on people, let’s face it, the military does produce and is paid very little for what they actually do. Can our Congress say the same thing? I do not believe so. You see, something like this gets very political! If you do not cut the pay and benefits of military, then you have to cut some of the programs of the Department of Defense and then you start stepping on political toes. Defense contractors will not take a cut because they have to pay those congressional leaders to get those contracts, so the Department of Defense continues to pay multiple times the money for something that is purchased on the outside. Home Depot and Lowes would love to get the price defense contractors get for a toilet seat.

It is very simple business sense. If you do not take care of the people who work for you, then they will not take care of you. I spent more than 20 years in the military, and believe me when I tell you there is plenty of ways to cut the DOD budget without having to take pay and benefits away from the troops. There is DOD programs out their that could be cut out totally and by itself would balance the budget and nobody would be hurt with the exception of maybe a Congressman. It is time that we stop taking care of everybody else and start taking care of ourselves.