RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,185881,00.html

It would be less expensive, etc, to have them move into another theater of operations. The neocon remnant advises Iran.

Give me a break. I can't count how many people claimed that Obama was going to end the war in Iraq. Hell, even during the Democratic primary debates, most of them were talking about removing *combat* troops. I wasn't fooled by their empty rhetoric. They depended upon people to not be very astute to the language used.

If ending the war was really a primary concern for most Americans, neither Obama nor McCain would have won the primaries. It's just hollow complaining.

quote:

Originally posted by Philhelm:
If ending the war was really a primary concern for most Americans, neither Obama nor McCain would have won the primaries. It's just hollow complaining.

Well said, sir. The privitization of our Army has also given private citizens a chance to reap the benefits of open-ended conflict like never before, giving us more incentive to remain committed.

To the title of this thread, "Heck Yeah!" but I doubt it will happen anytime soon. I guess the sooner we start, the better.

The thing that keeps popping up in my mind is the fact that many on the Presidential Campaign trail said things sort of like, "If elected President, I will bring our troops home." I am not singling anyone out as I think that type of comment was said by a few.

What I'm getting at is, sure, it would be great to get the majority home but for many, "home" for the next year or so just may be in Afghanistan or somewhere else far from the U.S.

Don

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 21yrsUSCGUSCS:
but for many, "home" for the next year or so just may be in Afghanistan or somewhere else far from the U.S.

COMMENT: ... which if the misdirected, heavyhanded policy to invade Iraq hadn't occurred, we might well not be facing the "surge" in Afghanistan to complete that legitimate mission six years later that has devolved into a regional crisis.

quote:

Originally posted by NOVAMarine:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by 21yrsUSCGUSCS:
but for many, "home" for the next year or so just may be in Afghanistan or somewhere else far from the U.S.

COMMENT: ... which if the misdirected, heavyhanded policy to invade Iraq hadn't occurred, we might well not be facing the "surge" in Afghanistan to complete that legitimate mission six years later that has devolved into a regional crisis.

I'll take your word for it since you've "been there, done that" while I haven't.

Thanks for your service.

Don

quote:

Originally posted by NOVAMarine:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by 21yrsUSCGUSCS:
but for many, "home" for the next year or so just may be in Afghanistan or somewhere else far from the U.S.

COMMENT: ... which if the misdirected, heavyhanded policy to invade Iraq hadn't occurred, we might well not be facing the "surge" in Afghanistan to complete that legitimate mission six years later that has devolved into a regional crisis.

With all due respect, sir. How was invading Afghanistan more "legitimate" than invading Iraq?

With eight years hindsight, I can't see how the military action has accomplished anything positive.

COMMENT: Where are we going to find jobs for them all, if they are brought home. You gona give up yours (If you have one ) so that a soldier can have it?? I doubt it!! OF course they could be employed in a new war in Korea - or maybe in the suppression of conservative states who reject Obamar's new "Change to Socialism" movement - -

The government wants the military veterans to not have jobs and then the go'vt will provide some benefit or substandard job that just gets them by. That way the gov't has the troops conditioned to the nanny-state ala suckling the teet.

Our troops are smart and trained in various trades and skills. I am sure they are even more competitive than their civilian counterparts in performing jobs.

I ,for one, after school, will wean myself off of depending on the teet and find a job too.

quote:

Originally posted by greywolfghost:
COMMENT: Where are we going to find jobs for them all, if they are brought home. You gona give up yours (If you have one ) so that a soldier can have it?? I doubt it!! OF course they could be employed in a new war in Korea - or maybe in the suppression of conservative states who reject Obamar's new "Change to Socialism" movement - -

Well, the Active Duty ones will still be on Active Duty and the Reserve and National Guard will have their civilian jobs.

quote:

Originally posted by popsiq:
RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,185881,00.html

It would be less expensive, etc, to have them move into another theater of operations. The neocon remnant advises Iran.

Whats all this "We" shat Canadian? got rats in your pockets?

You arent wecloming any G.I.'s home. Your country is preparing to leave the fight to its Allies.

The author states "This week, the President released his budget for veterans, which represents a strong step towards supporting our returning troops. The budget increases spending on health care and other vital veterans' programs by about 11%, and an increase in VA funding of $25 billion over five years."

$25 billion over 5 years? That is nothing short of criminal, yet the author thinks it is a "strong step." What a crock.

How much money is being thrown around right now as part of the "stimulus package?" How much is going to corporate incompetents who drove their companies into the ground? How much money to deadbeat home owners who took loans they could never hope to repay? How much for stupid earmarks that do nothing but pay back political favors for the members of Congress? The Obama administartion and the members of Congress did not take a "strong step" toward helping returning veterans, they collectively took a huge crap on them.

quote:

Originally posted by mattkay4:
The Obama administartion and the members of Congress did not take a "strong step" toward helping returning veterans, they collectively took a huge crap on them.

You can thank Democrats for the new G.I. Bill. And stop loss incentives. And Reserve retirement at 55. And.....I'm too lazy to search for anything else, but you get the deal.

quote:

Originally posted by mrmixitup:

quote:

Originally posted by mattkay4:
The Obama administartion and the members of Congress did not take a "strong step" toward helping returning veterans, they collectively took a huge crap on them.

You can thank Democrats for the new G.I. Bill. And stop loss incentives. And Reserve retirement at 55. And.....I'm too lazy to search for anything else, but you get the deal.

I get it.......billions upon billions of other people's money given away to deadbeats and incompetents while the veteran gets a paltry helping hand in comparison. Yeah, I guess we can thank Democrats for that.

Everybody on this forum:

I don't know how to eliminate hot links. Please, log on to www.votesmart.org.
Here is a sample, so that you can decide for yourself who supports Veterans, the Democrats or Republicans. YOu decide:

Key Vote
(How all members voted)

Health Care for Veterans Amendment



Key Votes:
HR 2863:
S AMDT 1937: Health Care for Veterans Amendment
S Amdt 2033: Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment

Issues: Veterans Issues
Date: 10/05/2005
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI)



Record Vote Number 251

Motion Rejected
(Senate)
How members voted
(48 - 51)




State District Name Party Vote
AK Sr Sen. Lisa Murkowski Republican N
AK Sr Sen. Ted Stevens (out of office) Republican N
AL Jr Sen. Jefferson Sessions III Republican N
AL Sr Sen. Richard Shelby Republican N
AR Jr Sen. Mark Pryor Democratic Y
AR Sr Sen. Blanche Lincoln Democratic Y
AZ Jr Sen. Jon Kyl Republican N
AZ Sr Sen. John McCain III Republican N
CA Jr Sen. Barbara Boxer Democratic Y
CA Sr Sen. Dianne Feinstein Democratic Y
CO Sr Sen. Wayne Allard (out of office) Republican N
CO Sr Sen. Ken Salazar (out of office) Democratic Y
CT Jr Sen. Joseph Lieberman Independent Democrat Y
CT Sr Sen. Christopher Dodd Democratic Y
DE Sr Sen. Joseph Biden Jr. (out of office) Democratic Y
DE Sr Sen. Thomas Carper Democratic Y
FL Jr Sen. Melquiades Martinez Republican N
FL Sr Sen. Bill Nelson Sr. Democratic Y
GA Jr Sen. John Isakson Republican N
GA Sr Sen. C. Saxby Chambliss Republican N
HI Jr Sen. Daniel Akaka Sr. Democratic Y
HI Sr Sen. Daniel Inouye Democratic N
IA Jr Sen. Thomas Harkin Democratic Y
IA Sr Sen. Charles Grassley Republican N
ID Sr Sen. Larry Craig (out of office) Republican N
ID Sr Sen. Michael Crapo Republican N
IL Jr Sen. Barack Obama Jr. (out of office) Democratic Y
IL Sr Sen. Richard Durbin Democratic Y
IN Jr Sen. Evan Bayh Democratic Y
IN Sr Sen. Richard Lugar Republican N
KS Jr Sen. Pat Roberts Republican N
KS Sr Sen. Samuel Brownback Republican N
KY Jr Sen. Jim Bunning Republican N
KY Sr Sen. Mitch McConnell Republican N
LA Jr Sen. David Vitter Republican N
LA Sr Sen. Mary Landrieu Democratic Y
MA Jr Sen. John Kerry Democratic Y
MA Sr Sen. Edward Kennedy Sr. Democratic Y
MD Sr Sen. Barbara Mikulski Democratic Y
MD Sr Sen. Paul Sarbanes (out of office) Democratic Y
ME Jr Sen. Susan Collins Republican Y
ME Sr Sen. Olympia Snowe Republican Y
MI Jr Sen. Debbie Stabenow Democratic Y
MI Sr Sen. Carl Levin Democratic Y
MN Sr Sen. Norm Coleman (out of office) Republican N
MN Sr Sen. Mark Dayton (out of office) Democratic/Farmer/Labor Y
MO Jr Sen. James Talent (out of office) Republican N
MO Sr Sen. Christopher Bond Republican N
MS Jr Sen. Chester Lott Sr. (out of office) Republican N
MS Sr Sen. Thad Cochran Republican N
MT Jr Sen. Conrad Burns (out of office) Republican N
MT Sr Sen. Max Baucus Democratic Y
NC Sr Sen. Richard Burr Republican N
NC Sr Sen. Elizabeth Dole (out of office) Republican N
ND Jr Sen. Byron Dorgan Democratic-NPL Y
ND Sr Sen. Kent Conrad Democratic-NPL Y
NE Sr Sen. Charles Hagel (out of office) Republican N
NE Sr Sen. E. Benjamin Nelson Democratic Y
NH Jr Sen. John Sununu (out of office) Republican N
NH Sr Sen. Judd Gregg Republican N
NJ Sr Sen. Jon Corzine (out of office) Democratic NV
NJ Sr Sen. Frank Lautenberg Democratic Y
NM Sr Sen. Pete Domenici (out of office) Republican N
NM Sr Sen. Jeff Bingaman Democratic Y
NV Jr Sen. John Ensign Republican N
NV Sr Sen. Harry Reid Democratic Y
NY Jr Sen. Hillary Clinton (out of office) Democratic Y
NY Sr Sen. Charles Schumer Democratic Y
OH Sr Sen. Michael DeWine (out of office) Republican N
OH Sr Sen. George Voinovich Republican N
OK Jr Sen. Thomas Allen Coburn Republican N
OK Sr Sen. James Inhofe Republican N
OR Jr Sen. Gordon Harold Smith (out of office) Republican N
OR Sr Sen. Ron Wyden Democratic Y
PA Jr Sen. Richard Santorum (out of office) Republican N
PA Sr Sen. Arlen Specter Republican Y
RI Jr Sen. Lincoln Chafee (out of office) Republican Y
RI Sr Sen. John Reed Democratic Y
SC Jr Sen. Jim DeMint Republican N
SC Sr Sen. Lindsey Graham Republican N
SD Jr Sen. John Thune Republican Y
SD Sr Sen. Tim Johnson Democratic Y
TN Sr Sen. Lamar Alexander Republican N
TN Sr Sen. William Frist (out of office) Republican N
TX Jr Sen. John Cornyn Republican N
TX Sr Sen. Kay Hutchison Republican N
UT Jr Sen. Robert Bennett Republican N
UT Sr Sen. Orrin Hatch Republican N
VA Jr Sen. George Felix Allen (out of office) Republican N
VA Sr Sen. John Warner (out of office) Republican N
VT Jr Sen. James Merrill Jeffords (out of office) Independent Y
VT Sr Sen. Patrick Leahy Democratic Y
WA Jr Sen. Maria Cantwell Democratic Y
WA Sr Sen. Patty Murray Democratic Y
WI Jr Sen. Russell Feingold Democratic Y
WI Sr Sen. Herbert Kohl Democratic Y
WV Jr Sen. John Rockefeller IV Democratic Y
WV Sr Sen. Robert Byrd Democratic Y
WY Sr Sen. Michael Enzi Republican N
WY Sr Sen. Craig Thomas (out of office) Republican N

Vote Key
Y
N
NV
PY
PN
G
NG

Yea
Nay
Not Voting, Excused, Absent, or Present
Pair Yea
Pair Nay
Guilty
Not Guilty

quote:

With all due respect, sir. How was invading Afghanistan more "legitimate" than invading Iraq?

With eight years hindsight, I can't see how the military action has accomplished anything positive.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

To answer your question sir, the invasion was legitimate because we as a country had justification to do so. Those that we attacked were directly linked to 9/11.

Now, that being said, it is true that very little if anything has been accomplished in Afghanistan since the invasion. In fact, its got worse. That is a result of decision making in Washington, and not false justification.

quote:

Originally posted by greywolfghost:
COMMENT: Where are we going to find jobs for them all, if they are brought home. You gona give up yours (If you have one ) so that a soldier can have it?? I doubt it!! OF course they could be employed in a new war in Korea - or maybe in the suppression of conservative states who reject Obamar's new "Change to Socialism" movement - -

The only part of your post I agree with is the rolling eyes. To begin with, why do we need to find jobs for active duty soldiers? Are we going to suddenly quit paying them for active duty? The only employment issue is with reserve component service members. In their case its an ongoing problem based on the economy. As many as 30% will return without a job, that is a problem. The hope among those of us that actually do something about it is that the stimulus package will create jobs in the construction trades through private construction contractors. That is what it is designed to do. Some of us don’t just complain about situations we actually know little about. Helmets to Hardhats, the various State Employment Departments Veterans’ Services, the US Department of Labor (VETS), and with the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Programs within the Reserve Component system are entering MOUs and other agreements with both private companies and organized labor to provide Veterans with the opportunities they will need as they return to country. Do we have a 100% firing solution…of course not. But in local communities throughout the country we are working to address the issues. If you want to speak from a position of knowledge, get involved. Otherwise it’s sour grapes.