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A US Army Signal Corps soldier blogs about the Army, radios, Defense Transformation, politics, terrorism, organized crime, and anything else that comes to mind.
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| This is my blog. It is not authorized or approved by DoD, the US Army, the US Army Signal Corps, the Oklahoma Army National Guard or any subunits of any of the foregoing. All material is my own and does not represent any of the aforementioned groups. |
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| RAQ (Recently Asked Questions) |
| 21.8.05 |
My fisking of Bob Herbert's recent editorial has resulted in a few questions repeated from different quarters. Here's my answers:
How do you feel about the president being on vacation while Soldiers are in combat?
The CinC got elected, twice, I begrudge him nothing and would not take his job for anything. Soldiers volunteered for what we do.
What about the lack of armor we keep hearing about?
The armor argument is a red herring. The better armor was issued and everyone has it. A further improved armor is being fielded now, it just takes some time to do. Armor will always play catch up to increasingly powerful munitions. The purpose of the next step up in armor, is not an answer in itself, it is to provide the breathing room for learning and teaching the next generation in tactics techniques and procedures.The terrorists have begun wiring two artillery shells together for their IEDs, because 1 wasn't achieving the desired results anymore. How long do you thiknk it'll take for them to start using 3 instead of 2, when the realize 2 isn't as effective anymore?
But most kids who join are the poor and disadvantaged. Why do they have to bear the costs of the war?
Most recruits (and these aren't children) are from lower and middle income groups. The very poor and the wealthy are under represented. That said, if you check the demographis of those killed and wounded, you'll find a better societal cross section than you'd expect. It has to do with the MOS choices these people are making.
It *does* have to do with economics. But the picture you offer is vastly over-simplified. The higher income recruit is more likely to chose a combat arms MOS. They know they have the opportunities to persue the more technical or cerebral course later in life, or they may (like I did) already have. The lower income recruit is more likely to chose a Combat Support or Combat Service Support MOS. They are persuing the skills they desire for the future in the moment.
There is a trend in military service with lower income individuals enlisting and middle class individuals getting commissions. It's not too hard to figure out why and it's the persuit of the college education.The miltary funds college for the lower income groups through tuition assitance and the GI Bill, serve first, then college. For the middle class, they have the "seed money" to get started, but they often need a little help, again tuition assistance (especially state national guard programs) and ROTC represent the bulk of that.
Still, there remains a spark of something in each of us that make the decision to sign the dotted line that, if not present, will not allow for that signature to be made.
A variety of analyses show that parents and family are the largest determinators for military service. Studies have also shown that exposure of service age young people to veterans is of critical importance. The dwindling number of veterans is the most probable cause of lower enlsitment rates.
For every question, like these, there is an explanation that is simple, easily understood and communicated, and wrong. |
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