The BBC reported on Saturday that NATO "friendly fire" may have killed seven Afghan soldiers...on the heels of reports that two dozen or so NATO and Afghan troops searching for two missing U.S. paratroopers were also wounded by friendly fire.
When I arrived in Birmingham in 1976, I was amazed to discover the city hosted the largest Veteran's Day parade in the nation, and that it turned the corner right at WERC Radio's building at the time on 2nd Avenue North. Each year it was a pleasure to watch the tanks tearing up the asphalt and the kids lining the streets waving flags.
It's really important that the country honors those who have served, that they receive health and education benefits, decent pay and awards, that their children are looked after in the event of their deaths. Otherwise, I'm not sure how easy it would be, absent a WWII like Pearl Harbor attack, to convince enough young men and women to give up their lives. And according to a recent report, 75% of those in the main age bracket for recruits don't qualify anyway! That leave a truly thin potential blue (and green etc) line between us and goodbye America.
"Always a somber occasion, Veteran's Day 2010 -- this Wednesday....."
ReplyDelete2009?
Thanks! Correction made. I really was getting ahead of myself!
ReplyDeleteAt least you're a forward-thinking man!
ReplyDeleteA local Chapter of World War Two Merchant Marine Veterans of which I am a member will have a float in the Birmingham Veterans Day Parade Wednesday, November 11th. Tim, I had my seamen's training for the WWII Merchant Marine at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. If you are not familiar with the area, it's located up the beach from Coney Island just pass Brighton Beach and at the entrance of the bay. I understand a community college occupies the site now.
ReplyDeleteHi Bill...yes I know it, my sister used to pronounce it "Sheep-shed" when she was little (-: Thanks for your service.
ReplyDeleteI'm proud to have served my nation in the uniform armed services, and did so voluntarily. I think every young American should do similarly. And, I believe our nation should provide significant benefit to those whom so choose.
ReplyDeleteSome years ago, I envisioned what I called a "234" plan, which would 1.) Double pay grade for two years up to pay grade E-3 for initial enlistees; 2.) Require a minimum of Four Years of service; 3.) Pay for four years of higher education, up to and including Ph.D., with the ability to transfer benefits to first-degree relatives, and perhaps most importantly 4.) Provide such income as Tax-Free, forever. The money could be invested, used wisely, or squandered. But the principle would forever be federally tax-free (and I think it should be at the state level, as well).
At current pay rates, that would be slightly under $76,000 for a period of two years at pay grade E-3 - not a bad nest egg. And then, there's the 30 days paid vacation, head-to-toe health care, incentive/bonus pay for skills, BAH (basic allowance for housing), and a host of other remunerations and fiduciary potential - all of which are added to Basic Pay, thereby increasing take-home pay. Potentially, managing money wisely, a young enlistee could emerge from a four year commitment with very nearly $125,000 in pocket, VA health benefits, GI Bill benefits, and more.
It's well known that young enlistees have high levels of "disposable" income. But WISE fiscal management could yield significant benefits to them individually, and by extension, to our nation.
Part three - higher education - was implemented when President Obama signed the Post 9/1 G.I. Bill, providing the most comprehensive expansion and provision of educational benefits our troops have received since F.D.R.'s presidency.
I recollected the report title, having read and saved it September 2, this year. It was authored and advised by an impressive cadre of General, field-grade officers, and senior executive NCOs, from all branches of the service, and supported by the Pew Charitable Trust.
Of course that's not the full title of the report, but rather the second part of it. And it's interesting that NPR is only now reporting on it.
Though the problems it addresses are from a thorough examination of Virginia, it's findings can be extrapolated to the United States at large.
According to the report, the three greatest problems disqualifying American youth from service to our nation include: 1.) Criminality - felony and serious misdemeanor offense; 2.) Education - failure to graduate high school, and low achievement in reading & math, 30% unable to pass the Armed Forces Qualification Test; and 3.) Health - specifically obesity, although asthma, eyesight, hearing, mental health, ADHD and additional health problems factor in, thereby disqualifying over half of all young adults.
Additional disqualifiers include single custodial parenthood, drug or alcohol abuse.
These are all social ills.
In recent political history, social programs have been an "easy target" for many of the Republican stripe whom have effectively seriously reduced or eliminated their funding, or have outright killed programs that could have done much to have prevented these anathemas.
Ironically, even prison construction and maintenance is a capital expenditure - and of all the world's nations, ours has more incarcerations per capita than any other, having exploded (doubling 2.5 times) since 1980 (though it remained relatively stable since 1920). Wonder why no more.
Yet governance is much more than infrastructure expenditures, and military readiness includes a strong social component.
Our Constitution calls it providing "for the common defense."
Healthcare is an integral and unequivocal part of that equation.
I suppose it would be apropos and germane - though perhaps trite - to conclude with a line from advertising: You can pay me now, or pay me later.