The Pentagon needs to be CLEANED OUT.

I am appauled at the Pentagon's absolute negligence and utter lack of care for our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq who have spent their own money on gear while waiting for the supply line to catch up with them.

Below is a link to great blog article full of the details and quotes from some of the top cats.
www.thedivinesibyl.com...

I am at a loss for words as to how Congress can ORDER the military to pay our soldiers back by passing a LAW, and the military can simply ignore it and allow the deadline to pass.

I was pretty sure we were a Republic that is governed by civilians who tell the military what to do...

By this account, the Pentagon top brass took it as an insult to have Congress order them to pay their own troops back for material they had to buy in the combat zone to protect themselves. So they just ignored it and let the ONE YEAR deadline pass without action.

What happens to these elite bastards sitting in their fortified offices will be the telling of our national morality toward our service men and women.

Sickening.

m...

One the assumption I have about the Military is that the Congress does not really have power over them. I am not sure if it's true or not.

It is possible that Congress power or influences on certain groups are an illusion for public consumption...

Legally Congress absolutely has control of the military. That's whole "Government by the people for the people" concept.

The Founding Fathers wanted the military to be run by the civilain government not the other way around.

m...

Oh my God, that's litteraly a military state now!!!

Congress is one of the checks and balances!

Oh, springer you are so right is not funny, but for comments like that I and others has been tag now socialist if you side with the people, but if you scream that we are run by corporations then we are communist.

Funny all we want is accountability, who is in charge of this country? the people or the big profiteers of everything including wars.

And I will clarify that this goes to both side of the political groups.

My husband a retired Marines said, that the troops are just but numbers and they are all expendable, my husband even add, " if I die in battler field somebody will replacement me and I will be forgotten and be relegated to another casualty of war, and you will get a medal." I feel that our leaders just don't care anymore as long as they get what they want at the expenses of our loves ones.

Originally posted by marg6043
My husband a retired Marines said, that the troops are just but numbers and they are all expendable, my husband even add, " if I die in battler field somebody will replacement me and I will be forgotten and be relegated to another casualty of war, and you will get a medal.".

That is actually how you have to run a military in a war. Sad but true, nobody is inexpendable...

The point here is Congress passed a LAW ORDERING the Pentagon to act and they ignored it. This is a HUGE issue that, if let to pass unpunished could truly lead to all kinds of HUGE problems.

The military MUST obey the Legislators or we are no longer the United States of America.

m...

Springer for the last 20 something years our government has stopped been for the people.

Sad but true, and we are just so used to it that we don't even notice anymore.

Already a generation has gone by, and they have not clue.

Congress cannot order the military to spend money on certain projects or items....if Congress doesn't want to pony up the dough. The military is not a money-making organization, nor does it have the ability to tax. What money it receives is line-item by line-item, and by law that money must be spent that way.

Everyone would love to see our boys and girls fully armoured, full armed, toting around GPS receivers and sorts of other cool gadgets. But the reality is that the jobs these people (for the most part) are assigned to do can be done with two simple items:
1. A working weapon
2. A good pair of combat boots

I am all for arming of guys to the teeth, but the reality of war means that not all soldiers will have the best equipment, support and training. But they must still do their jobs.



[edit on 10-3-2005 by Pyros]

Excellent article by the Divine Sibyll. Thanks for the link.

Yea. The situation sucks. But we knew that. We also know it's going to get worse before it gets better. [sigh]



.

Originally posted by Pyros
Congress cannot order the military to spend money on certain projects or items....if Congress doesn't want to pony up the dough.

Everyone would love to see our boys and girls fully armoured, full armed, toting around GPS receivers and sorts of other cool gadgets.

Number one, the Congress passed a law ordering them to use part of the budget for this purpose.

Number two, we aren't talking about "cool gadgets" we are talking about basic supplies they were supposed to have but the supply line hadn't caught up with them yet.

m...

I think this may happen in every army.

My son has had to beg, borrow or steal the right kit for the Gulf.
He even ended up going three ways on some NVG goggles(night vision goggles) with his mates.

Sad state of affairs if this is what happens. Take the 1st British guy who was killed out there. He had to hand over his body Armour to some one else because body Armour was in short supply.

Lets look at the relevant governments here. Its them who decide where the money goes and what its spent on.
Sending soldiers into battle without the basic issue of equipment is tantamount to manslaughter.
The wife of the above mentioned soldier is suing the British government for compensation.

The lads need all the kit they can get.

Come on you "leaders" get your act together and sort things out where its needed most.
TO THE ARMED FORCES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[edit on 03/12/04 by Bikereddie]

thanks for the link-I agree with you all in that things seem like they're only going to get worse before they get better. Sometimes it amazes me the situation our country has put themself in.