Thursday, September 22, 2011
Military Neglecting Troops?
Recently, a charity group for soldiers have been trying to gather funds to purchase and ship to the middle east some twenty power washers. Why? The soldiers are getting sick from the common flu virus, which apparently can be battled by cleaning up some bases and equipment with power washers, sold at a discount to Troops Direct by Home Depot. CBS5 News reports that Troops Direct "sends soldiers stuff the military can’t get." Wait, what? The military is unable to get certain stuff as simple as power washers? I have heard of top secret military gadgets, stuff that the military only has, but I have never heard of the stuff that I can get that the military cannot. The report goes on to say that "in the past, Troops Direct has been able to cut the red tape in order to
get soap, toothpaste, syringes and other necessities to the combat
zone." So there are U.S. soldiers out there fighting for the U.S., for the Middle East, for their lives, and the military cannot keep them supplied with essentials to keep them healthy and living in fairly decent conditions? I would consider soap for troops an absolute necessity and yet there are people that manage to wrap red tape around something as simple as that? Even for power washers that would cost $5000, the military should be able to supply to soldiers if it is really that simple to start eradicating the common flu that soldiers are contracting, especially considering that are military spends multitudes more that $5000 everyday. So is the military really neglecting its troops or is the article merely misguided and spinning the situation?
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2 comments:
There is no 'neglect' on the part of the military. There are budget issues emanating from Capitol Hill, logistical issues pertaining to amassing, allocating and transporting items within a conbat theatre as well as the fact that life on the frontlines doesn't come with the luxuries or availabilities to things that we take for granted here at home.
This article had no spin and should make all Americans -pro or anti war- appreciate what our men and women in uniform volunteer for and they conditions that they encounter in an effort to protect our security and freedoms on a daily basis.
Aaron Negherbon
President & Founder
TroopsDirect.org
Although I find this situation a little ridiculous, I don't think the military is neglecting its troops. According to usgovernmentspending.com, 25% of the federal government spending goes towards defense (approximately $1 trillion). Though power washers may seem like a luxury, in this situation it is more of a necessity because without it, soldiers are getting sick... though there are cheaper alternatives, such as soap. It's hard to believe that out of that $1 trillion, the government can't even direct $5000 to fund power washers for the solders' well being; but I understand that other matters such as safety precautions must come first. I believe that the government is just trying to prioritize limited resources. However, the government should definitely start prioritizing sanitation and the soldiers' health; the citizens should not be the ones having to raise money.
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