As I have stated many times before, I served my country for six years in the Army. I am proud of my country and was happy to volunteer for whatever came my way. I saw blood, guts, bad times and good times. I made many friends and will always have great memories. I saw pay raises and new equipment. I also saw housing that needed to be razed, I saw weapons that needed replacing and equipment that needed to be scrapped. There was not always enough money in the military budgets for what we needed and wanted to get the job done. But we always made it work somehow. That is what soldier do. We soldier on.
I have seen a lot of talk about what to do about the military and budgets for such. It is very expensive to run a war, and two at the same time is really a budget crisis. But money is what helps us keep the freedoms that we enjoy from day to day. Our congressman, senators and the president and cabinet help decide what funding soldiers receive.
There is talk about the defense spending going up five percent to close to 537 Billion dollars. (That is a lot of bullets). But seriously, this is great but when the budget goes up for spending on the troops, some programs end up getting cut. This tends to hurt soldiers in the long run. Programs in the past that have been cut include new weapon systems (guns), tanks, jets, warships, armor. Sometimes these are justified, and sometimes we really could have benefited from new tools of the trade. I understand taxpayers pay for these items. I also understand that the govt has to answer for the money spent on various programs. But does the general public understand what life is like for the Soldier, Airman, Seaman and Marine? I doubt it. They could not and would not want to deal with the daily strugles.
Just keep in mind that the next time you complain about what the govt is spending on these wars and equipment, and how the budget should be cut and the president should take his time about funding for the military. One day someone may be knocking at our back door and the military will be in a more dilapidated state and wont be able to protect you as before.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This was a very good post regarding the argument surrounding defense spending and support of the troops. Scotty effectively draws on personal experience to make a sound argument in defense of defense spending. Initially, he reminds his readers that he has spent 6 years in the armed forces, and has seen a wide range of situations during those years of service. He explains that defense spending means better, functioning gear for our troops, better accommodations, rations and supplies as well as R&D for new gear. While some equate defense spending simply to war funding, I believe it is critical to keep in mind the human aspect, as Scotty effectively communicates in his article. Another thing he reminds us of is the fact that someday, war may come knocking on OUR front door, and if it ever does, defense spending is going to be key in ensuring we can defend our country from invaders.
ReplyDeleteNow, in contrast, I feel that there should certainly be some accountability in our defense spending, as well as restraint. Federal budgets and deficits should be considered, and there are certainly items in each area of government that could use some oversight, reform and assessment to ensure that we are spending our money as wisely as possible. It seems like in every aspect of our government, there are no easy choices as we try to find the right balance between spending and frugality, left and right, hard line and compromise.
In closing, thanks Scotty, for sharing some of your insights on the matter and for a great article.