stratego
Trying to be good.
When Kerry becomes President, would you support a plan that cuts weapon research funding in exchange for higher soldier pays, and higher veteran benefits?
Should Kerry reraise soldier pay when he becomes President?
- Thread starter stratego
- Start date
Plexus
Architeuthidae puericomedentis
Because the election is so in the bag for Kerry.
NateDawgNY
Just Chillin'
If Kerry becomes President? I would totally support such a measure.
MrPresident
Anglo-Saxon Liberal
Getting rid of the National Missile Defence wouldn't affect the quality of a solider's armour.Sh3kel said:
The Last Conformist
Irresistibly Attractive
I've got little idea how high American soldier's wages are, but cutting military RnD to increase wages is widely seen as a bad idea.
The Last Conformist said:
Quite correct. This is just one of those absurdities of politics...
NateDawgNY
Just Chillin'
Let me just say this as a former soldier: (I haven't been out for more than a year)
Soldiers do not get paid enough to put their butts on the line. I left the Army having served for 6 yrs and was making less than $30k a year. That's not very comparable to the civilian sector. The bottom line is that the troops should come first. If you don't take care of the soldiers, then no-one will want to re-enlist and you will be left with severe manpower shortages (the Army is already having this problem).
Soldiers do not get paid enough to put their butts on the line. I left the Army having served for 6 yrs and was making less than $30k a year. That's not very comparable to the civilian sector. The bottom line is that the troops should come first. If you don't take care of the soldiers, then no-one will want to re-enlist and you will be left with severe manpower shortages (the Army is already having this problem).
allhailIndia
Deity
From a very neutral standpoint, I think the US needs to attract the very best who come out of colleges in order to make use of the very best in military technology. Time and again, it has been proved that a better trained and better motivated soldier WILL beat a better equipped soldier, butnot as well trained.
I remember recently reading an article on these very forums about the lack of quality training imparted to the ordinary GI, not your frontline marines or combat troops, but the guys who are the backup and supply, which the US Military seems hellbent on outsourcing. Not sure if I can find it again, but it made for some disturbing reading for some of the Americans here who discussed it.
I remember recently reading an article on these very forums about the lack of quality training imparted to the ordinary GI, not your frontline marines or combat troops, but the guys who are the backup and supply, which the US Military seems hellbent on outsourcing. Not sure if I can find it again, but it made for some disturbing reading for some of the Americans here who discussed it.
I'm in active service in a conscription army, and we get paid about 80 dollars a month for our services. Combat troops get about twice that ammount. Our wages are crap, the combat unit guys put their life in active duty for 3 years a minimum and the only thing keeping them alive is gear.NateDawgNY said:
Without proper R&D any and all technological advances which keep them unhappy but alive would be forefeit - then you'd have a pile of really unhappy corpses. I'm not against raising the soldier's pay, but the hell am I going to cut life-saving R&D to get to it.
MrPresident - the ABM and ICBM threath is tomorrow's major problems. A penny in R&D today is a life saved tomorrow.
shadowdude
cynic in training
I didn't know that Kerry won yet, its not even November! 
Desmond Hawkins
Deity
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Sh3kel said:
Well Shekel, unless you say your religious beliefs will not allow you to, you have to serve. America has a mercenary army. A rather patriotic one, but a merc army none the less. The thing about mercs is that they don't work for free.
Desmond Hawkins
Deity
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Sh3kel said:
Maybe with Israeli efficiency. A penny into American R&D today, is much more likely to give you a super-high-tech deep penetration strike-fighter, designed for attacking deep in the Soviet Union, but is so expensive that only 500-600 can be built. Yet, lots of troops are still without proper body armour.
Bozo Erectus
Master Baker
- Joined
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- 22,389
He could never raise it enough to make it competitive with what the private security contractors pay.
The Last Conformist
Irresistibly Attractive
Technically, a regular army. A mercenary one would imply they contracted self-organized units.Sobieski II said:
Benderino
Loyal American Democrat
End the private security (mercenaries) contractors. On top of that, nobody ever said that raising pay meant lowering research. There are plenty of other ways to raise money in this country (without taxes either). I'm all for it.
ybbor
Will not change his avata
stratego said:
when Bush gets re-elected, would you support a plan that cuts weapon research funding in exchange for higher soldier pays, and higher veteran benefits?
King PJ
Warlord
Here is a link to the military pay chart for basic pay: http://www.usmilitary.com/payjul01.pdf
You gotta have adobe to read it.
I don't really understand how to read it... What does "pay grade" mean, and how do you determine "pay grade"?
You gotta have adobe to read it.
I don't really understand how to read it... What does "pay grade" mean, and how do you determine "pay grade"?
ybbor
Will not change his avata
pay grade is your rank, and is that per month? per week? per every 2 weeks? what?
King PJ
Warlord
I don't know, I'm guessing thats per month.
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