Desperate times: Marines told to 'save every round'

[Norm0931]

No correction. Because of our military we haven't been invaded for quite a while. Your view of us deploying to foreign wars aside, our military is a deterrent.

 

[Dvipercop]

Why not do some spending cuts in the military by simply leaving Afghanistan. The billions we pump into that bubblegum hole is wasted cash that could be put to good use stateside. Just a thought.

 

[pinne65]

Hmmm, maybe if they stopped getting gauged by contractors there'd be more moneys for the actual soldiers and the gear they need. Have from a certain source that an entry level PC support tech was making 120K / year working for a contractor. A job that in the private sector pays around 40K. Im just wondering how much the contracting company was charging us the tax payers for their support tech's services...

 

[dmancornell]

No correction. Because of our military we haven't been invaded for quite a while. Your view of us deploying to foreign wars aside, our military is a deterrent.

Just because the military was used in the past and might be used in the future to defend the country, doesn't change the fact that the current wars are criminal in nature. The military is supposed to be a deterrent, but it is not been one for decades, and as such, does not deserve any moral support.

 

[DemonNova]

DHS! My thoughts exactly. But...I think there is something more sinister afoot, Watson! And Yeah, I'm gonna do a round count in a firefight (you should already know your ammo situation anyway) and watch my gas mileage in my military vehicle when some aHole has me outgunned and I'm trying to speed away! Jesus, these people are as bad as Bloomberg!

 

[PiratePast40]

Hmmm, maybe if they stopped getting gauged by contractors there'd be more moneys for the actual soldiers and the gear they need. Have from a certain source that an entry level PC support tech was making 120K / year working for a contractor. A job that in the private sector pays around 40K. Im just wondering how much the contracting company was charging us the tax payers for their support tech's services...

In my field, $150/hr is a reasonable rate for qualified technical personnel and engineers. These contracts are typically short term, i.e., a week to possibly 3-4 weeks. It costs much more to hire someone full time and provide training and benefits. It just doesn't make sense to spend all the money on someone and then just lay them off. It's more cost effective to hire a trained professional. If you don't pay these people well, there simply won't be anyone available for these temporary jobs.

Not saying that there aren't overcharges, just saying that there is usually more to the story.

 

[One-Eyed Ross]

For those of us who were in post Viet Nam, this isn't a new issue... We used to not do training because of fuel restrictions....and this was during the Cold War when we were seriously worried about the Russians coming across the Iron Curtain.

 

[coop44]

Spend a week in a hole, eating out of cans, with 1 bando of ammo and a rifle that may not work. Troops now have it pretty good.

Some of us never recovered completely, and are still a little crazy, 40 plus years later. Wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Anyone can die, anytime, anywhere, quit your bubblegumin'.

To hell with all those countries that need our "help", bring those boys home. If anyone needs killing over there, just bomb the crap outa them.

Why don't we help in africa in a big way? Millions have been slaughtered there. Oh yeah, I forgot, no oil there.

 

[coop44]

Hmmm, maybe if they stopped getting gauged by contractors there'd be more moneys for the actual soldiers and the gear they need. Have from a certain source that an entry level PC support tech was making 120K / year working for a contractor. A job that in the private sector pays around 40K. Im just wondering how much the contracting company was charging us the tax payers for their support tech's services...

Yeah, if they stopped being "gauged" they'd have more "moneys" to teach you how to read and write.

 

[Norm0931]

Just because the military was used in the past and might be used in the future to defend the country, doesn't change the fact that the current wars are criminal in nature. The military is supposed to be a deterrent, but it is not been one for decades, and as such, does not deserve any moral support.

Well, it's your right to spit on the deterrent that keeps you safe. Weather you agree with deploying to foreign wars or not, our STANDING military still prevents invasions. I don't know how you can say, it hasn't been a deterrent. Can you name a country in your life time that has invaded the US by military force? What about your parent's life time? But, hey keep your moral support to yourself, it's your right to be ungrateful.

Realistically, this thread should be in Legal and Political and as it doesn't really involve firearms, should be locked.

 

[dmancornell]

Well, it's your right to spit on the deterrent that keeps you safe. Weather you agree with deploying to foreign wars or not, our STANDING military still prevents invasions. I don't know how you can say, it hasn't been a deterrent. Can you name a country in your life time that has invaded the US by military force? What about your parent's life time? But, hey keep your moral support to yourself, it's your right to be ungrateful.

Realistically, this thread should be in Legal and Political and as it doesn't really involve firearms, should be locked.

LOL, this military hasn't been doing a whole lot of STANDING, now has it? No, instead it has been going on various romps all over the world so politicians can something to write about in their memoirs.

List the number of times the contiguous US have been invaded by military force from 1812 to 1945, before the official establishment of the grossly over-sized military-industrial complex. Got the answer? Downsize the military back to the pre-WW1 era size, and you'd never have to whine about lack of training money ever again, and all that extra ammo can be sold to civilians like it should have been in the first place.

 

[Caveman Jim]

For the most part, the US Military has a poor track record inefficiently wasting billion$ and billion$ on programs, weapon systems, etc etc that were unneeded or absurd. IMO, the general is whining about basic items so the common serfs the tax-paying American sheeple will become sympathetic to continue supporting the budget he wants. BTW, I served in military intelligence for three years.

Hey so did I but I was in a motorpool as a mechanic...

 

[Norm0931]

LOL, this military hasn't been doing a whole lot of STANDING, now has it? No, instead it has been going on various romps all over the world so politicians can something to write about in their memoirs.

List the number of times the contiguous US have been invaded by military force from 1812 to 1945, before the official establishment of the grossly over-sized military-industrial complex. Got the answer? Downsize the military back to the pre-WW1 era size, and you'd never have to whine about lack of training money ever again, and all that extra ammo can be sold to civilians like it should have been in the first place.

This is ignorant. Pre-WW1 we did not have the advances in travel that allowed the deployment of troops in a matter of hours. Why don't we just scale back the military to Revolutionary times? 2 Battalions of Marines, a few Regiments of the Army, and 20 to 30 wooden ships. Do you actually believe the crap that comes out of your mouth? 1945 was World War 2 Era just so you know, WW1 ended in 1918.

To answer your question though:

1812: The British and Canada invaded the US.
1812: Canada invaded the US.
1813: Canada invaded the US.
1836: Mexico invaded Texas (Arguable if it included the US legally)
1846: Mexico invaded the US.
1861-1865: Invasion of US by Confederate States
1942: Invasion of US territories and Alaska by Japan. (this was probably within your parents lifetimes)

Huh, after Japan and the establishment of the "evil military industrial complex" we haven't been invaded. When you have one of the largest and most advanced military on the planet people don't want to go to war with you. Funny how that works.

 

[dmancornell]

This is ignorant. Pre-WW1 we did not have the advances in travel that allowed the deployment of troops in a matter of hours. Why don't we just scale back the military to Revolutionary times? 2 Battalions of Marines, a few Regiments of the Army, and 20 to 30 wooden ships. Do you actually believe the crap that comes out of your mouth?

LOL, nice strawman. Not even going to bother addressing such an infantile proposition.

Anyways, you claimed today's grossly oversized army is the only thing preventing invasion of the US, a statement which has absolutely no evidence whatsoever. The size of the US military in the interim years was a fraction of what it is now (and in the era of modern transportation too), and yet the contiguous US was not invaded in WW2. Shocking.

By the way, your sigline is disgusting.

 

[dmancornell]

To answer your question though:

1812: The British and Canada invaded the US.
1812: Canada invaded the US.
1813: Canada invaded the US.
1836: Mexico invaded Texas (Arguable if it included the US legally)
1846: Mexico invaded the US.
1861-1865: Invasion of US by Confederate States
1942: Invasion of US territories and Alaska by Japan. (this was probably within your parents lifetimes)

Huh, after Japan and the establishment of the "evil military industrial complex" we haven't been invaded. When you have one of the largest and most advanced military on the planet people don't want to go to war with you. Funny how that works.

Invasions during the War of 1812 were the last invasions of the contiguous United States.

- Texan war of independence doesn't count because it was not part of the United States at the time.
- Mexican-American War doesn't count because the California Republic was not part of the United States at the time.
- The Civil War doesn't count because it is a civil war between the States, i.e. the borders of the United States itself was the casus belli.
- Alaska and Guam doesn't count because they are not part of contiguous United States.

As always, militarist assertions that the modern military-industrial complex is the only thing preventing the US from invasion and doom has no evidence and is apparently based on clairvoyant abilities taught in boot camp to read foreign minds.

 

[trainsktg]

Records from both Japan in WWII and the USSR during the Cold War attest to the fact that they considered military invasion of the continental US infeasible due to the large number of privately held firearms..."a rifle behind every blade of grass" as it were.

We have 30,000 troops on the North Korean border alone. Sure that keeps the South Koreans safe, but does it keep the continental US safe? We have more stationed in Europe...why, are we still expecting a tank battle with Russia on the Ukrainian steppe?

Keith

 

[Norm0931]

LOL, nice strawman. Not even going to bother addressing such an infantile proposition.

Anyways, you claimed today's grossly oversized army is the only thing preventing invasion of the US, a statement which has absolutely no evidence whatsoever. The size of the US military in the interim years was a fraction of what it is now (and in the era of modern transportation too), and yet the contiguous US was not invaded in WW2. Shocking.

By the way, your sigline is disgusting.

Really, do you have evidence that shows the contrary? I have shown that we were invaded several times prior to enlarging our military. Yet, you response is rhetoric not backed up by any facts.

As for my signature line, hopefully you never have to see combat like the majority of delusional kind. Peace is only an outcome of war.

 

[Norm0931]

Invasions during the War of 1812 were the last invasions of the contiguous United States.

- Texan war of independence doesn't count because it was not part of the United States at the time.
- Mexican-American War doesn't count because the California Republic was not part of the United States at the time.
- The Civil War doesn't count because it is a civil war between the States, i.e. the borders of the United States itself was the casus belli.
- Alaska and Guam doesn't count because they are not part of contiguous United States.

As always, militarist assertions that the modern military-industrial complex is the only thing preventing the US from invasion and doom has no evidence and is apparently based on clairvoyant abilities taught in boot camp to read foreign minds.

Oh, suddenly US interests don't count because you don't want them to. And Alaska doesn't count because it's not connected to the US. PRICELESS. So if someone breaks in to your office and jacks your cell phone out of your desk, it doesn't count because it wasn't at your house. Wow, you should apply to work in Obama's cabinet. You could arrange his press briefing about how Bengazi didn't count because it was in Libya!

 

[trainsktg]

Really, do you have evidence that shows the contrary? I have shown that we were invaded several times prior to enlarging our military. Yet, you response is rhetoric not backed up by any facts.

He backed it up pretty good in his follow up post.

Keith

 

[trainsktg]

Oh, suddenly US interests don't count because you don't want them to. And Alaska doesn't count because it's not connected to the US. PRICELESS. So if someone breaks in to your office and jacks your cell phone out of your desk, it doesn't count because it wasn't at your house. Wow, you should apply to work in Obama's cabinet. You could arrange his press briefing about how Bengazi didn't count because it was in Libya!

No, most of the territories you used in your example did not belong to the US at the time, so how could that be considered invasion of US territory? By your analogy, Spain was an invader when it occupied what is now California when the US was just 13 States.

As far as using the Civil War as an example of invasion, that's a stretch. The same military force divided along state lines and began to fight one another.

Continuing, he clearly stated he was talking about the continental US, not some obscure island at the end of the Aleutian Chain with no permanent population to speak of. The last invasion of the continental US occured exactly 200 years ago.

Lastly, why are we in Libya?

Keith