T-News 02/14

[Lock3]

[[[1]]. The Military is busy keeping track of the people they recruit, by allowing more people than ever to join. Who have a background of Minor Drug Offenses, Serious Misdemeanors, and Felonies. Waivers are being granted, What are we to do? How do other’s perceive our Army now?

The number of felony waivers granted by the Army grew from 411 in 2003 to 901 in 2006, according to the Pentagon, or about one in 10 of the moral waivers approved that year.

“The data is crystal clear. Our armed forces are under incredible strain and the only way that they can fill their recruiting quotas is by lowering their standards,” said Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., who has been working to get additional data from the Pentagon. “By lowering standards, we are endangering the rest of our armed forces and sending the wrong message to potential recruits across the country.”

[b]Army spokesman Paul Boyce said Tuesday he is concerned because the Pentagon data differs from Army numbers. But overall, he said, “anything that is considered a risk or a serious infraction of the law is given the highest level of review.”

“Our goal is to make certain that we recruit quality young men and women who can keep America defended against its enemies,” Boyce said.[/b]

http://www.palmcenter.org/press/dadt/releases/military_enlistment_of_felons_has_doubled

[[[2]]. Anti-American Cleric Al-Sadr Flees to Tehran. A Master of Street Politics, Control of an Organization and associated with the Mahdi Army militia. His young Lieutenants that can rally thousands of protesters against American occupation. Thousands of Shiites cross the Iraq-Iran border, Iran has been a popular
destination for elite shiite Iraq exiles. This may continue, Would you suppose war is the only answer? If war was the case what would it do to our people? How would others in the world perceive us?

[[[3]]. The House Debates the War abroad
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070214/D8N9C2HG0.html

Minority Leader John Boehner said Republicans were determined not to lose the broader debate on the war.

“Because they cannot defeat Americans on the battlefield, al-Qaida and terrorist sympathizers around the world are trying to divide us here at home,” said Boehner, R-Ohio. “Over the next few days, we have an opportunity to show our enemies that we will not take the bait.”

Democrat Tom Lantos argued forcefully for a House resolution that he co-authored, expressing Congressional disapproval of Administration’s announced intent to deploy more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press_display.asp?id=303

This continues, will more people be sent to the Iraq Conflict? How does the rest of the world perceive us?

[spurlock]

This is a subject that I’ve always taken issue with since I was turned down for the service the first time at 18 years of age.

In times of ‘peace,’ they are picky as fuck and won’t allow an intelligent, passionate and physically capable American born-and-raised citizen to fight for his country.

However, when we are at war, they’ll take any stupid, fat, slovenly fuck that they can find just to hold a gun or drive a convoy.

I’ve actually been denied access on three separate occasions, once by using my brother in law’s pull as a top regional Marine recruiter.

I didn’t want to fight so I could earn money for college or gain experience for when I was a ‘working man.’ I didn’t want to go because I had nothing better to do with my life. I didn’t want to serve because that’s what my family wanted or expected me to do. I didn’t want to get into it so I could ‘see the world’ or ‘gain life experiences’ or any of the other propaganda-style advertisements that are shoved into the faces of our confused, apathetic and sheepish youth.

No, I WANTED to serve in the military because I truly believe that I was meant to be a warrior…not a miner or a personal trainer or a radio jock or a salesman or a refinery worker or a rough neck or a telemarketer or an asbestos contractor or concrete worker or any of the other dozen or so jobs and pseudo careers that I’ve dabbled in.

[Lock3]

Our forces have been strung out, morale has been on the decline. There are alot Soldiers on T-Nation that hold the same belief about the military.

There is a war abroad and you really were the invader. People are people wherever you go, the children of the Middle East will remember what has happened. As a Soldier have you ever held some skepticism as to what you are putting you’re life on the line for, to ask questions instead of receiving answers. The difference between you and you’re enemy, both with a delusion if you will that you’re in the right to protect the qualities of life you hold highest to yourself. You have made an oath, but have stirred the hives nest. Is this war against Islamic Jihad Radicalists or an Extermination of these people. What do you think will happen when the “war is over”? The people of the middle east know you’re color and where you stand on the face of the earth, we will always be defending ourselves. But was this really all about defending the United States in the first place?