Why is U.S. military so damn expensive?

[jodee 30]

ok,..im guestimating here, but my hubby, who is an NCO earns roughly 38,000 a year in the army,....he gets an extra 525 a month extra right now in various danger pay allowances etc. They get their laundry done for them, and feed them, and house them, in some cases with water and electricity. So thats roughly 43,000 for a year in hell. A previous poster worked out the average cost per soldier to be 72,000. So i think the remainder of that 72,000 is well spent, trying to keep the troops well cared for.

Dont forget a greater majority are officers and the like, which are automatically on about 10,000 a year more than my hubby. So to me the cost of personnel spending is more than reasonable. Military are not the best paid people in the world, far from it,...what they get paid for doing what they do is a pittance really, for what they have to put up with on a daily basis, just to keep us free.

Just my 2 cents

Jodee

Edited April 24, 2007 by jodee

[Niels Bohr 72]

Keep investing in treasury bonds. You can also trade them in the secondary market. The best way to make sure you're making a lot of money is to add the interest accumulated on your behalf and making sure it is higher than the CPI. Long term investing will make you lots of money!

[mmarlo 1]

ok,..im guestimating here, but my hubby, who is an NCO earns roughly 38,000 a year in the army,....he gets an extra 525 a month extra right now in various danger pay allowances etc. They get their laundry done for them, and feed them, and house them, in some cases with water and electricity. So thats roughly 43,000 for a year in hell. A previous poster worked out the average cost per soldier to be 72,000. So i think the remainder of that 72,000 is well spent, trying to keep the troops well cared for.

Dont forget a greater majority are officers and the like, which are automatically on about 10,000 a year more than my hubby. So to me the cost of personnel spending is more than reasonable. Military are not the best paid people in the world, far from it,...what they get paid for doing what they do is a pittance really, for what they have to put up with on a daily basis, just to keep us free.

Just my 2 cents

Jodee

What you're talking about is a pittance of what mawilson is talking about. $108billion! The militarization of space and the destruction of the world ain't cheap! Don't forget, we need to replace all of our nukes, which are enough to blow up everyone a few times over.

[Dr_LHA 3]

What you're talking about is a pittance of what mawilson is talking about. $108billion!

Did you read my post? That $108 billion is divided between 1.5 million "employees". jodee's husband's wage may be a "pittance", but multiplied by 1.5 million of him, with overhead its about right.

[mawilson 2,133]

What you're talking about is a pittance of what mawilson is talking about. $108billion!

Did you read my post? That $108 billion is divided between 1.5 million "employees". jodee's husband's wage may be a "pittance", but multiplied by 1.5 million of him, with overhead its about right.

The question is, who are these people? Are they on active duty? If not, why does the army

need 1.5 million "employees"?

[Dr_LHA 3]

The question is, who are these people? Are they on active duty? If not, why does the army

need 1.5 million "employees"?

Its called "Google".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._military...in_each_service

[Jasman0717 9]

the miltary has always been a cash cow for any contractor....

Yeah, come on Wall Street, don't be slow,

Why man, this is war au-go-go

There's plenty good money to be made

By supplying the Army with the tools of its trade,

Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,

They drop it on the Viet Cong.

[mmarlo 1]

The question is, who are these people? Are they on active duty? If not, why does the army

need 1.5 million "employees"?

Its called "Google".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._military...in_each_service

I'm sorry. In my sarcasm, I failed to take your "research" into full consideration. I'll be sure to do that the next time I have a smart ### thing to say when I'm replying to someone else's post.

[almaty 19]

the miltary has always been a cash cow for any contractor....

Yeah, come on Wall Street, don't be slow,

Why man, this is war au-go-go

There's plenty good money to be made

By supplying the Army with the tools of its trade,

Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,

They drop it on the Viet Cong.

and it one ..two who are we foughting for

don't give a damn.. send me off to viet nam

Edited April 24, 2007 by almaty

[peejay 327]

I love it when the government borrow money from itself. It makes me richer!!!

No...they just print up more money to make up for the shortfall. And that makes everyone poorer.

The US Dollar is just a share of stock in the corporation named the USA. If it goes bankrupt you can use your money as wallpaper, toilet paper, or to barbecue an armadillo for dinner. Formerly known as Hoover Hogs during the last economic depression. It kept many people from starving in those days.

[mawilson 2,133]

The question is, who are these people? Are they on active duty? If not, why does the army

need 1.5 million "employees"?

Its called "Google".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._military...in_each_service

Yes...

Service Total Active Duty Personnel

Army 500,203

Marine Corps 180,000

Navy 375,521

Air Force 358,612

Coast Guard 40,151

Total 1,450,689

Still doesn't answer my question though. If we have so many people (500,000 in the Army!!!),

why aren't we using them in Iraq?

Why do we need 70,000 people in Germany, 12,000 people in Italy and 11,000 people in the UK?

To protect America from the Queen of England?

Seems like a huge waste of money to me.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I love it when the government borrow money from itself. It makes me richer!!!

No...they just print up more money to make up for the shortfall. And that makes everyone poorer.

The US Dollar is just a share of stock in the corporation named the USA. If it goes bankrupt you can use your money as wallpaper, toilet paper, or to barbecue an armadillo for dinner. Formerly known as Hoover Hogs during the last economic depression. It kept many people from starving in those days.

I think you're talking about foreign countries. But, if you're implying sarcasm in your statement. I probably failed to notice.

They releases bonds or war bonds to offset the price of funding a war. However, war bonds are rarely released. The Feds know better to print more money because it'll bring inflation so high. We buy these bonds with whatever yeild it offers and it matures to a point where you can benefit from it. These bonds are a means to borrow from themselves since they're paying interest at the same time to the investors.

Edited April 24, 2007 by consolemaster

[mawilson 2,133]

They releases bonds or war bonds to offset the price of funding a war. However, war bonds are rarely released. The Feds know better to print more money because it'll bring inflation so high. We buy these bonds with whatever yeild it offers and it matures to a point where you can benefit from it.

How does issuing bonds "offset" the cost of the war?

Bonds are debt obligations. The government borrows money by issuing Treasury Bonds,

lenders buy them, and in return the government pays them interest.

[Scott & Lai 12]

http://www.amazon.com/Pentagon-Wars-Sam-An...n/dp/B0007TKND8

[Dr_LHA 3]

I'm sorry. In my sarcasm, I failed to take your "research" into full consideration. I'll be sure to do that the next time I have a smart ### thing to say when I'm replying to someone else's post.

Glad to hear it!

Edited April 24, 2007 by Dr_LHA