Why is U.S. military so damn expensive?

[Caladan 19]

If you're trying to get rich, government bonds aren't the best way to go.

U.S. military is so expensive because it's very big and very technology-focused, and because quite a lot of funds go to military subcontractors. Eisenhower wasn't kidding.

[Dr_LHA 3]

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?

Do you honestly think that all 500,000 soldiers in the US army should be in Iraq?

Soldiers do "tours of duty" meaning that they don't spend 100% of their time in the field, they get deserved time off. Also we have soldiers in other places in the world, like Afghanistan not to mention those protecting the USA itself.

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?

They're called bases. We're fighting wars across the other side of the world, you think it would be cheaper if we shipped everyone from the USA every time? Should we fly every aircraft seeing service all the way from the USA to its target?

Do you understand how the military works?

[mmarlo 1]

Our world would be a much safer place if our miltary-industrial complex didn't sprawl across the world and our military expenditures didn't exceed the combined total of military expenditures of all the other countries in the world combined. That isn't defense, it's offense, and the decisions our government seems to make over and over again promote instability and undermine democracy, despite the noble intentions they proudly declare.

[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.

and it one ..two who are we foughting for

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

And it's one, two, three,

What are we fighting for ?

Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,

Next stop is Vietnam;

And it's five, six, seven,

Open up the pearly gates,

Well there ain't no time to wonder why,

Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Gotta love Country Joe and the Fish

[eric&gen 0]

I dont know ask the military personnel where all the money is going. Maybe strip clubs.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Our world would be a much safer place if our miltary-industrial complex didn't sprawl across the world and our military expenditures didn't exceed the combined total of military expenditures of all the other countries in the world combined. That isn't defense, it's offense, and the decisions our government seems to make over and over again promote instability and undermine democracy, despite the noble intentions they proudly declare.

Everything he said.

Edited April 24, 2007 by erekose

[mawilson 2,133]

Do you understand how the military works?

No. If I did, I wouldn't be asking now, would I?

[raphael7546 0]

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

I agree with Jodee, It certainly isn't the Military man/women getting the big bucks.

I dont know ask the military personnel where all the money is going. Maybe strip clubs.

Not ALL military personnel are into going to strip clubs. Some actually have families and morals you pompous azz!

[mRx 16]

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?

Because we have rotation cycles. We like to see our families too.

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

Well, bases in Europe are strategic supply routes. There are many different places in the middle east that we occupy. Europe is a good midpoint between the US and the Middle East. That affords us to send jumbo cargo jets full of everything going in that direction to Germany. Then the load is split up and sent to where it needs to go on smaller aircraft. Hence the need for manpower/funding at those locations.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

On that earlier point about the "sprawling military/industrial complex" - I think this, like the NRA and Big Medicine is another example of how lobbyists and special interests influence govt policy for their own ends. As with gun control - a reduction in military spending would likely be vehemently opposed by much the same sort of people.

[mawilson 2,133]

Well, bases in Europe are strategic supply routes. There are many different places in the middle east that we occupy. Europe is a good midpoint between the US and the Middle East. That affords us to send jumbo cargo jets full of everything going in that direction to Germany. Then the load is split up and sent to where it needs to go on smaller aircraft. Hence the need for manpower/funding at those locations.

Why aren't there any military bases in Israel then? Israel is smack dab in the middle of the Middle East,

is our most staunch ally and recipient of billions of dollars in military aid.

[Welshcookie 17]

I have actually been pondering this myself lately. Being married to a USAF bloke and living here in the UK I see that the overheads of keeping so many military people and their famillies here in the UK must be huge....and have to wonder the necessity of having such large bases here.

At present we as a family are reimbursed our TV license, car tax, rent. There are large schools to be run, maintained, teachers to be paid etc, huge foodstores being built on base regardless of the fact that are plenty of Tescos/Sainbury's/Asda superstores a stones throw away etc.....I mean God forbid the youngsters should live without their Little Debbie chocloate whatevers for a couple of years.

I know the importance for the US military to have bases around the world, but isn't time for them to downsize in some way and redirect their resources to other areas....maybe for more money to the soldiers actually in Iraq?

I was also a military kid as my father served 25 yrs in the RAF and in the later years saw the closure of many bases over the country and abroad.

[mRx 16]

Non strategic bases have been closing down. Rhein Mein AB Germany closed down a few years ago, and it was a major in-transit hub. But its mission was transfered to another base in Germany. Each year, there is a panel of inspectors that surveys all the US bases and determines whether or not that base stays open. And each year there is a list of base closures. Both stateside and overseas. People dont realize what actually goes into closing down an installation. It is not a task that is accomplished in weeks or even months. It takes years. Clark AB Philippines is a great example. That base has been closed since the beginning of the 90s i believe. But we are still there! Thats why i find all this political talk about "pullout deadlines" for Iraq quite humorous. Because even if we pullout, and the American public breaths a sigh of relief, we will still be going there for many years to come! They are actually just starting to build hard building barracks in Iraq bases.

[Dr_LHA 3]

Why aren't there any military bases in Israel then? Israel is smack dab in the middle of the Middle East,

is our most staunch ally and recipient of billions of dollars in military aid.

Because we have them in a much less volatile and vunerable location, Saudi Arabia. Of course that pisses off Messers Bin Laden et al., but that's besides the point.

[mmarlo 1]

Why aren't there any military bases in Israel then? Israel is smack dab in the middle of the Middle East,

is our most staunch ally and recipient of billions of dollars in military aid.

Because we have them in a much less volatile and vunerable location, Saudi Arabia. Of course that pisses off Messers Bin Laden et al., but that's besides the point.

It's a good thing the Saudis have their ruthless, oppressive regime in place. Gives us some stability from which we can make sure the Shiites don't connect all their oil into the East Asian grid!