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Published On: Mar 17, 2007 02:40 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Mar 17, 2007 02:40 PM
Update
Everyone has been asking me about my husband and
what is happening since he is in the Army Reserves. They have also been asking
what he thinks about the new troop surge. So here's the
update...
Back From Boot Camp and Searching for a
Job
My husband came back from his Army training (Boot Camp and Advanced Individual Training) on July 13th. After he came back he started searching for a job with the state of federal government. Now the reason why he is searching for a job with the state and federal government (as opposed to a private firm) is because he will "eventually" be sent overseas with the Army Reserves. It is only a matter of time. When this does happen, if he had a private job--he would lose it immediately and wouldn't have a job when he came back. Some of you have told me that there are laws to prevent this. But I can tell you that these laws are not enforced. His best chance to get a job and have the security of knowing that it will be there when he gets back is a state or federal job. The pay might not be the best and there will be immense bureaucracy--however the benefits will be good. What we really need now are health insurance benefits. After getting a $2,600 hospital bill in 2005 (this was after our private insurance took $40 off the bill) we have been looking around for health insurance that will actually give us meaningful coverage. It seems that only the state and federal governments have comprehensive insurance plans.
Brian has been working at a temporary accounting job for the past 3 months. The pay isn't too high and there are no benefits--but it has been good to have something to help supplement our income. I can't make the mortgage bills by myself anymore. (It was too much stress for me!) Brian has also been getting a lot of interviews for state and federal jobs. I hope that something works out soon and that he is hired--since his temporary job might be ending as soon as this Friday! Ack!
Officer Commissioning
I have also mentioned in the past that Brian was attempting to get an "Officer Commission" with the Army. In fact he would have already been an officer (since he has a college degree) if it weren't for his age. They don't offer officer commissions to college graduates after they turn 29 years of age. Luckily he went before an officer review board last week and they recommended that he be an officer (a second lieutenant). Last week for so hectic! The review board was supposed to meet on Jan. 4th and the federal government was closed for the Holidays and no one had given Brian his orders or even arranged for his transportation to North Carolina where it was supposed to take place. On Jan. 3rd at the very last minute Brian finally got his papers to go before the board and had one hour to make the plane flight! I had to be with him in the car as he drove like a bat out of hell to get to the plane on time. I'm just glad that he made it there on time and got the recommendation that he wanted.
If you're wondering why being an officer is good, here are two reasons:
#1: Being an officer will mean that he is "less" likely to be put in the line of fire. That doesn't mean that he won't be in combat and that he won't be in the line of fire. it is just less likely to happen. And I will take anything that might reduce Brian's chance of getting hurt while he is deployed.
#2: If he becomes an officer then he has to go to Officer Training School for about 6 months. During this time they can't pull him out to be deployed overseas. So it is effectively giving him a delay of 6 more months. I am of course hoping against hope that the US Congress will pressure President Bush to pull out of Iraq during the next six months. Iraq is one place I don't want Brian to go. Realistically he will still be deployed to an area in conflict (i.e. Kosovo, Afghanistan or Africa). I just think that Iraq would have been the worst place to be deployed to.
Now what does Brian think about the proposed troop surge?
I asked Brian this question last night. He said that the CIA told President Bush and the US Cabinet before the war started that if there were not enough troops that there would be anarchy and that terrorists could set up operations in Iraq. (Which is what has happened.) Bush's cabinet never followed the CIA's recommendations which also included a "draft" in order to have enough troops to handle such an event. Bush has also "replaced" key general's who have disagreed with his troop surge proposal. Brian says the US Army reserves are now spread entirely too thin and that morale is at an all-time low. Troops are told that their overseas duty is only supposed to last 6 months, but that they have had their tour of duty extended to 16-18 months. With the surge in place the tours of duty will be extended again--which will make morale even lower. Brian has also told me that they are accepting just about anyone to the Army right now, including people with criminal records. He has told me that there are two rapists in his reserve unit.
I think that everyone has already heard about some of the horrible things that have been perpetrated by US troops in Iraq. I fear that this will only increase as morale drops lower and as a greater element of troops with criminal backgrounds are deployed.
Realistically, a troop surge would also mean that the draft would have to be re-instated. Key generals have told Bush this many times. However, since Bush knows that a "draft" would destroy any election chances of his party--that will not be done. And again, our Army will be stressed again to the breaking point.
Brian said that he and most other Army soldiers that he has talked to are against the troop surge. It's too little too late he said. And he thinks at this point in the game that were should break Iraq up into 3 different states (and ethnic groups) wash our hands and walk away. Brian doesn't see any "good" solution to the problem and feels that continuing to think that there is no problem denies the facts. I should mention that Brian is a Republican and tends to agree with Bush's policies. So I must say that I was happily surprised that he doesn't back up Bush on this proposal.
What is going to happen? Only time will tell...in the meantime I would ask you to say a prayer for peace in the Middle East.
My husband came back from his Army training (Boot Camp and Advanced Individual Training) on July 13th. After he came back he started searching for a job with the state of federal government. Now the reason why he is searching for a job with the state and federal government (as opposed to a private firm) is because he will "eventually" be sent overseas with the Army Reserves. It is only a matter of time. When this does happen, if he had a private job--he would lose it immediately and wouldn't have a job when he came back. Some of you have told me that there are laws to prevent this. But I can tell you that these laws are not enforced. His best chance to get a job and have the security of knowing that it will be there when he gets back is a state or federal job. The pay might not be the best and there will be immense bureaucracy--however the benefits will be good. What we really need now are health insurance benefits. After getting a $2,600 hospital bill in 2005 (this was after our private insurance took $40 off the bill) we have been looking around for health insurance that will actually give us meaningful coverage. It seems that only the state and federal governments have comprehensive insurance plans.
Brian has been working at a temporary accounting job for the past 3 months. The pay isn't too high and there are no benefits--but it has been good to have something to help supplement our income. I can't make the mortgage bills by myself anymore. (It was too much stress for me!) Brian has also been getting a lot of interviews for state and federal jobs. I hope that something works out soon and that he is hired--since his temporary job might be ending as soon as this Friday! Ack!
Officer Commissioning
I have also mentioned in the past that Brian was attempting to get an "Officer Commission" with the Army. In fact he would have already been an officer (since he has a college degree) if it weren't for his age. They don't offer officer commissions to college graduates after they turn 29 years of age. Luckily he went before an officer review board last week and they recommended that he be an officer (a second lieutenant). Last week for so hectic! The review board was supposed to meet on Jan. 4th and the federal government was closed for the Holidays and no one had given Brian his orders or even arranged for his transportation to North Carolina where it was supposed to take place. On Jan. 3rd at the very last minute Brian finally got his papers to go before the board and had one hour to make the plane flight! I had to be with him in the car as he drove like a bat out of hell to get to the plane on time. I'm just glad that he made it there on time and got the recommendation that he wanted.
If you're wondering why being an officer is good, here are two reasons:
#1: Being an officer will mean that he is "less" likely to be put in the line of fire. That doesn't mean that he won't be in combat and that he won't be in the line of fire. it is just less likely to happen. And I will take anything that might reduce Brian's chance of getting hurt while he is deployed.
#2: If he becomes an officer then he has to go to Officer Training School for about 6 months. During this time they can't pull him out to be deployed overseas. So it is effectively giving him a delay of 6 more months. I am of course hoping against hope that the US Congress will pressure President Bush to pull out of Iraq during the next six months. Iraq is one place I don't want Brian to go. Realistically he will still be deployed to an area in conflict (i.e. Kosovo, Afghanistan or Africa). I just think that Iraq would have been the worst place to be deployed to.
Now what does Brian think about the proposed troop surge?
I asked Brian this question last night. He said that the CIA told President Bush and the US Cabinet before the war started that if there were not enough troops that there would be anarchy and that terrorists could set up operations in Iraq. (Which is what has happened.) Bush's cabinet never followed the CIA's recommendations which also included a "draft" in order to have enough troops to handle such an event. Bush has also "replaced" key general's who have disagreed with his troop surge proposal. Brian says the US Army reserves are now spread entirely too thin and that morale is at an all-time low. Troops are told that their overseas duty is only supposed to last 6 months, but that they have had their tour of duty extended to 16-18 months. With the surge in place the tours of duty will be extended again--which will make morale even lower. Brian has also told me that they are accepting just about anyone to the Army right now, including people with criminal records. He has told me that there are two rapists in his reserve unit.
I think that everyone has already heard about some of the horrible things that have been perpetrated by US troops in Iraq. I fear that this will only increase as morale drops lower and as a greater element of troops with criminal backgrounds are deployed.
Realistically, a troop surge would also mean that the draft would have to be re-instated. Key generals have told Bush this many times. However, since Bush knows that a "draft" would destroy any election chances of his party--that will not be done. And again, our Army will be stressed again to the breaking point.
Brian said that he and most other Army soldiers that he has talked to are against the troop surge. It's too little too late he said. And he thinks at this point in the game that were should break Iraq up into 3 different states (and ethnic groups) wash our hands and walk away. Brian doesn't see any "good" solution to the problem and feels that continuing to think that there is no problem denies the facts. I should mention that Brian is a Republican and tends to agree with Bush's policies. So I must say that I was happily surprised that he doesn't back up Bush on this proposal.
What is going to happen? Only time will tell...in the meantime I would ask you to say a prayer for peace in the Middle East.
Posted: Thu - January 11, 2007 at 12:40 PM