With the budget being such an issue, there are a lot of politicians talking about cutting the pay and benefits of the troops. I am so incensed over that issue that I can't even bring myself to write about it. I've been trying for two weeks, but I get so angry that I start to shake. I don't want to let it ruin my day, so I've just put it aside.
However, this week I am furious about the level of exhaustion my husband is experiencing. He has been run ragged for the past few months. By ragged I mean twelve to sixteen hour days followed by pulling all-nighters on paperwork. He has done this so much, that he goes days without sleeping. He is surviving on energy drinks that he has to pay for. He has gone so long on so little sleep, it is a wonder it isn't affecting him mentally (if it isn't). His body is going to suffer the affects of lack of sleep soon.
I don't need to debate the dangers of sleep deprivation. Being tired causes more fatal accidents than being drunk. We wouldn't let soldiers drink and fight/drive/patrol, but we send them out not just tired, but literally past what humans can actually bear because there aren't enough troops to do what Iraq needs us to do. We made a timetable for getting out that was set on a calendar and not on actual success. Now the insurgents are creating a volatile environment that is requiring combat troops plus all sorts of administrative jobs. But we don't have enough soldiers there because of the withdrawal timetable.
Now the DoD is talking about cutting personnel. I don't see how they can possibly consider cutting back personnel when we're now fighting on three fronts. We have action in Iraq and Afghanistan but also Libya. If they are trying to cut the budget so much, why don't we stop fighting all these nation's wars for them?
My husband has gone on deployment essentially every other year since he joined the army at the current troop level. How in the world do they plan to continue the cycles of deployments with fewer troops? Take them away even more from their families? News articles are springing up everywhere about the toll the deployments are taking on soldiers, marriages, spouses, children, families. There has been a meteoric rise in alcoholism, abuse, divorce and suicide. They need to deploy less, not more.
I just don't see how they can consider cutting personnel or pay for that matter. As the economy worsens, spouses are struggling to find work and now the DoD is going to ask the soldiers to accept cuts in pay and benefits? How are we supposed to manage to survive, much less plan for college funds and retirement? We don't even have life insurance outside of our work because of the cost. We just can't take on another bill. If we try to downsize in a year since I will most likely be unable to find work at his new duty station, I don't know what we'll do to make ends meet. Then if they make the soldiers spread even thinner than they are now? ? ? ? I'll be trying to make ends meet alone for the fifth deployment.
Soldiers are working on their sixth and seventh deployments. Even some of the younger soldiers are on second and third deployments. My husband is finishing his fourth. If he doesn't get assigned a duty that is stateside, he will be training up to leave again in less than two years, maybe 15-18 mos. home with 6 mos. of that being away from home training or schooling.
If we continue to police the entire world, cutting our troops and/or incentive to join or stay, we're going to end up handing the reins over as we crash. We need to have a money makeover for our government. Cut government staffers, presidential door openers, chauffeurs, chefs, etc. Cut the number of bombs we're dropping on Libya. Raise taxes. Most developed nations around the world pay much more in taxes than we do. Raise taxes and force the government to run on less than taxes bring in. Lower our deficit until it is gone. Then maybe we can realistically create a budget that runs our country and not into the ground.
However, this week I am furious about the level of exhaustion my husband is experiencing. He has been run ragged for the past few months. By ragged I mean twelve to sixteen hour days followed by pulling all-nighters on paperwork. He has done this so much, that he goes days without sleeping. He is surviving on energy drinks that he has to pay for. He has gone so long on so little sleep, it is a wonder it isn't affecting him mentally (if it isn't). His body is going to suffer the affects of lack of sleep soon.
I don't need to debate the dangers of sleep deprivation. Being tired causes more fatal accidents than being drunk. We wouldn't let soldiers drink and fight/drive/patrol, but we send them out not just tired, but literally past what humans can actually bear because there aren't enough troops to do what Iraq needs us to do. We made a timetable for getting out that was set on a calendar and not on actual success. Now the insurgents are creating a volatile environment that is requiring combat troops plus all sorts of administrative jobs. But we don't have enough soldiers there because of the withdrawal timetable.
Now the DoD is talking about cutting personnel. I don't see how they can possibly consider cutting back personnel when we're now fighting on three fronts. We have action in Iraq and Afghanistan but also Libya. If they are trying to cut the budget so much, why don't we stop fighting all these nation's wars for them?
My husband has gone on deployment essentially every other year since he joined the army at the current troop level. How in the world do they plan to continue the cycles of deployments with fewer troops? Take them away even more from their families? News articles are springing up everywhere about the toll the deployments are taking on soldiers, marriages, spouses, children, families. There has been a meteoric rise in alcoholism, abuse, divorce and suicide. They need to deploy less, not more.
I just don't see how they can consider cutting personnel or pay for that matter. As the economy worsens, spouses are struggling to find work and now the DoD is going to ask the soldiers to accept cuts in pay and benefits? How are we supposed to manage to survive, much less plan for college funds and retirement? We don't even have life insurance outside of our work because of the cost. We just can't take on another bill. If we try to downsize in a year since I will most likely be unable to find work at his new duty station, I don't know what we'll do to make ends meet. Then if they make the soldiers spread even thinner than they are now? ? ? ? I'll be trying to make ends meet alone for the fifth deployment.
Soldiers are working on their sixth and seventh deployments. Even some of the younger soldiers are on second and third deployments. My husband is finishing his fourth. If he doesn't get assigned a duty that is stateside, he will be training up to leave again in less than two years, maybe 15-18 mos. home with 6 mos. of that being away from home training or schooling.
If we continue to police the entire world, cutting our troops and/or incentive to join or stay, we're going to end up handing the reins over as we crash. We need to have a money makeover for our government. Cut government staffers, presidential door openers, chauffeurs, chefs, etc. Cut the number of bombs we're dropping on Libya. Raise taxes. Most developed nations around the world pay much more in taxes than we do. Raise taxes and force the government to run on less than taxes bring in. Lower our deficit until it is gone. Then maybe we can realistically create a budget that runs our country and not into the ground.
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