US military needs to be completely revamped

[CrusaderFrank]

I attended a Zoning Board meeting last night and during public comments, one of the men who stood up was an Army Veteran, served in the ME, fell on hard times upon his return and until recently was homeless for quite a while.

I was seething!! The US military priorities are completely wrong. Much like US Congress, the DoD has become a nest of greed and mismanagement.

No veteran SHOULD EVER BE HOMELESS !

Instead of funding 44 4 Star Generals and 155 3 Stars, the DoD should provide any veteran a home for $1.

There are so many currently available properties nationwide that can be acquired and turned to veterans housing TODAY that this should be fixed in a very short time. Communities serving injured Veterans would take longer to be built, but our veterans deserve no less.

 

[pknopp]

There should be fewer veterans.

 

[JoeB131]

I attended a Zoning Board meeting last night and during public comments. One of the men who stood up was an Army Veteran, served in the ME, fell on hard times upon his return and until recently was homeless for quite a while.

I was seething!! The US military priorities are completely wrong. Much like US Congress, the DoD has become a nest of greed and mismanagement.

No veteran SHOULD EVER BE HOMELESS !

Instead of funding 44 4 Star Generals and 155 3 Stars, the DoD should provide any veteran a home for $1.

There are so many currently available properties nationwide that can be acquired and turned to veterans housing TODAY that this should be fixed in a very short time. Communities serving injured Veterans would take longer to be built, but our veterans deserve no less.

Veterans become homeless for the same reasons non-veterans do... mental illness, addiction, etc.

I agree the military is bloated with too many flag officers (We have more generals now than we had in WWII) but let's be blunt. Once they've signed off on your final DD214, you aren't the military's problem anymore.

 

[JoeB131]

There should be fewer veterans.

Why, just because you were never man enough to serve?

Frankly, the worst thing we ever did was end selective service. Everyone should do at least a couple years in the military.

 

[pknopp]

Why, just because you were never man enough to serve?

Frankly, the worst thing we ever did was end selective service. Everyone should do at least a couple years in the military.

You authoritarians are so transparent.

 

[Auld Phart]

Why, just because you were never man enough to serve?

Frankly, the worst thing we ever did was end selective service. Everyone should do at least a couple years in the military.

Everyone should do at least a couple years in the military.

males and females

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Veterans become homeless for the same reasons non-veterans do... mental illness, addiction, etc.

I agree the military is bloated with too many flag officers (We have more generals now than we had in WWII) but let's be blunt. Once they've signed off on your final DD214, you aren't the military's problem anymore.

And that's the crux of the problem!

Currently, sending people off to war today is viewed as bottom line enhancement for the Defense industry and Congress. You send people off to kill and die, they are your responsibility for Life

 

[sparky]

Local zoning often portrays our bias , agendas & downright bigotry in the sense of action VS words.......~S~

 

[sparky]

As to any DOD reboot , it's JMHO to see them (and their political leaders) support our vets with one simplicity.......quit sending them into no win scenarios.......~S~

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

.

When will we see an honest recruiting poster with a homeless vet on it?

.

 

[JoeB131]

males and females

I'd have no problem with that, although I'd make it two years of national service with non-military options like the Forest service.

And that's the crux of the problem!

Currently, sending people off to war today is viewed as bottom line enhancement for the Defense industry and Congress. You send people off to kill and die, they are your responsibility for Life

I was in for 11 years and never had to kill anyone.
Now, if you want to make an argument that the government should be responsible for combat veterans for life, I guess you could. But at the end of the day, people make their own choices. If anything, being a veteran improves your employment options.

 

[JoeB131]

As to any DOD reboot , it's JMHO to see them (and their political leaders) support our vets with one simplicity.......quit sending them into no win scenarios.......~S~

What to you is a no-win scenario?

Iraq and Afghanistan were winnable, if we were willing to commit the resources, we just refused to.

 

[sparky]

.

When will we see an honest recruiting poster with a homeless vet on it?

.

i dunno OPJQ, a tad too much truth in advertising might sell poorly ~S~

 

[August West]

Why, just because you were never man enough to serve?

Frankly, the worst thing we ever did was end selective service. Everyone should do at least a couple years in the military.

I believe pknopp was suggesting we should find another American pastime other than starting and losing wars. With Friendly neighbors and oceans bordering this country, why are we spending nearly as much as the 10 next big spending countries? China has 2 or 3 aircraft carriers, and we have 17. Which country`s military is built for offense?

 

[sparky]

What to you is a no-win scenario?

Iraq and Afghanistan were winnable, if we were willing to commit the resources, we just refused to.

exactly why it became an exercise in futility Joe
~S~

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

i dunno OPJQ, a tad too much truth in advertising might sell poorly ~S~

.

If I was young and healthy and could risk being arrested, I'd stand in front of a recruitment center and hand out flyers that have honest statistics about Veteran homelessness.

For now, I feed and clothe as much as I can afford to.

.

 

[pknopp]

What to you is a no-win scenario?

Iraq and Afghanistan were winnable, if we were willing to commit the resources, we just refused to.

What exactly was winnable? What were we supposed to win?

 

[sparky]

We had a local DAV suffer a fire, his home wasn't livable via 'zoning' , but he refused to leave. The dude was sleeping in his car, undaunted... bangin' nails during the day, no heat, no water......

I was liaison to the POCO getting him sparked back up, i also had a word w/officials who wanted to oust him (none of whom had the nads to confront him personally)

When i asked him if he was ok, he smiled and said 'I've lived in worse'

He's still living there today, a few years after the fire.....

~S~

 

[Dekster]

Do DD Form 4's now have a line that says something like "By signing this document, I understand that I get a free house for $1"?

 

[pknopp]

We had a local DAV suffer a fire, his home wasn't livable via 'zoning' , but he refused to leave. The dude was sleeping in his car, undaunted... bangin' nails during the day, no heat, no water......

I was liaison to the POCO getting him sparked back up, i also had a word w/officials who wanted to oust him (none of whom had the nads to confront him personally)

When i asked him if he was ok, he smiled and said 'I've lived in worse'

He's still living there today, a few years after the fire.....

~S~

The Amish would have helped him rebuild.