Or not supporting the troops
1 o'clock, August 14, 2003
I’d just like to call attention to Rob’s erudite expression of outrage over the Pentagon’s plan to allow Congress’ appropriation of extra combat pay for American soldiers to lapse, now that tens of thousands of American soldiers are actually in combat.
If the Pentagon can’t find the money to pay our soldiers, it should ask the Congress for more. And if the Congress is worried about keeping expenses down, it should clearly state to the American public, and to our soldiers, which specific programs it values more than the men and women fighting and dying for their country.
I’m sure this will do no end of good for the troops’ morale.
(Yes, Rob has a brother in the 82nd Airborne, and last I heard he was still in Afghanistan. Anyone who thinks this means Rob is insufficiently unbiased to express an opinion on the issue is welcome to stand up and get smacked.)
It seems the Pentagon, shocked at the howls of outrage in the press and among military families, has backpedaled, and will now support extending the increase in the Family Seperation Allowance and Imminent Danger Pay.
Which is good; i'm glad the administration is now on the same page as the rest of us.
It still doesn't make their original reluctance to do so any less dishonorable. (And a lot of the morale damage has already been done)