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Letters

More money not the answer

In response to the April 6 letter “Reward responsibility” by Sgt. Michael M. Elder, I disagree wholeheartedly. If the Corps started giving certain military occupational specialties extra pay, it would cause tension between MOSs. Any Marine in any field could argue they deserve more money because of the hardships their job creates.

That’s not to say that some jobs are not harder or more dangerous than others — but more money is not the answer. Every MOS in the Corps is critical to mission accomplishment. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be an MOS for that job. Second, if certain MOSs were paid more than others, it would be difficult to fill the positions needed in the MOSs that paid less.

I, like every other Marine, would have no problem receiving a larger paycheck, but my path to more money is by becoming more competitive for promotion in my MOS.

I strongly disagree with the suggestion an infantryman should be paid more than other Marines, and here’s why:

1 Our job as Marines is to be riflemen, and it is expected of everyone to know how to use the M16A2 to kill the enemy. For infantrymen, it is your job to know your weapon inside and out, and the tactics to use it effectively. It is expected of every Marine to perform outside their everyday duties, even if that means staying out in the field for days at a time. That’s your job.

2 I am a sergeant in the 02xx career field, intelligence. In combat, we hold other Marines’, soldiers’ and even civilians’ lives in our hands. The decisions made by most commanders are based on real-time intelligence, which in turn helps infantrymen find and kill the enemy. Should I get paid more based on the added stress we endure? Of course not. That’s my job.

3 Marines in infantry, intelligence, aviation and military police represent the majority of individuals getting out of the Corps, most likely due to constant deployments and hardly any dwell time. It’s not just infantry, and I doubt it is because they’re not getting any respect or appreciation. We are respected and appreciated daily by everyone around us, military and civilian.

4 “Cushy job” Marines are right beside infantry Marines in combat — admin, intelligence, supply, communications, you name it. Having a “cushy job” back in garrison doesn’t mean we do in combat. An infantryman wouldn’t be able to do his job if it wasn’t for supply, admin, aviation, intelligence and so on.

OBAMA A CLINTON ‘COPY’

Where will the military and Defense Department be four years from now? Hopefully, we will be wrapping up in Afghanistan.

Beyond that, though, what are President Obama’s plans for us? His administration is a carbon copy of Bill Clinton’s in the 1990s. That particular administration saw the military as little more than a piggy bank to siphon funds to other sectors of the government.

Make no mistake: The lack of funds for defense during the ’90s led almost directly to the situation that we find ourselves in today.

How does Obama see us? Does he see us as a fund for appropriations to his other priorities? Instinctively you will say no, but look at his attempts to siphon money out of Veterans Affairs and military insurance programs.

I don’t blame him. We are spending millions on projects that shouldn’t even be on our top priority list. The military needs to adjust its priorities to those that will sustain us through the coming famine we will soon face. Cut back on extraneous projects and focus on the two things that will keep us a fighting force: service member care and unit preparedness.

When that happens, our budget will plummet through the floorboards and we will find ourselves scraping by once again. So why not prepare for the inevitable?

Target booze, not tobacco

I understand the concern when it comes to tobacco products. I know how harmful long-term tobacco use can be. However, I object to raising the price [“Tobacco prices may jump 5 percent in military stores,” March 16].

I have yet to hear of one incident where a Marine, overindulging in tobacco, had an accident, started a fight or lost control of his vehicle. Let’s look at a bigger issue: alcohol, alcohol abuse and driving under the influence. Every week, there are incidents — from minor to tragic — due to alcohol abuse. Where’s the tax increase?

I am tired of the goody two shoes determining what is good for me. I spent 30 years in the Corps and have seen alcohol abusers at all levels. However, as alcohol is socially acceptable, many turn a blind eye, military members included.

Let’s do a real survey and ask how many Marines have friends who do not partake at all in alcohol consumption, and then we will do the same for tobacco products. I suspect the alcohol consumers outnumber the tobacco users. On Okinawa, beer sometimes goes on sale for $12 a case. Not only do they make it readily available everywhere, but they even discount it so you can afford to buy more and drink more.

I also know that everyone who drinks does not drink to get drunk or abuse alcohol. However, raising the price of tobacco does not pass the common-sense test with me.