[Rhodes22-list] Political:Off to Iraq re: Dave

[DCLewis1 at aol.com]

Philip,
 
Thanks for your response.  I sense a bit of frustration in your  reply.  Let 
me be clear, I’m not dissing your service, and I’m not claiming  that the 
decision to make a career in the military is entirely about cash and  benefits.  
That was not my intent.  But I think you and I agree that  “at the margin” 
bonuses, extra pay, tax exemptions, etc are used as  recruiting, re-enlistment, 
and retention incentives, and that they are  effective inducements.  You 
spelled out many of them but made the point  that no one does it to be rich. I 
completely agree with you, but clearly they  are inducements. I do think that many 
young people do as well or  better financially in the service than they would 
do in the private  civilian sector.  I know a guy that was called up (the 
same guy I posted  about previously) that is doing better financially as an enli
sted rank in the  Army than he did as a surveyors assistant (his civilian job 
before he was  called up), I suspect his experience is not uncommon - but it's 
not about being  rich.  You and I also agree that those inducements also apply 
to some  officers - by no means all officers.  
 
As to the Navy’s “fighting land battalion”, I don’t know anything about  
that.  The Navy has had landed battalions forever - think of the  
CBs(Construction Battalions).  What I think the Spec Opns bonuses are about  are SEAL Teams, 
and I believe they have been in the fight (any fight, you pick,  they love to 
fight) from t = 0.    
 
Again, I am not dissing your or any service persons service, rather I’m  
saying that pay, bonuses, and benefits are an important part of the package,  that 
they matter, and that they are a part of the career decision each  individual 
in the service makes.  
 
Dave