Betrayal of Our Troops

As I began to think about other ways to support our troops, I remembered an event that angered me. About a month ago my boyfriend and I were driving across Camp Pendleton. If you have ever been to Camp Pendleton you know there is a single lane road that connects one side of the base to the other. While driving on the one lane we were stuck behind fifteen military vehicles that were towing other military vehicles that were broken. I asked my boyfriend if this was common and he said unfortunately the military, especially the Marines, have old and unreliable vehicles. He also said while in Iraq a lot of the times the vehicles would break down and other units would have to tow them across the desert. I was alarmed by this. If we are going to be in a war, shouldn’t we support the troops by giving the reliable vehicles? Then I began to think about how unsafe this could be for the troops in a war zone. Imagine being chased or transporting goods in a war zone and “opps,” the truck breaks down in the middle of heavy fire and they get shot.

My boyfriend said the military relies on the government budget, and how much money the military receives depends if they get new vehicles. Then he explained even the supplies they have are old and crappy. The military is suppose to issue out supplies, but because of the war and the thousands of men and women overseas, there is a shortage of materials. As a result of a shortage some servicemen do not receive the necessary supplies such as bullet proof vests and other protection guards. Some Marines use their personal money to buy the materials if they choose. Last time I check, bullet proof vests weren’t cheap, but it is worth the money instead of getting shot.

This is a very frustrating topic for me because not only are the troops getting underpaid, but they are receiving the bare minimum when it comes to supplies and materials that could save their lives. I think about how some congressmen are sitting in their warm, large houses protected from harm, and there is a 20 year old Marine in Iraq with some supplies and wondering whether or not his Humvee will work that day. I feel the government is doing the bare minimum for the troops. I am sure that because of the cheapness of the government, military lives have been lost as a result. Not only the lives being lost, but the frustration the troops must feel knowing that their government is doing the bare minimum for their protection. My boyfriend said he loves being a Marine, but he is sometimes discouraged because of the lack of funds provided to the troops. I think this is an interesting statement because there are tons of good Marines out there that enjoy serving their country, but when their four years are up they will not reenlist because they did not feel supported. As a result, the military is loosing hundreds of good Marines and soldiers; and in this day and age we need all dedicated servicemen we can get.

I found two articles that captured the essences of what I was saying. Although they are old, I still believe they are worth reading.

Not Supporting Our Troops

Betrayal of Our Troops


The Troop's Advocator