Tag: DoD

Boeing Overcharging?, Hawks Yawn!

A ‘Patriotic’ U.S. company ripping off the Army and the American Tax Payers, and military procurement officers allowing it to happen, knowing many will go to work for these defense contractors after their service, especially with two long occupations still ongoing, say it ain’t so!

Boeing found to have overcharged Army for helicopter parts

Climate Change and National Security

What the detractors, whether they believe the obvious or not and the flock just follows what they’re told, are effectively locking the brakes on what we once were and envied around this planet.

Innovators in moving forward with the new idea’s, interstate roadways, infrastructure, flying, etc. etc. etc. and with the same innovative workforce that made the advancements a reality with everyone following in trying to catch up.

Now those everyone’s are leading and we aren’t even following much, like as to energy innovations and a cleaner planet, even so called third world countries are moving ahead of us on the obvious human advancements!

Under bush the republican Congresses and Two Wars

There’s another Very Important House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing taking place Today. As important as all that have in both the House and the Senate since the 110th Congress, covering issues that weren’t even mentioned nor as the many complaints rose, over a number of issues, were meaningful Congressional Investigations nor Hearings held, as two invasions and still ongoing occupations were started and only grew over these last close to a decade now!

It wasn’t only with the do nothing politicians, it also came from those that supported them and these wars. As they slapped magnetic ribbons on their vehicles, quickly to disappear and not be replaced and claimed they were the true patriots who really supported the troops. It’s carried into the last couple of years under a label that shows the total hypocrisy of these same citizens, the so called TEA Party, outraged at everything Government with no mention of their own complicity. They use the Military and Veterans in their false patriotism, in word and symbol, but Never Once Demading that they even start ‘Sacrificing’ themselves after all these years, quite the opposite is their stand!

War For Corporate Profit

I can think of no better way to emphasize the current theft of our nations treasury at the expense of its youth than to use the words of Major General Smedley Butler in November 1935.

Never Ending War

We are not suppose to win, we are not suppose to lose …. We have always been at war with East Asia. This post is going to largely stand on its own from the research I have turned up.

WASHINGTON, Nov 2, 2009 (Reuters) – The U.S. government does not know exactly how many contractors it employs in Afghanistan, a U.S. commission said on Monday, raising basic questions about oversight of wartime operations.

Contractors in Afghanistan outnumber U.S. troops there and scandals involving misconduct by employees of private firms on the U.S. payroll in Afghanistan and Iraq have prompted calls by Congress for greater accountability.

[..]A traditional manual count by the U.S. military’s Central Command turned up nearly 74,000 U.S. Defense Department contractors in Afghanistan as of June 30 — more than twice the number shown in another survey by the Pentagon.

A more recent count from July 2010

[..]The Department of Defense has more contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan than it has uniformed military personnel, another newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service reminds us.

“The Department of Defense increasingly relies upon contractors to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which has resulted in a DOD workforce that has 19% more contractor personnel (207,600) than uniformed personnel (175,000),” said the CRS report

At 57% of total Defense Department workforce, the number of contractors represents “the highest recorded percentage of contractors used by DOD in any conflict in the history of the United States,” the study concludes.

Its the same Old Story (no date)

Currently in Afghanistan, there are 121,000 U.S. contractors and 68,000 U.S. troops. As a result of the coming surge, another 30,000 troops and 56,000 contractors are expected. But U.S. lawmakers are afraid that the mistakes that plagued military contracting in Iraq will be repeated in Afghanistan. Will the shadow armies be required to protect the Afghan civilian population? What are the chances that military contractors could cause major damage to America’s mission in Afghanistan? Will the Obama administration be able to prevent the waste, fraud and abuse seen in Iraq?

[..]Recently the CIA announced that it had stopped using Blackwater (now known as Xe Services) to conduct raids and other special operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but some press reports say Xe Services are still at the center of a secret program in Karachi, Pakistan, where they plan assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda members, among other operations.

Testvets: Use of wounded US troops in drug trial questioned

Testvets {Mike (Beetle) Bailey’s Blog}! A never ending, and usually unknown by those soldiers being tested, fact of the Military as they have extremely easy to use subjects where results can be turned over to the private sector for profit {especially in these times of private contractors and what’s already surfaced as to}, in the many cases over the years this has taken place on many issues, some still unknown and even denied happened.

Blast Injury Treatment Centers?

Why is it in all these speeches the press seems to think are so important, like those of the shrill voiced hockey puck mom, who’s son served or is still serving, and anyone attached to this so called ‘tea party’, as they rail against taxes and more, do we not hear mention of the funding nor sacrifice as to those serving or have served!

Seems the only time the military soldier and veterans of, are mentioned is when a meme needs to be added as flag is wrapped around their ‘patriotism?’!

Many are the same that never mention defense budgets, except wanting them to grow even more, nor gave any mention to military and veterans care as they beat the drums of war louder and louder, and still do!

Military Health System, New Leader?

Taking bets on who will place a hold on this nomination. Will it be the usual suspects, especially as to the Veterans Administration and National Security, or will it be another rising star of the “Strong on National Defense” group {just say ‘no’}?

Stay tuned!

White House eyes Army Reservist, surgeon for Defense top doc job

Pairing dogs and troops with PTSD

McClatchy Washington Bureau continues their extremely stellar reporting on the effects of Wars and Occupations of others on those that serve in these theaters of operations, especially as to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder {PTSD} with the following report printed in their Kansas City Star:

Defense Dept. funding study pairing dogs and troops with PTSD

CIA, FBI, DoD, DoJ, Army, Air Force: ‘Torture doesn’t work.’

I posted this over at DailyKos the other day and some people said posting it here would be a good idea. So here I am.

Here I’ve compiled a lengthy list on the ongoing discussion (read: illegal implementation and defense) of torture. I just think it is really interesting, in hindsight, to go re-read articles where various agencies commented on torture.

I’m not trying to prove a point that torture doesn’t work, so we shouldn’t use it. We should never use it even if it ‘works’ because it’s cruel, inhumane and un-American. There is no excuse to use torture and there never will be. I am writing this because I’m actually wondering, given all these comments about how it doesn’t work, why was it still used?

Honestly, it makes no sense. It hampered evidence gathering and trials of real terrorists and everything else, along with being completely immoral. I doubt we’ll ever get any answers but I figured I’d put it out there.

Def. Sec. Robert Gates: Radical Overhaul of the Pentagon’s Arsenal

Pentagon Chief: Why I Tore Up the Army’s ‘Future’

Of all the hard choices Defense Secretary Robert Gates had to make in his radical overhaul of the Pentagon’s arsenal, the toughest, he tells Danger Room, was the decision to gut Future Combat Systems, the Army’s $200 billion effort to design a fleet of next-generation tanks and troop carriers.

“Most difficult of all of these for me was the FCS program,” Gates says in a Pentagon conference call. “I actually didn’t make up my mind once and for all on it until this weekend.”

This link brings up Windows Media Player for conference call.

At the end of this phone conference, which last about thirty five minutes, the Defense Secretary talks about the Military and Veterans, as well as their families, care monies that have been off budget, or not even thought of or included, and in the supplementals these years of these two occupations, which now will be included in the Defense Budget, nothing hidden, we hope!

**********

And the mindset should Always Be: “War as a very last resort!!”! No Wars Of Choice Which Damages Our Nations Security And Moral Standing!!

Army: 24 Suspected Suicides in January ’09

This is just being reported,

Army reports alarming rise in suicides last month

There has been a small sprinkling of reports about the Military Suicides in the last couple of months, most of those found only if one is hitting a number of news outlets but not making National News, even as those who serve do so for the Country not a Community located near a base or where their from.

Soldiers Get Shafted, Again and……………………!!

I was trying to write something more about this report I just read, but after these last eight previous years my rage keeps me from thinking straight in trying to add words to the total apathy, arrogance, and incompetence found in this country and it’s elected representatives.

But I want you to meet Melissa Sterry, a Gulf War I National Guard Veteran, from New Haven Connecticut, and read the cuts I placed below also visiting the Hartford Advocate and read the rest, not only about Ms. Sterry but as to the rest of the Veterans of Connecticut, and what the state reps have to say.  

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