[Pyro7480]

American Navy Seals land on the main beach in Monrovia, Liberia in this Aug. 18, 2003 file photo.The Pentagon has paid more than $100 million in bonuses to veteran Green Berets and Navy SEALs in an effort to keep top commandos from heading to the corporate world where security companies such as Blackwater USA are offering attractive salaries. The figures gathered by The Associated Press and other research done by the Defense Department indicate there has not been an extended exodus of commandos to private security companies and other businesses that value their talents. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam, File)

[jwalsh07]

Money well spent on a cadre of men whose experience is irreplaceable. God bless’em, each and every one.

[RDTF]

short lived if this continues:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1909198/posts

General Rebukes Special Operations Forces - Lawmaker requests probe of Kearney’s actions
The Washington Times ^ | Oct 10, 2007 | Sharon Behn

Posted on 10/10/2007 11:01:25 AM EDT by RDTF

A crusading three-star general has sparked outrage within the Army Special Forces and Marine Special Operations Command by publicly condemning and twice bringing legal actions against members of their forces.

None of Lt. Gen. Frank Kearney’s actions has resulted in a conviction, but they have roiled the military community, led to the resignations of several top-trained Marines, and sparked accusations of improper command influence.

Rep. Walter B. Jones, North Carolina Republican, worried about the effect on the military, has asked Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to investigate Gen. Kearney, who currently heads the Special Operations Command. The case also has attracted widespread comment in military publications and blogs.

The general’s actions “have damaged the lives of many of our special operators and deserve to be investigated,” Mr. Jones said in an Oct. 3 letter to Mr. Gates.

Col. Hans Bush, special forces public affairs officer for the Special Operations Command, said yesterday that Gen. Kearney stood “ready to support any investigation directed by the secretary of defense in this matter.”

[Mr. K]

GOOD!! I would take a good payout to go there.

Anyone know where I cam market my 20 years of computer engineering skills over there?

[George W. Bush]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates remains so concerned over the lure of high salaries in the private sector that he has directed Pentagon lawyers to explore putting no-compete clauses into contracts with security companies that would limit their recruiting abilities.

Gates still impresses. The Blackwater contracts should be altered to include no-compete clauses.

Much as with industrial concerns, they should have and enforce non-competition clauses. Blackwater should not be allowed to poach highly trained personnel who have benefited from training and experience with rare and expensive military resources.

[JDPendry]

When you reduce the size of the active force so that it doesn’t have the people needed to perform the convoy and security work type tasks it creates opportunity for contractors like Blackwater. They pay well and it’s attractive to people who do more dangerous work for much less. They’re collecting on the Democrat, downsizing the military, peace dividend }:>)— and doing a valuable service for us.

[ConservativeMind]

What a great investment!

[redgolum]

This is going to be an unpopular post. With that said, I don’t like it that we are to the point were the US military can not do its operations with out mercenaries.

For me that is the real travesty of justice. And we are now over seven years past 911.

[359Henrie]

I reenlisted and received a 96hr liberty.