[D. Brian Carter]

There is a bit of the "crybaby" element in this article, actually, although it's not as blatant and whining as many of the other articles I've seen.

My gut reaction to this is: a. yes, it is obvious our level of personnel in the armed forces, especially the Army, is too low, thanks to many years of downsizing and reduction of budgets; b. something needs to be done about the strength and size of our forces; c. the job of a PROFESSIONAL soldier is to be a SOLDIER, which includes being away from home for long stretches in uncomfortable, hostile conditions; d. until there is a solution for the problems of long and back-to-back deployments, the PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER is going to have to suck it up and DO HIS JOB.

[Salgak]

The job of a PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER is to fight and win wars, NOT to be a glorified cop. These occupations need to be done by a vastly expanded MP force, not combat infantry and armor. . .

[jospehm20]

I believe they will suck it up and do there jobs with all
the professionalism that we have come to expect from our
soldiers, up until it is time to re-enlist. The problem is
that this is a volunteer Army and you have to get folks to
volunteer for it. There will be difficulties retaining folks
unless they can find a way to get them home once in a while.
I would not be bit surprised to see a boat load of people
get out of the reserves once their units come home.

[Cogadh na Sith]

until there is a solution for the problems of long and back-to-back deployments, the PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER is going to have to suck it up and DO HIS JOB.

Yes, but starting in '91, the Army went to a weird 'family friendly atmosphere' where single soldiers generally got less benefits and more work in order for the babymakers, single mothers, caring fathers and Assorted Dreck to spend more time with their fat wives or crowbait children.

It was miserable--one of the reasons I left active duty: I didn't have kids or a wife and the Army culture just didn't suit me as a single guy--having to go to all the 'family-day' shite and Consideration Of Others Classes and crap.

Heck, I would have been, and still would, be happy to deploy indefinitely to somewhere 'hot'. As an officer, I was stuck reviewing Family Care Plans for all the single mothers and renting a dunk-tank or 'fun-jump' for all the family crap! It sucked!

The problem is: The job of most professional soldiers, in the Army, for the past 13 year has been to take care of families and crap!

I'm telling ya, man, as a single officer without a harpy or a rug-biter at home I was almost an outcast...