John McCain is FULL OF CRAP!

[Gimpy]

We have heard the opposition's argument against the 21st Century GI Bill time and time again:

At a time when the United States Military is fighting in two wars and we're finally, finally beginning the long overdue and very urgent necessity of increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps. one study, one study estimates that Sen. Webb's bill will reduce retention rates by 16%.--Sen. John McCain R-AZ

First, let's point out that the same study Sen. McCain cites also determined the 21st Century GI Bill (Sen. Webb's bill) would increase recruiting by 16%, thereby offsetting any reduction in retention (re-enlistment). But what do these percentages really mean? How many soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are we talking about? The truth is the increase in recruiting represents a far greater number of troops than the decrease in retention; resulting in a net increase of our Armed Forces.

Based on this rule the 21st Century GI Bill would increase the end strength of our Armed Forces more than 39,000 troops, and considering the Navy and Air Force were left out; one could easily assume this increase would be in excess of 50,000 additional troops. The 21st Century GI Bill is a sound means to increase the end strength of our Armed Forces. Furthermore, at a time when only 79% of new Army recruits possess a diploma and 13% of new recruits were granted criminal background waivers; the 21st Century GI Bill is the ideal mechanism to increase the quality of new recruits.


In a recent Army Times article unrelated to the 21st Century GI Bill titled: Have recruit incentives reached their limit? Lawrence Kapp, a military manpower analyst with the Congressional Research Service stated:


There has to be some way to of re-connecting service, broadly speaking, with kind of the white-collar expectations of many of our youth today


David S.C. Chu, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness who was also featured in the article stated:

In order to increase the pool of best-quality recruits...the military must make itself attractive to young Americans...the military cannot reverse course on its standards. The military strives to recruit individuals with a high aptitude for service and a high level of personal behavior.


Lastly, Heidi Goldberg, a CBO analyst noted:

she would place more emphasis on the college "market." Recruiters tend to focus on the high school market, she said, but "many people who begin college don't complete it."


The evidence speaks for itself. The 21st Century GI Bill is the modern solution to today's recruiting demands and fulfills a much needed niche in society; bridging the gap between secondary education and institutions of higher learning. It is apparent that the current GI Bill is outdated and must be replaced in order to keep pace with the rapid social changes occuring in our society.


Anyone with a pulse knows that the Pentagon has a history of wasting huge sums of money. Just last week, an internal audit found that the Army squandered $8.2 billion of taxpayer money on contractors in Iraq.


Sadly, while their wallets always seem to be open for the contractors, the administration has a habit of tightening the purse strings when it comes to the troops. From body armor to bonuses, our troops continue to be shortchanged. Currently, the administration is "strongly opposing" a 0.5 percent pay raise for troops passed by Congress, calling it "unnecessary."


And now, the Bush administration is threatening to do it again. The Department of Defense and the administration have come out against the new GI Bill. The GI Bill, originally introduced by Senators Webb (D-VA), Hagel (R-NE), Warner (R-VA) and Lautenberg (D-NJ), is one of the single most supported pieces of legislation in Congress right now. It has over 300 cosponsors in the House, and almost 60 in the Senate. It's also got the support of all the leading Veterans Service Organizations, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and IAVA.


The Bush administration's argument (and John McCains') is that if a GI Bill benefit is too good, it'll reward veterans too richly for their service and draw them away from re-enlisting:


Seriously though, it is both shocking and appalling that after seven years of war, anyone thinks an education at one of our nation's public colleges is more than our troops have earned. It is also profoundly implausible and insulting to argue that the troops who have continued to re-enlist and to serve, even under the incredible strain of multiple combat tours, would suddenly abandon the military in droves.


Opponents of the new GI Bill will tell you the retention issue is a question of national security. It isn't. It's a question of money. If these guys were so worried about keeping troops in the military, why not suck it up and just give these troops a pay raise? How about 15% across the board? Or how about they accept that troops who've served multiple combat tours deserve a bonus?


But what really kills me about the retention argument from McCain and the Whitehouse is how short-sighted it is. You can't retain troops you've never recruited in the first place. Since 2004, our military has been struggling to meet recruiting goals. We're spending $4 billion a year to bring folks into the military, and we're still having to lower our enlistment standards. In 2007, only 79% of new Army enlistees had a high-school diploma. The maximum age for a new recruit has been raised to 42 from 35. And 12 percent of recruits are receiving waivers for criminal convictions.


We can do better. As Senator Webb, who is also a former Secretary of the Navy, has said, a new GI Bill would strengthen our military by encouraging more high-aptitude, college-bound young people to join up. Getting money for an education is the number one reason civilians enlist in the first place. A new GI Bill is an amazing opportunity to keep the promise we made to our veterans and to revitalize our military, all in one step.


John McCain is FULL OF $HIT!


And, all you have to do to see that he is NO FRIEND to military veterans is check his Congressional voting record at the Disabled American Veterans web site.


Gimp