-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! Soldiers For The Truth Defending America Newsletter Situation Report - 4 April 2001 Growing Decent Leaders & Excessive Perks TABLE OF CONTENTS SITREP From The President - 4 April 2001 Through Zman’s Gun Sight - Green to Gold or Green to Broke? HACK’s Target For The Week - Jerk This Perk The Big Picture: Article 1 – U.S., Chinese Warplanes Collide Over S. China Sea Article 2 – Bush Offers Support in Macedonia Article 3 – Defense Secretary Outlines Military Overhaul Article 4 – Distrust For Anthrax Policy Article 5 – Is This The Military I Will Join? Article 6 – Navy League and Fun Rides serve a Purpose Article 7 – Small Arms Training Not Up to Par Article 8 – Air Force: We Need Reform, Not More Badges Voices of the Troops: Article 9 – The Sergeant’s Corner: Don’t Bring a Knife to a Gunfight Article 10 – Your Move, Mr. Bush Article 11 – Jungle Tankers Article 12 – Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (AVIP) G.I. Humor: Article 13 – Recruiting for The Army Of One? Medal of Honor: Article 14 – WOMACK, BRYANT E., Korea 1952. Admin / Log Net Editors Note - Article Submission - Contacts - Service Editors Donations - Subscribe - Unsubscribe - File Archives Text Only - Printer Friendly Version SITREP: SITUATION REPORT: 04 APRIL 2001 A. Main topics: 1) Growing Leaders 2) Macedonia 3) Anthrax 4) Awards/Recognition B. HOT BUTTONS: * WE NEED YOUR CONTINUED FINANCIAL SUPPORT IN 2001. Please send a few Dollars our way if you believe that our troops need an independent voice for the opinions of the "Little Man," too often drowned out by the brass and the many so-called experts. THANK YOU to all SFTT warriors who have made it possible for us to stay on the forefront of fighting for change and access to the truth. Questions of the Week: 1. Do you think that the recent military mishaps, such as the Kuwait bombing, the Greenville collision, the China Spy Plane incident, the USS Cole sabotage etc. are purely mishaps or an indication that our military is malfunctioning? 2. Could your unit perform its combat mission or is it ready on paper only? Feel free to send me hot topics directly, if you can’t get through the admin/log net, or you don’t get a response within 72 hours – [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Keep the mail coming! We won’t reveal your true identity unless you give us your approval. We know how vindictive the "system" can be. How you can help: Credit Card donation via our Secure Web Site at SFTT.org. !!! If you think we HIT a target, forward the newsletter to TV, radio and your local papers. YOU are the frontline recruiters and intel gatherers for SFTT. Check or Money order: Send to and make payable to: Soldiers For The Truth Foundation, PO Box 63840, Colorado Springs, CO 80962-3840. Important: Your donation is tax deductible! SFTT is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit educational foundation, IRS # 31-1592564. If you send us an E-MAIL address with your donation we can immediately mail you a RECEIPT. Multiple contributions: Please remind us when you submit your donation. We will send you a cumulative statement. Prepare for Action - "Crew Ready! - LOAD SABOT - DRIVER MOVE OUT!" R.W. Zimmermann President SFTT E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Zman Through Zman’s Gun Sight Green to Gold or Green to Broke? By R.W. (Zimm) Zimmermann President, Soldiers For The Truth SFTT Dateline USA - 4 April 2001 Note: Green to Gold is part of the Reserve Officer Training Program, that select enlisted personnel can apply for while on active duty. Once accepted, they are discharged until graduation. When it comes to supporting its prior enlisted troops, enrolled in the "Green to Gold" Reserve Officer Training (ROTC) Program, the US Army deserves a big "F" and I urge all concerned about "home growing" talented leadership, to examine how the program is funded and run. Ignoring the economic plight of the troops in the program, in favor of other priorities such as $10,000.00 rifles, tin cans on wheels and a $26 million beret contract, demonstrates that our political and military leaders still don’t believe that good people are the best remedy to the persisting readiness and morale crisis. I have corresponded with many enlisted troops in the Green to Gold program and what I’ve heard convinces me that something should be done. If the Rangers could command the attention of political leaders to preserve their beret with a march on Washington, maybe the patriotic young troops, who want to make a difference as future officers, should do the same to make the big wigs pay attention. Dan Crumby is a Green to Gold scholarship recipient at the University of Texas, El Paso, one of 277 colleges and universities that offer ROTC. A former military police sergeant with 4 years and 11 months of active duty, he decided that he could do more for his Army by becoming an officer. The Army acknowledged his vast experience and superb talents and sent him off to school. Now, Crumby, father of a five-year old daughter lives on $200.00 from a monthly stipend and $650.00 from his GI Bill. There are no other benefits like dental or medical care, PX/Commissary or a housing supplement. A recent dental visit for his daughter set him back $180.00. That doesn’t leave much for rent, groceries, rising energy costs and other expenses. Although the Army will benefit greatly from the experienced leadership of soldiers like Crumby, after they graduate from their respective degree programs, there isn’t much the service is doing for them as they struggle towards graduation. Crumby and many of his comrades are on their own and can barely make ends meet. Cadet Angel Nevarez, former paratroop NonCom and Stan Vinet, formerly a Corporal in Air Defense, also want to make an officer career of the military. Both find it hard to believe that their Army would expose them to bare economics survival, while other commissioning programs let candidates maintain military pay and standard benefits. They often wonder if they and their families can survive the economic challenges to successfully transition to the commissioned ranks. Nonetheless, they believe in the future, their abilities and struggle on. Whenever these enlisted ROTC cadets ask why they are treated this way, they are reminded that they volunteered. All of them acknowledge that as fact and don’t mind some hardships, but they’d prefer to be able to offer their families a bit more economic stability. I believe we shouldn’t treat our future young leaders this way. Soldiers who have already proven themselves as leaders and who are dedicated to returning to the Army as officers, should be paid at a determined administrative grade and deserve access to the same benefit packages as if they were still on active duty. Other commissioning programs, such as the Academies and Officer Candidate School, do offer better security. When I attended Officer Candidate School in 1980, I was immediately promoted from E4 to candidate E5 with full benefits until I was commissioned. As one of the cadets wrote me, many Green to Gold troops feel like orphans. Their Army gave them a small gift, while simultaneously slamming the door in their faces until graduation day. As we ponder the economics, we should recognize that there are great benefits to funding Green to Gold adequately. The Army is getting leaders who have proven themselves at the foxhole level and who want to stay for the long term. The cost benefit of Green to Gold could be higher than that for our Academy grads, who in growing numbers decide to pull the plug as soon as their mandatory service commitment is up. Many of the troops could have just quit the service and possibly have qualified for other scholarships and loans. Do we want them to look for other options? I ask our education focused President, the Congress and our military leaders to address the ‘Green to Gold" funding dilemma, to help our most outstanding enlisted troops exploit their unique talents and experience. © R.W. Zimmermann, LandserUSA [EMAIL PROTECTED] Note: This article is copyrighted by the author and requires his approval for other than newsletter further dissemination. HACK HACK’s Target For The Week _ Jerk This Perk By David Hackworth _ Ed.: Hack scores a direct hit with this attack on waste, fraud and abuse. Psst! Wanna visit exotic spots on a VIP jet? Sign up now and don't sweat the cost because there's no charge. Those blind suckers -- the U.S. taxpayers -- will be picking up the tab. Air Force Major Jim Hecker recently sent this message to every U.S. senator's office: "Just a reminder about the Air Force trip to Alaska and Hawaii ... We currently only have two people signed ... We will need 2-3 more people to sign up or will be forced to cancel ... This should be a great trip." The Pentagon moves tin filled with VIPs or wannabe VIPs with the same expertise as a private airline catering to the rich and famous. "You call, we haul in style" might as well be its motto. And if you don't call, the Pentagon will call you. But when this reporter tried to get the specifics on what's going on, all I got was the old Pentagon runaround. Finally, an Air Force officer blew me off with: "It's a Department of Defense issue. Check with them." I did find out that the USAF VIP air fleet has at least 130 aircraft, from Lear jets to Boeing 747s. The price tag for all this tin is about $1 billion -- the annual running cost and number of crew, maintenance and administrative supporters, or about what it takes to maintain a major Air Force combat unit. I asked a buddy in Kuwait about the VIP traffic that comes his way. He replied: "Over a 90-day period, we had over 40 DVs (distinguished visitors) -- secretaries, undersecretaries, congressmen and enough generals to fill a Greyhound bus. Today alone (29 March), we've had a four-star, a three-star and a two-star. The traffic always gets heavier at the end of the month ... so the top brass can get the tax break for being in a combat zone ..." The U.S. military's toys and boys have been cut by 40 percent since 1991. But the size of the VIP fleet remains unchanged. Not only has it remained fat, a Senate aide says, "It's been modernized with vigor." Major Hecker says, "The Air Force maintains and operates a variety of (VIP) aircraft to support peacetime and wartime requirements for the transportation of military and civilian leadership." Of course, we can't expect Dubya or other big shots to fly coach when conducting the people's business. VIP birds are also needed for senior COs to run their operations, high-level delegations doing official business -- which certainly should exclude hunting expeditions to Alaska or shopping trips to South Korea, two current options in this category -- and for diplomatic missions. For years, military and civilian brass and politicians have finagled trips on VIP planes when they should've flown commercial in the back of the bus. Not only do these boondoggles waste a lot of defense dough, they tie up air and maintenance crews who should be in operational squadrons. The size of the VIP fleet could easily be cut in half if such perks were zeroed out. Since the government has negotiated extensive discount airfares with the airlines, those travelers without genuine priority business should take advantage of these cheap tickets. And if their designation is a base some miles from the nearest civilian airport, these users and abusers should try Budget Rental. No way should they be chauffeured directly to bases in USAF VIP jets for routine stuff. In case you think our lawmakers don't know what's going on, think again. Remember, they're the very people being solicited and taken on irrelevant VIP free rides -- free for them, that is, not the taxpayer. Six years ago, a General Accounting Office study said to cut the fleet by half, but who's going to stop flying VIP Gold while the Major Heckers are out there hustling pleasure trips? Our troops could sure use the savings the Pentagon bank would get from gutting and cutting its VIP fleet. Right now, the Army's mighty 3rd Division is not combat-ready. Naval and Air Force aircraft are falling from the sky like January snow in Anchorage, and tactical aircrews are short-handed. If a billion bucks a year carved from the self-appointed privileged class went to the troops, it would go a fair way toward allowing our armed forces to do their primary job -- Defending America. David Hackworth's home page is at - http://www.hackworth.com Send mail to P.O. Box 5210, Greenwich, CT 06831. © 2001 David H. Hackworth. Distributed by King Features Syndicate Inc. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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