This is as low as it gets

[brandonbull]

the billions stolen by Haliburton is a lot harder to recover. they can afford to spend the money to fight the government in court.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Originally posted by: brandonbull
the billions stolen by Haliburton is a lot harder to recover. they can afford to spend the money to fight the government in court.

I wasn't really trying to make that argument - just a tongue-in-cheek statement.

This smells more like bureaucratic process-worship than actual malignant intent.

Which might actually make it more damaging and upsetting.

 

[Bitek]

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie

And there's no recourse for him to go beyond his CO. That is the army's fault, sorry.

Yes, there is. Its called teh chain of command. The newspapers are not part of the chain of command. I'm not saying that he's at fault, but he could have fought harder.

(I'm aware that he should be able to go to his CO's CO).

The article doesn't make it entirely clear where his attempts ended, and when he just paid the money to get out. It certainly appears he was stonewalled, and was going to spend a rather exorbinant amount of time trying to get back his $700. The fact that there used to be a procedure that would have solved this quickly, and now there isn't is suspicious.

I mean, I know there are billions of dollars unaccounted for in Iraq, but I don't think it's being stolen by enlisted men

You would have an easier time calling the IRS to ask for a tax cut. Our experience with the Army has been a nightmare. There are procedures in place, but like any other branch of the government, they are highly bureaucratic, inflexible and not amenable to getting the neccessary actions accomplished when they really need to be.

Does anyone really think just because this is the military they will not function like the DMV or any other bureaucratically ruled agency? The immensity of the military makes the DMV pale in comparison and complexity.

What happens when things break down, or in our case, the soldier is incompacitated? Nobody becomes accountable, nobody can do anything, and they just hand you off to someone else to take care of the problem, who only does the same thing in turn. You have some people back in the states, COs in the field, new people getting shot up everyday, and its next to impossible to be able to really communicate with anyone. You have fellow soldiers trying to help over there, but they are busy fighting a war and have thier own troubles. Meanwhile the family stateside is lost in shock, confusion and despair.

They may be good people, the the system is slow and inefficient and not helpful for families when they are in the most need and deserving of help.

 

[brandonbull]

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie

Originally posted by: brandonbull
the billions stolen by Haliburton is a lot harder to recover. they can afford to spend the money to fight the government in court.

I wasn't really trying to make that argument - just a tongue-in-cheek statement.

This smells more like bureaucratic process-worship than actual malignant intent.

Which might actually make it more damaging and upsetting.

My opinion of the military is that it is a union with guns. "That ain't my job"