Re: Afghans vent fury over Koran burning, U.S. apologizes
You would certainly know how military folk feel better than I would, but I think those feelings are not based on facts. As a factual matter, Democrats consistently supported measures to benefit the troops more than Bush and the Republicans, from pay raises, to the GI bill, to VA funding, to shorter deployments, and all down the line. Of course Bush said all the right things and never passed up a photo op, but in terms of what he actually DID I think he treated the troops like dog ****.
I respectfully disagree, for a few reasons.
1) I served when Clinton was POTUS. Holy crap were we poor. I had to duct tape my
Vietnam eraflak jacket closed, we could only afford to take half of my unit out to train because we didn't have enough rounds to train the other half, and we ended up buying half of the equipment we needed (shovels, axes, duct tape, etc) with our own money so we could train at all. Clinton did NOTHING for the military. It is the main reason I've always resented him. That, and I was in port with the USS Cole the day before it got hit and he didn't do anything about it.
2) While Bush was POTUS, like I said, he did deploy us heavily. However, he did a lot to help us as well. Sure, the deployments sucked. But the good things he did will be around long after the deployments stop. The best example is the Post 9/11 GI Bill. He did oppose it at first, but, the stipulation he campaigned for and received is what made it great. The transferability of benefits to a spouse or child. My son can go to college now because of Bush. I had no chance in **** of sending him before that.
3) His pay increases were sane. A lot of Dems wanted more pay increases. We didn't. Why would we want less money? Because it brings "mercenaries" in, as we call them. A lot of guys were re-enlisting and staying in during the WOT timeframe because of bonuses and benefits. Guys like me, who will be around when this stuff stops, don't like people that come in for money. Its not why an individual should serve. Sure, its nice to get more money and better benefits, but if thats the reason a guy is staying in, he's got his priorities in the wrong order.
Finally, its the give a crap factor. I know a lot people don't understand it, but when you have a POTUS who cares, who trumpets the military's accomplishments the way Bush did, it means something to us. Obama just doesn't do that. Sure, he trumpets the Navy SEALs or Dakota Meyer, but they're easy to cheer for. What about the regular grunts slugging it out everyday with no glamour? Nope, nothing for us.