What are some of your ideas to help America?

SSgt Jerry DeLaney — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 12:41:33 -0400

If some of our political leaders and influential Americans read or monitor this forum, lets post some ideas we've had and see if they can get some attention.
I have long thought that we should refurbish some decommissioned aircraft carriers into a "Humanitarian Fleet", replacing maintenance shops, hanger space, parts storage areas, etc. with small, "dorm room" style living space for people from natural disaster areas (eg: hurricane katrina victims, tsunami survivors, etc.). They already have a chow hall, and hospital. This "Humanitarian Fleet", if the ships are non-nuclear, could be donated to a civilian group such as the red cross who would then need to hire a few hundred people to operate the ships, provide services (eg: security, food service, medical staff), and maintain the ships.
Perhaps some of our, very well off, activist/philanthropists could help financial support such a venture (I know... fat chance.). That's my thought, what's yours.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Jul 22 at 2016 12:43 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 12:43:20 -0400

Thanks for sharing an iconic picture to go along with your post SSgt Jerry DeLaney.
The biggest issue with using any decommissioned aircraft carrier is the tremendous maintenance cost to keep it fully functional.
Starting with a helicopter carrier would probably make more sense, since helicopters tend to be more useful in recovery operations and humanitarian operations.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 22 at 2016 12:43 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 12:43:33 -0400

Create jobs running the floating shelters great idea SSgt Jerry DeLaney

Response by Alan K. made Jul 22 at 2016 1:17 PM

Alan K. — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 13:17:38 -0400

One heck of an Idea SSgt.....Maybe some form of advertising space could get it off the ground. Like $1M a logo (limited in size, unless it's a B instead of an M) on the ship. Just a thought. Now I'll give some thought for my own.

Response by Tyra Lynne Wahl made Jul 22 at 2016 1:21 PM

Tyra Lynne Wahl — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 13:21:42 -0400

Do we have any modern carriers in mothball that aren't nuclear and capable of doing a humanitarian mission? I know the Midway, Forrestal, and Kitty Hawk classes were conventionally fueled, but everything that is serving now in the Nimitz class is nuclear. But either way.... nice idea.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jul 22 at 2016 1:29 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 13:29:12 -0400

The two hospital ships we have in the RRF can be used for the purposes you mentioned for your re-commissioned aircraft carriers. Photo of the Comfort included; the Mercy is almost identical. The Comfort and Mercy are converted container ships. They have supported humanitarian and disaster relief missions in the past. If the US wants to expand this capability, we could more cheaply purchase a couple of out-of-date passenger liners or even break-bulk cargo ships and refit them for humanitarian missions.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 22 at 2016 4:39 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 16:39:01 -0400

What is the length of that Aircraft Carrier? That is an amazing picture!

Response by MCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 22 at 2016 4:45 PM

MCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 16:45:34 -0400

The best way is to just GET INVOLVED with this nation. No, while I support the idea, you don't have to join the military - just get involved with a cause with a group with an organization or movement. Do more than just "waste your time" to go vote every couple of years. Politics doesn't matter - you can work with a religious organization or a humanist organization - it doesn't matter either. Just get off your lazy ass and DO SOMETHING instead of sitting on the couch and claiming to be a victim of whatever evils you see out there.

Help with disaster relief - the Red Cross and other organizations need help all the time!

Just DO IT!

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jul 22 at 2016 5:27 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 17:27:14 -0400

I like MCPO Private RallyPoint Member's idea. I would go further and say all citizens should be required to do 2 years of national service. Military service would count of course. Peace corps and Americorps type service would count also. Probably would need some original thinking to find beneficial work for all of the available labor force. At least most people would understand service to the nation.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Jul 22 at 2016 11:38 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 23:38:22 -0400

Some Great Outside the Box Thinking. Better Idea than just leaving them up in Brermerton to turn into Giant Rusticles.

Response by SFC Pete Kain made Jul 23 at 2016 1:04 AM

SFC Pete Kain — Sat, 23 Jul 2016 01:04:16 -0400

Why.. Just why would or should we foot the bill. Many Nations that need help hate us and would love to see us go down.
Here's a radicle idea....AMERICA FIRST.
Nice thought but the cost of maintaining it will doom the idea.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Jul 23 at 2016 11:23 AM

SN Greg Wright — Sat, 23 Jul 2016 11:23:17 -0400

I don't think we have any non-nuclear carriers sitting around anymore.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 15 at 2018 5:13 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 17:13:33 -0500

Here's the list (some may be humorous but would be nice to have):
1) No jury duty after completing your 8 years federal service.
2) Amendment 28 - term limits for Congress and if there is not a balanced budget all sitting members are ineligible for reelection.
3) Controls on the media
4) the President shall have served honorably in a branch of the military/USCG
5) there's a legal way to enter the country, if you don't come in legally you will be deported - to the climatologically and lingusitcally opposite country you came from
6) Make NATO members pay their dues
7) Change HIPAA to talk to firearm background checks
8) Make public universities free to state residents
9) universal healthcare - but a working system, not that mistake we tried
10) give the military the best equipment - not the cheapest
11) There's a difference between religious freedom and religious complete untouchability - if they want a say in laws and politics they need to pay taxes
12) No income tax for military members
13) Get rid of Social Security - people live too long to use it and soon enough we'll never see it by the time we're eligible
14) Create a "monitor" for Congress that enforces them to do their jobs, eliminating the huge breaks they get for the harvest they don't have anymore, eliminate the filibuster, and make them stay in the room until an agreement is made
15) stop letting California run the country, their laws should not apply to those who don't live there
16) more nuclear power!!! its safe as can be, stop being scared.
17) legalize marijuana...and tax the crap out of it, give it same rules as alcohol. Tide pods have killed more people than weed has.
18) concentrate a little more on ourselves and less on everyone else, they're sovereign nations too, sure they may have some different ideals and we may mean well, but you can't fix everything in the world immediately, let's worry more about feeding Africa before caring if Palau has a civil war.
19) stop borrowing money from the federal reserve, kind of ridiculous to automatically owe more than there is. We're a country, why do we have to borrow from a bank? Change the Constitution to allow printing and not just coining of money....we've changed it before. It's not written in stone.
20) Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, etc... either you're a state or you're not. It's been long enough. "Territory status" should be like a 5 year thing, then decide in or out.

Yes, much of this is my personal opinion but I feel it could get us on the right track and plug some leaks....even the funny ones.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Feb 16 at 2018 11:38 AM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 11:38:47 -0500

This may sound opposite of what others are thinking, one decrease defense spending, it is bloated and wasteful. Do we need so many Aircraft carriers? I would argue in todays environment of missiles and subs, the bomb magnet needs to be phased out.

Reinvest into education, not just to prep kids for college, but for trades schools as well. Reinforce the border and streamline the process to return people. Improve healthcare by taking control of it. We have a process for healthcare right now that has so many different scales of payments, that if you walked into a the CEO of Say Kaiser or Tenet, asked him or her what a procedure costs, they could not tell you. Our current Healthcare system is bloated beyond being bloated, yet some common sense items like billing for nursing care is not allowed. Start making it allowed.

Stream line the tax system, beyond what is going to be. My fiancé and I both have Masters Degree's in Sciences, and damned if we can figure out the tax system. There should be no reason why you need a CPA to do your taxes, it should be straight process.

Streamline the child support system, fix child support to a payroll deduction that is tied to the parent who has to pay the support. Next child support should be determined to be a percentage of the income, as the parent goes up or down in life it should be automatically adjusted. No more reason for parents to go back to court to get increases or decreases.

Congress, all of their pay and incentives are tied to what other federal employees get, or don't get. If a member of congress is caught doing something illegal, forfeiture of all pay and allowances for life from the Feds.