Posted on Jan 20, 2015
What is your take, on the decline of our Military presence, around Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, over the past 40 years?
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I've noticed that over the past 40 years, the military presence, in the Caribbean, specifically the US Virgin Islands, has declined sharply. The islands would benefit, in the past, through the St Thomas Sub Base, or larger vessels, that did port calls, at the different islands. It seems tough to convince cruise ship lines, to stop at some of the islands, when even the military won't anymore. I'm just wondering if the doors open up in Cuba, what will happen to my Caribbean homeland?
Cuba
Posted 11 y ago
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From the naval perspective, once Vieques was closed (upon the urging of people who didn't rely on the Navy for their livelihood and who didn't even live on the island) NS Roosevelt Roads was destined to close. We still do have ships in 4th Fleet conducting CD OPS with the USCG and C4F still is conducting Southern Partnership cruises to Central and South America.
Personally, I loved Rosie Roads. It was a great base with great facilities and beaches. Don's Lighthouse was always a great place to grab a cocktail.
Personally, I loved Rosie Roads. It was a great base with great facilities and beaches. Don's Lighthouse was always a great place to grab a cocktail.
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SPC Joseph F Dolloff
My point is, that the ships don't even do shore leave in the USVI anymore. I'm sure they're stopping at other non-US islands instead.
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I would spend at least three weeks a year in Puerto Rico flying missions out of Muniz and no they are slim to none. I miss those days.
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I was stationed at Fort Buchanan Puerto Rico for the last three years. If you have some free time Google the battle of Vieques. Essentially a vocal anti-U.S. minority (the Green Party) under the guise of environmentalism lobbied to get the Navy to give up the training area on the island of Vieques. Without the Vieques training center it was not viable for the Navy to maintain a presence in the Caribbean. So along with the Vieques training center The Navy also closed Roosevelt roads the then largest military installation in the Caribbean. There is still a fairly large reserve force in the Caribbean The first mission support command.
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SPC Joseph F Dolloff
Could you clarify, what is a waste of tax payer dollars? Protecting our waters, and our boarders? Or, should we be spending those dollars in the Middle East?
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SFC Nikhil Kumra
SPC Joseph F Dolloff - This year we are projected to spend roughly $100 billion on US military bases, facilities maintenace, construction, etc., over 30% of that is on domestic military base spending. Our military is still over capacity of our peace time reduction in force goals - so as we reduce our forces from the past 12 years (this isn't a right or wrong/just a matter of fact thing that happens after ever major war), we are not caught up on the amount of excess real estate we're utilizing. The number if I'm not mistaken is around 20% - basically 20% of our base space is "wasted"... nothing is happening with it.
With that, just as it is a waste to spend in the middle east, it is just as much, if not more of a waste to continue to spend on Cold War Era protection... Cuba is not, nor I would argue that it has never really been much of a threat after the cold war - our Embargo will eventually be gone (hopefully sooner than later - as it's simply been useless protectionism and political pandering to keep it)... Russia will always be a pain in the ass, but it's in their best interest to not cause the mutually assured destruction of the world by doing anything extremely stupid... There's really no reason for it, nor do we absolutely NEED Puerto Rico to be yet another place for our military. Between Puerto Rico and Florida, there's no added benefit in prevention of an attack.
If the argument is about border security, then I really would like to see how much cost savings it would be just to hire more civilian border patrol agents rather than using our military. Let's be honest, we as a nation have always done an AWFUL job at border security. How in the world aren't we at least walled up with cameras - the wealthiest nation in human history cannot build a wall and put some nice HD cameras across several thousands of miles? We can't "afford" to spend $$ on border patrol agents who we don't need to house, build KBR tents for, or give BAH to? We can't put one literally every 10 feet on our border and have them pull guard each day? Nonsense...
We need to give our military a little break, get them retrained, built up stronger, more cost effective (with value added), and quite wasting blood and treasure on nonsense.
Puerto Rico in 2015 is a waste of tax payer dollars..
With that, just as it is a waste to spend in the middle east, it is just as much, if not more of a waste to continue to spend on Cold War Era protection... Cuba is not, nor I would argue that it has never really been much of a threat after the cold war - our Embargo will eventually be gone (hopefully sooner than later - as it's simply been useless protectionism and political pandering to keep it)... Russia will always be a pain in the ass, but it's in their best interest to not cause the mutually assured destruction of the world by doing anything extremely stupid... There's really no reason for it, nor do we absolutely NEED Puerto Rico to be yet another place for our military. Between Puerto Rico and Florida, there's no added benefit in prevention of an attack.
If the argument is about border security, then I really would like to see how much cost savings it would be just to hire more civilian border patrol agents rather than using our military. Let's be honest, we as a nation have always done an AWFUL job at border security. How in the world aren't we at least walled up with cameras - the wealthiest nation in human history cannot build a wall and put some nice HD cameras across several thousands of miles? We can't "afford" to spend $$ on border patrol agents who we don't need to house, build KBR tents for, or give BAH to? We can't put one literally every 10 feet on our border and have them pull guard each day? Nonsense...
We need to give our military a little break, get them retrained, built up stronger, more cost effective (with value added), and quite wasting blood and treasure on nonsense.
Puerto Rico in 2015 is a waste of tax payer dollars..
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SFC Nikhil Kumra
SPC Joseph F Dolloff Think of it this way - 46% of federal tax revenue comes from income tax. Of the country's revenue, 65% goes to what is called "Manditory Spending", which 55% of that goes to "Military Spending"... basically all of the federal tax that gets taken out of your check, about 17% of that goes to military spending. Say you make $65,000, and 25% comes out of your check in federal income tax, after it's all said and done, about $500 is coming out of your annual income, for absolutely NO reason. That's a lot of money - think about it, you spend TWO ENTIRE DAYS of your life working a full day - for absolute FREE. You're getting paid, but the IRS is taking $500 from you. Now imagine you make $38,000, and you're in the same bracket - You've worked 3 FULL DAYS OF WORK just to pay for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT ALL.
Does that not sicken you? I know I work VERY HARD for my keep. And I know that losing entire days of income for absolutely no reason does not serve me any purpose, and absolutely does not provide me with any additional security in my life.
Does that not sicken you? I know I work VERY HARD for my keep. And I know that losing entire days of income for absolutely no reason does not serve me any purpose, and absolutely does not provide me with any additional security in my life.
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SFC Nikhil Kumra
CPT Michael Barden - that's exactly my point. It's NOT sustaining our fighting force. Take the money from my check and give it to a young E-2 who can't support his family on his check. I don't mind at all. But what I'm talking about is a flat out, blatent waste of allocated dollars - it's theft - and that $500 x the American workforce --- that's A LOT of dollars that could go into your income as a service member.
Also, giving up food stamps and "free" community college, or allocating dollars to empty military bases - is not a choice. Both are happening to you either way - I guess I don't understand how you are okay with your income being taken from you for absolutely no reason? You're not safer for it.
Haha, and don't get me started on the welfare problem! OMG awful!
Also, giving up food stamps and "free" community college, or allocating dollars to empty military bases - is not a choice. Both are happening to you either way - I guess I don't understand how you are okay with your income being taken from you for absolutely no reason? You're not safer for it.
Haha, and don't get me started on the welfare problem! OMG awful!
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