Posted on Nov 11, 2014
SGT Sgt
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Just something I always wanted to know even before I joined.
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Responses: 17
Sgt Wayne Wood
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Because politicians write checks with their mouths that they cash with OUR collective ass.
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SFC George Smith
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it's not the Military... It's the Congress Critters, Sec State Sec Def, and POTUS that stick our noses in other peoples business...
All While they Sit Back here all Warm Dry, Comfy and Safe...
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Sgt Field Radio Operator
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SGT (Join to see) Politicians are responsible for that. The military goes where they are directed to go by our government.
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Maj John Bell
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The military is the nose. The government does the sticking.
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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SGT (Join to see) "Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die" - Alfred Lord Tennyson from "The Charge of the Light Brigade"
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SGT Sgt
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11 y
Can you explain this in your terms sir
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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SGT (Join to see) it will not be as great as Sir Alfred but basically we are the military and in this country the military takes orders from the people that are elected by the people. In our system we are not given the authority to decide what we will or will not do. We are given orders and we must follow them. We shall not try to reason why but merely focus our efforts at the assigned tasks.
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SGT Sgt
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Love the response sir makes since we are puppets they pull our strings
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
LTC (Join to see)
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SGT (Join to see) I would not say puppets. Puppets do not have a say at all. We signed up for this and knew what we were doing when we signed up. We can resign our commissions, go IRR, ETS, etc. as well as vote for who we trust to lead us.
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PO1 Disaster Survivor Assistance Specialist
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SGT (Join to see) I've always found that those that ask such a question actually have one (or more) particular incidents topmost on their minds. So...how about a few more specifics? You seem to be seeking specific answers but are only providing few particulars.
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PO1 Disaster Survivor Assistance Specialist
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I'm going on a limb here and assume the ebola mission is the one you're concerned about. First of all, the U.S. military is not interfering in the affairs of the countries involved heavily in the most recent ebola outbreak. In reality, the U.S. government is sending the USAMRID team and the "common" military personnel at the request of one or more (I believe all did request thru the UN) of the countries (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia) that are in the grips of the ebola hemmoragic situation. The countries involved have pretty well used up what medical / technical resources they had on hand and requested assitance of the entire world. The U.S. government is only one of several countries around the world that are sending aid. The U.S. is opting to send our best medical teams there to teach the local medical staff the proper methods to protect themselves and to provide medical supplies and equipment their own government does not have.

Of course, the question is: why? Simply answered: because it's the right thing to do. Will we put military personnel at risk? Yes. For every U.S. military servicemember put at risk there are hundreds of locals who do not have the advantage of a safe place to decontaminate, nor the equipment to do so, nor the medicines to treat those found to be affected. In many ways, this is a different type of battle. In common military combat, there's some sort of sign - big bangs, whizzing bullets, etc. With this disease, the enemy is invisible. Somehow that invisible enemy is scarier that actual combat to some.

Bottom line: we are not interfering. We are assisting a country that requested assistance from the world.
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SGT Sgt
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Thanks that's really helps I agree 100%. Answer I was hoping for
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PO1 Disaster Survivor Assistance Specialist
PO1 (Join to see)
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You're welcome. Sometimes what we military folks get stuck with just doesn't make sense. Sometimes our bosses forget that the lowly enlisted don't get the detailed briefings .... we just get orders to pack 'em up, move 'em out!
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SGT Sgt
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Exactly I like the way you talk remind me of my dad your awesome
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CW5 Sam R. Baker
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Montgomery basically covered it verbatim of what I was going to say. The military never gets permission to go on an expedition themselves. It is the political and intelligence arms that develop criteria and reasons for us to deploy or invade a country. Now that state sponsored military action is less common and the threat is individual terrorism, it is hard to know which country we will find ourselves in. Technically we are not a humanitarian force but have more than our fair share. After 12 years of supporting and conducting these operations, I think most military are ready for a total defense reset.
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