Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Act

August 2, 2007 By CJ
Posted in Guest Blogger, Life in the Military

The what Act?! That’s what I’m saying. Is there some other law in effect I don’t know about called the “Ensuring All Bills Are Rhythmically Named And Excessively Long and Redundant Naming Act”? This act is a piece of work too. It just passed the House, narrowly, with a 229-194 vote margin. And what does it do for us?

The law would require the services to guarantee troops as much time at home as they spend deployed. While this sounds all wonderful and hunky dory, I have to admit I’m opposed to it. As a Soldier, I think I can express my opposition to a bill meant to help me and my family out. As someone who has deployed and will do so again, I also feel qualified to feel this way. I also realize I’m not going to get a lot of support for my way of thinking on this.

You may recall that I wrote about my grandfather’s time in WWII as a gunner and togglier in a B-17. Back in WWII, and later in Vietnam, there was no such thing as this “stability and predictability” crap. What’s so predictable about the enemy? If they were predictable, we’d be done by now. I’m offended that politicians who haven’t served a day in uniform think that I’m not strong enough to handle a deployments to a combat zone. Have our Soldiers become so weak and whiny that we now need Congress to tell us how much combat is too much? I thought we were Army Strong? The Few and the Proud? Aiming High? and Full Speed Ahead? (forgive me if some of those slogans are out of date. You get my meaning).

Thankfully, the President has threatened to veto such a bill and he should. It’s not the right thing for our military, though I’m sure many family members would disagree with me. We’ve already softened up our fighters with PC basic training, the abolition of uniform standards, the watering down of our NCO Corps (in the Army) by promoting without leadership school, etc. Now, we’re going to be coddled with our deployments. I wonder if Al Qaeda has the same policy of pulling their fighters out and giving them downtime for each day spent in combat. Probably not since they usually get killed or blow themselves up before they get the chance.

The other problem is Congress is attempting to take away the power from the Commander in Chief and his officers to decide deployment schedules. National Guard members would be required to have three times as much time home as they are deployed. By law, it would impose specific deployment timelines and homestation dwell time. That’s not Congress’s job to manage. We have Generals who are grossly overpampered to make those decisions.

What happens if during a particular unit’s dwell time at home station, another emergency flares up and those troops are needed? Are we breaking the law if we use them? Do we just ignore the emergency since the law is quite clear about when a Soldier can deploy? Some on the Hill think it’s in our best interests because “our troops and their families are tired.” Hell, yeah, we’re tired, but that doesn’t mean we want to give up. Al Qaeda’s a lot more tired than we are and I kinda like it that way. Our exhaustion means that Americans get to be lazy and continue about their lives as if nothing is going on to ensure that their way of life isn’t altered the least bit. We Soldier on so that Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan can safely put others in danger with their bad driving. It’s important that we remain free.

One can tell that Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., has never served in the military nor does she any knowledge of how we work. “The Bush administration’s current strategy of multiple back-to-back deployments has stretched our military and is breaking our all-volunteer force,” she said. President Bush doesn’t decide who deploys, who doesn’t, and who does multiple back-to-back deployments. That’s the job of each individual service. If President Bush or Secretary Gates is the one deciding that the Marines deploy for nine months while the Army deploys for 15, I’m throwing up the BS flag!! But they DON’T!! The service Generals do!!

If I sound cynical and frustrated, I am. There are better things that Congress needs to be focusing on than how long my deployment is. How about fixing the tax code? Is Social Security already fixed? How about a bill to eliminate all the absurd toll roads on PUBLIC INTERSTATES here in the northeast!? I’m sure the border could use a lot more attention!! Come on, Congress! Get it together. Let us do our job or lace up your boots and get out here and do it for us.