Ferry Trips Ferry Pilots Articles Editorial Finance Links Videos Email Home July 30, 2007 Ignoring Clint Eastwood's advice in "Dirty Harry" that opinions, like certain body parts, are best kept to yourself. U.S. Army launches new advertising campaign: TV ads encourage parents to have kids sign-up for the Army With enlistments down, as American youth wise-up and realize the Army free college tuition plan may include a no-charge body bag, the Army has come up with a new ad campaign. Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about joining the army. For help in convincing the kids, the army has lots of useful hints on their website at www.goarmy.com. Click "For Parents" on the menu. This is the latest of many tactics to increase enlistment. Since our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, the maximum age was increased to encourage older men and women to join. And, retired military are encouraged to come back with an abbreviated boot-camp session at their former rank and pay scale. To maintain troop levels, enlistments have been involuntarily extended, keeping soldiers in harms-way much longer than they anticipated. This is still a volunteer army, and while the idea of reinstituting the draft comes up for discussion, it probably isn't going to happen, at least not under the current administration. I was drafted for Vietnam in 1964, but failed the physical, so I've tried to keep somewhat out-of-shape ever since. The draft is considered by many to be a major reason we got out of Vietnam, once the sons of middle and high-income America started to be called, the pressure was on to end the war. The same thing would happen today. Only two members of Congress have sons serving in Iraq, and I'm pretty-sure that few soldiers serving are closely related to the Captains of Industry. Anyone with a job and career going for them isn't going to enlist. There are, of course, exceptions, like the late Pat Tillman, who gave up a promising career in professional football, and ultimately his life. The pressure is on for George Bush to admit our involvement in Iraq was a big mistake, but he isn't going to do that. With less than 18 months to serve, he'd like to leave office with enough popularity to get his half-billion dollar library ( that's a lot of copies of "My Pet Goat" ) and let the next occupant of the Oval Office solve the problem. Our Exit Plan from Iraq seems to include construction of up to 20 permanent military bases, with a new forified U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that is bigger than the Vatican. Are our sons and daughters really coming home anytime soon? Global Air Aviation Referral Service I welcome responses, and will be glad to post them here. Email your remarks to ron@global-air.com Hi Ron, That was a great article "U.S. Army launches new advertising campaign". It makes me wonder why the Army would approve of an ad like that? We all know, without our military, the men and woman who have volunteered to serve our country we would not be able to enjoy the freedoms we still have, but our freedoms are being changed and challenged every day. The saying, "America, The land of the free and the home of the brave could be changed too, America, The land of the free BECAUSE of the brave. We all know that we owe a dept to the brave men and woman who have fought in the past to keep us all free. But let's think about WHY the army would approve of such a phony ad to try and suck in our young thru their parents. Are the leaders of our country that desperate for numbers? Are they trying to avoid starting the draft? Do they think we Americans are so stupid? I'd say yes to all the above. This great country and the whole world are being controlled by BIG BUSINESS. Who makes the most money during a war? Big business, they sell the weapons to destroy and then make more money to rebuild what was destroyed. They don't care about the human race, they don't care how many lives are lost on ether side, they only look at the bottom line. It's called GREED at any cost. It's the Bushes, Chanteys, Clintons, and all the other POWER hungry leaders who are bought and paid for by big money. We are fighting a war that will go on forever. These people have been fighting amoungst themselves for thousands of years. How do we fight terrorists without becoming terrotists ourselves? These people love to kill and use religion to do it. They want to kill everyone that don't believe their way. Greed (Corporate America) loves the terrorists, because they (Corporate America) make the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and because greed is in control. Are you aware that America has almost as many civilian contractors in Iraq as we do military personnel. According to a recent report, there are more than 100,000 civilian contractors currently working in Iraq. When are WE, the American people going to wake up and demand a fair election? It doesn't matter what party wins in the next election because the are all bought, owned, and paid for by the greedy Big Businesses that is Corporate America. Keep up the good editorials, Jim I. - Minnesota Hey Ron, I appreciate your view and all of us are entitled to each ones own view of the Iraqi situation. I believe that Bushes push into Iraq may have been fueled by the fact his father did not finish the job (the 100 hour war). I also believe our CIA underestimated what was there for lethal weapons. However, I believe we as a country must not retreat from terrorism and now that our troops are in Afganistan as well as Iraq, the Iranian government as well as who knows what other countries are trying to undermine our efforts to reclaim and instill some type of order and government in both of these countries. The Bush administration may have gone about it once there, the wrong way, as to how order should be reinstated. We all know and realize in any given business ones buisiness is only as good as the people are that work or run the business so in this case I think the people that were in charge of restoring order via government and politics in a foreign country were over there head. With that said, We as a country that stands for freedom of everything cannot run from this conflict nor can we pull out prematurely we must finish the job. Which in my eyes states find the strongest leader in the country that holds as close to the same values as us and back them like we did with the shaw of Iran- The main objectives for the US is clear: restore order, back a government that is an ally for the US, Dont give in or pull out too soon so as to let the Iranians have Iraq. I agree with one of your other posters- We must not come back with out a victory and we must not let Iran have Iraq as it will imboden the Alquieda and its followers. Now is the time for us as a country to stand with our troops and not undermine there efforts. I have a daughter who is 23 in September- she is going back to Iraq for a 2nd time .I am scared as hell that she may not come back as the last time she was in the watch tower stationed in Bachuba(spelling?) when they had a bomber come through the gate and push the button once inside the gate all in the name of Allah. So we must be careful as we are actually fighting a enemy that is not easiily spotted trying to bring peace bck to the people of another country that needed freedom and we are fighting Iranian supported Alqueida all in the name of Allah (in their eyes a holy war) thats a tough place for us to be no matter how you slice it. WE MUST SUPPORT OUR TROOPS TO FINISH THIS -ONCE FINISHED LETS GET THE HELL OUT-BUT WE HAVE TO FINISH THE JOB OR ALL THE OTHERS WHO HAVE FOUGHT SO BRAVELY AND LOST THEIR LIVES WILL HAVE BEEN FOR NOTHING. David S. - Montana Hey Ron, Just wanted to say I really liked the letter, and I look forward to reading more. Does Global Air serve as a site for regular columns by you? Thanks Thom Little www.littlethomsblog.blogspot.com I have read the piece you published concerning the war. You attempt to present it as an attack on the volunteer army, but actually it is only another stale attempt to discredit the effort going on in the mid-east. You and your fellow belittlers seem to think that if we pull out, the problem will go away, as if by magic. A sort of "Peace in our time" type concept. It would serve you well to do some hard thinking on the issue of global terrorism. Bringing our troops home with their tail between our legs will only serve to embolden the forces that seek to wipe us from the face of the earth. It certainly would not convince them to stop being terrorists. And the Iranians would appreciate the gift of a monopoly on a lot of oil. D.R. - Int'l Falls, MN Ron, I do agree that Iraq was a mistake as we should have stayed in just Aftganistan, and finished the job there. However with Congress and the next president obvouisly being a demacrat who will pull us out of Iraq. I would still like to see the Iraq war end. President Bush should just tell the Iraqi Government you have until October to take control. We have given them enough time already and they do not seem to want to take control. Instead opting to do the opposite and try t okeep us there as long as possible. For the Iraqi government is afraid to make its people pull their noses out of a book and get with the rest of the world. That is the major problem over there as well as across the middle east and any country where the majority of the population is Muslim. We see it everyday from Pakistan to Indonesia to Malaysia to Libya. General Macarthur did in WOrld War II what we need to do now, however nobody in America has the guts to do it. During World War II there was an Uprising among the muslims in the Philippines. They wanted the southern islands of the Philippines to be its own country and ruled by Shiara Law. And were doing the same things that Insurgents and Terrorists are doing now, killing innocent people. Macarthur took 20 captured muslims. executed 19 and let the 20th one watch. after executing them. He had the bodies covered in pigs blood. He then told the 20th one, to tell all what he had seen, and if they continue to fight. Then they would all end up like that. After he let the 20th one go, the Muslims stopped. Thats something that needs to be done today unfortunately (Name Withheld by request) Most Recent Editorial Recent Global Air Links: Ferry Trips | Ferry Pilots |Articles | Editorials | Aviation Links | Financing | Videos | Home For more information, call us at 763-389-9399. Specifications are based upon owner's representations and subject to buyer's verification. Aircraft are subject to prior sale or removal from market. Occasionally, registration numbers on photos may be altered or removed to protect the privacy of the owner, and to ensure that buyers will work with us to complete the purchase.