"We're keeping your safety deposit . . ."

[Judge Smails]

<p><strong>&quot;. . .You got a couple of dings in your Kevlar vest.&quot;</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A few weeks ago I posted <a href="http://www.ronfez.net/messageboard/viewmessages.cfm/Forum/87/Topic/56631/page/Anyone_happen_to_see__12_billion_laying_around_.ht m" target="_blank">THIS</a> story about how we sent $12 billion in cash to Iraq and then just lost it because we didn't have any plan to dole it out, or any means of tracking where it went.</p><p>It's nice to know that we're not always so wasteful, though.&nbsp; Just look how we're nickel and diming our soldiers: </p><h1><a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&amp;id=5074904" target="_blank">Vets charged for lost &amp; damaged gear</a></h1><p>Imagine fighting for your country in Iraq, risking life and limb, only to be billed for your lost or damaged uniform. That's what is happening to some soldiers returning from Iraq.</p><p align="center"><strong>*****</strong></p><p>This soldier got a bill for about $500 dollars for lost gear. Another soldier had to pay nearly $800 dollars for items such as trousers, a coat, a helmet which he lost during a year spent in some of Iraq's most dangerous towns. </p><p>&quot;Maybe you were lying down with a coat behind your head and you come under fire. Your first reaction isn't to grab coat fold it neatly and make sure it's properly stowed when you're being shot at,&quot; another soldier said. </p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[AgnosticJihad]

<p>This is what happens when every aspect of our operations in Iraq have been so thoroughly privatized. It kind of reminds me of when I used to work shitty-paying service jobs in high school and college: these jobs often force you to wear a uniform, but make you either buy it from the company or charge you a &quot;rental&quot; fee, and then make you pay out the ass if you return them damaged or withhold your final check until you return them. </p><p>As disgusting as this is, it should come as no surprise. Military uniforms are supplied by private corporations who undoubtedly charge the military ridiculous amounts of money for them. My mother actually works for a company that makes these uniforms. She showed me a catalog where civilians can order fatigues and other gear, and the prices are quite high. Given the amount of war profiteering that has been going on since TWOT began, I wouldn't be surprised if the amount paid by the military for these same uniforms is even higher.</p><p>Additionally, the military has a rather long history of treating soldiers like shit, so again, it shouldn't really come a surprise that soldiers are being charged for lost gear.</p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>So this is like when you turned your text books in at the end of the year and they'd charge you for damaged covers and ripped pages.</p><p>Gimmie a fucking break.&nbsp; Our government sucks.</p>

[Marc with a c]

<strong>Death Metal Moe</strong> wrote:<br /><p>So this is like when you turned your text books in at the end of the year and they'd charge you for damaged covers and ripped pages.</p><p>exactly like that.</p>

[AgnosticJihad]

<strong>Death Metal Moe</strong> wrote:<br /><p>So this is like when you turned your text books in at the end of the year and they'd charge you for damaged covers and ripped pages.</p><p>Gimmie a fucking break.&nbsp; Our government sucks.</p><p>Amen to that. </p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by AgnosticJihad on 2-28-07 @ 11:09 AM</span>

[FUNKMAN]

Nice Avatar

[AgnosticJihad]

I looked into this a little deeper. I talked to my cousin, whose husband is in Iraq. From what she says, this is quite likely. Apparently, soldiers are given a set number of uniforms to wear (not sure how many exactly), and they have to buy any additional ones. Thus, these soldiers must have lost the gear they were given. While it makes logical sense for a soldier who looses gear to just say it was a piece they payed for themselves, but if that is the only one you have, that won't work. Soldiers would then at least need to by new gear, if not pay to replace that which the military &quot;loaned&quot; them.