United States Navy, Information Systems Technician 2nd Class(SW).
USCG Reserve, Law Enforcement Detachment(as an IT).....4 years.
Served 5 years out of Jacksonville, Fl. Did 3 deployments doing Counter-Drug Ops in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific basins. Did one additional counter-drug op deployment as a USCG law enforcement detachment.
I am a Veteran, but there are other Veterans that could use more assistance out there, specifically ones that have health issues and/or were medically discharged. I am thankful for the "free" college money I received, and would not ask for anything else.
Policy-wise, I would like to see a severe reduction in outsourcing the many facets of what our military does. Up until the Bush years, cooks, mailmen, administrative personnel, and other support-related duties were filled by US military members. Members that helped unit cohesiveness and morale and could be used as a backup defensive fighting force if ever needed. Our government now outsources many of these roles to such companies as Halliburton and Blackwater, where such personnel performing such services are paid as much as 5 times the amount a US Servicemen would be paid.......all on tax money at that. In addition, while not necessarily condemning all contractor employees, many of them simply go for the fat paycheck and avoid dangers that soldiers would otherwise have to go through.
