Defense Department spends $500 million to strike up the bands

[Swede]

WTF?

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, when discussing his plans to cut back overhead and excessive spending in the military, often makes the comparison that the number of people in military bands is larger than the number of State Department Foreign Service officers. He never indicated that the bands were heading for the budget chopping block, but when I wrote about them two weeks ago the defensive response was so great that I decided to take a second look at their cost.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/06/AR2010090603018.html

[Lint Head]

1. They just need a buglar to wake them up and play taps.

The rest is a waste.

[cleanhippie]

2. How much is spent on Chaplain programs.......

I would like to see that get cut first.

[USArmyParatrooper]

4. Why? Because you're not religious that means troops who are shouldn't have access?

Chaplains also provide more than just religious services. They're also trained counselors who are obliged to maintain confidence so troopers can confide in them if they have problems.

[IndianaGreen]

5. They are not supposed to proselytize, but fundie chaplains have broken the rules

Like that idiot that had his little swimming pool in Iraq that soldiers could use if they agreed to be baptized by him.

[USArmyParatrooper]

7. Elaborate on that one

Are you saying he would baptize troopers in his backyard pool? If that's all you mean what's wrong with that?

Also, I can't tell you how many Chaplains I've worked with and I have never had a single one try to push my religious views. Getting rid of Chaplains all together over the actions of a few makes no sense.

[IndianaGreen]

8. The pool was in the field, in Iraq.

And as to confidentiality, what chaplain has kept his mouth shut when there was a conflict with his job as an officer?

[USArmyParatrooper]

11. Do you have a link?

Because I'm still not getting the full picture. Did he have little portable pool brought in so he can baptize people? Was he using the swimming pool on a FOB?

"what chaplain has kept his mouth shut when there was a conflict with his job as an officer?"

I don't understand the question.

[IndianaGreen]

13. No, but it was posted in DU and discussed in 2003

Go to a fundie chaplain and tell him you feel that you are gay, and see how long it takes before they get your ass discharged.

[USArmyParatrooper]

14. Not sure about that one.

I'll ask the Chaplain's assistant what the rules are on that. I'm pretty sure they're still under obligation to maintain confidence. The only exception that I'm aware of is if you disclose you're going to harm yourself or others.

So what about the Chaplain baptizing troops did you disagree with?

[IndianaGreen]

16. The fact that in order to take a dip in the pool, soldiers had to agree to be baptized

The only pool in the desert!

[USArmyParatrooper]

17. Was it that the pool was only used for baptism, or only baptized troops can go swimming?

I couldn't find your story on Google. If it's the latter and the story is true then of course I disagree with it.

Nevertheless, individual incidences are not cause to get rid of the whole program.

[IndianaGreen]

18. Only baptized troops could go swimming

It was the British press that broke the story. The chaplain was actually bragging about it.

Chaplains are not supposed to proselytize, and the fundie ones are doing precisely that.

[cleanhippie]

10. No, its just that I think music is more important than that.

More important than religion. But hey, its just my opinion, YMMV.

[Hannah Bell]

19. A lot of those people are shock troops & moles for ultra-right fundies.

Like "the family".

They're not just nice little chaplains.

And it's ridiculous if there are more chaplains than state dept officers while the military is contracting out translation services to translators who aren't even competent.

[LibDemAlways]

3. I have a cousin whose husband played in both the

Coast Guard band and the West Point band for many years. He graduated from college as a music major and couldn't find steady work playing the trumpet. The military provided job security he would not otherwise have enjoyed. He's now retired with a good pension.

If my tax dollars have to go toward supporting the military, I'd like to think my portion goes toward paying the musicians. At least they aren't being ordered to kill anybody.

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. Twice the Budget that schools get in many large districts.

But the Band played on and the schools suffer.

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. Music Programs and Music Teachers are getting cut left and right

Across the USA especially in elementary where it is one of the most important pedagogic development for growth of right and left brain conjunctions, meanwhile 'the military bands play on'

[kentuck]

12. What a waste!

:mad:

[Swamp Rat]

15. MORE COWBELL!!!

less war, you asshole.

[kentuck]

20. Well, I guess if it is for our military..?

Then I guess it is alright?

Probably more than is spent on all the high school bands in America??