Why do I hate the Bush Administration?

[lookout123]

I still live near Ft. Carson and one of my friend's husband is an E7 with orders for Iraq. Now here's what I don't understand. She says the time of his deployment is pretty vague - he could go this month or next.

Mari - having now thought a little bit more about the subject a light bulb has gone off. things that i take for granted as making sense can indeed seem nefarious if you are indeed looking for the devil inside every Bush.

Do you remember the old saying "loose lips sink ships"? maybe the posters? the reality is that we are fighting an intelligent adaptable enemy. they know which US military units are designed for what type of mission. If they know when a specific unit is leaving a specific area they can make plans around that information. what the military has found in recent years is that sometimes the most sensitive info that can assist the enemy is sitting right out in the open. a flurry of phone calls, conversations in a city about the upcoming deployment, mentions of units and departures on bulletin boards...

savvy?

I'm one step ahead of you, Lookout! That's why I didn't really push the issue on the Army Times Board. If I were still connected with a member of the active duty military or on active duty myself, and someone came along asking all kinds of wierd questions about troop deployments, I'd be extremely cautious. Beyond a doubt, not making the times of troop deployments known is a good way of confusing the enemy. Whether it also serves to confuse a significant percentage of soldiers who would rather not go remains an open question. The lock down bit is what really gets me. Both times a million years ago when my Dad got sent to 'Nam, my Mom and I saw his plane off out of Peterson Airfield. I can remember being a little kid and crying buckets of tears and forlornly waving at the departing plane as if my Dad could still see me. The one reservist's wife confirmed that the men really do get put on lock down. What on earth for?

[lookout123]

most likely because they are not told for certain where they are going or exactly when until after the lock down period begins.

also, having a bit of time to wind yourself up while you are still in the US is a good idea. if you are still able to see the wife and kids you're mind is still in that mode. once they are separated one can get down to the business at hand.

Lookout, the first part of your reply is the best answer I've heard yet. I have been honestly puzzled by the lockdown thing every since Lisa told me about it, since it is completely foreign to what I experienced with my Dad growing up as an Army brat, lo those many years ago.

Lisa is very vehement about it being done to prevent troops from wriggling out of going over at the last minute. In reading the discussions over at Army Times and considering what you have said, my feeling at this point is that lockdown probably was set up to serve a variety of purposes. It keeps troop movements at least somewhat under wraps and may also serve to keep down pre-deployment attrition in the ranks. How serious a problem this attrition actually is remains an open question in my mind at this point. There seems to be no definitive answer, either way.

Never having served in the military, much less gone into a combat situation, I don't have the faintest idea about the second part of your response. You've been there, so I'll take your word on it.

[xoxoxoBruce]

It also prevents protesters from gathering at deployments.
In this day and age the troops are home one day and in danger the next day. Having a day or two to put on their war face ( ), makes sense.

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

...put on their war face ( )...

You don't scare me! Work on it!