If Our Troops are the "Finest in the World", Why are They not Good Enough to Provide Security for American Generals, Diplomats, and Politicians?

posted by Bill Arnett @ 1:11 PM Permalink

This is a question that has long bothered me. As a former military man I absolutely agree that before bush/cheney fractured it with extended and repeated tours of duty, lack of personnel and equipment, and engaging our troops in another country's civil war, America did indeed have the most formidable fighting force on earth. Thanks to bush and his reckless and feckless policies our military is a mere shadow of it's former entity, but the individual soldiers that serve are indeed still the best.

That being said, why is the protection of American general officers, diplomats, and politicians being handled by a private security concern, Blackwater Security, and one that lures away our very best special forces troops with exorbitant salaries at that?

Like, what? American troops are plenty good enough to be sent off to fight this foolish war for oil while being under all the conditions listed above, but not good enough to provide security for so-called VIPs? The American government is paying dearly for the privilege of mercenary protection for upper-level government officials, and that money is coming directly out of the pockets of us all: very scarce tax dollars that would be saved if the military protected their own generals, diplomats, and politicians.

This insult to our troops and further pillaging of our treasury really bothers me. If I were a general that could not count on his own troops to provide for his safety, I would view my career as a complete failure for having failed to ensure the proper training for such duties, and for not having real, demonstrated faith in our troops.

Someone needs to ask why the US Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines are not doing this job.

Labels: Bush, cheney, corporate greed, foreign policy, Iraq, military