Just got back yesterday. Red-spot on with the civilians. Unbelievable the number of contracted and DOD civilians in a place like BAF. I saw all manner of lunacy, wastefulness and flat laziness. A person could get fired from their job, stay there, and no one would know the difference. Amazing they cut street lights on post at night, yet continue to fund a severely bloated civilian workforce abroad. It looked as if they outnumbered military or were at least equal to on every COP and FOB I visited. And I have my own theories on where locally contracted equipment and personnel funding is actually going, at least a significant percentage of the money.
Wow, how did I miss this thread? Winston, you promised more in the succeeding days, I'm waiting! You made some great points. The rules for your OP pretty much sum up what is wrong with congress. They are out to protect their turf (whether R/D turf or turf as in individual districts and pork projects back home). Until Congress, and the people in this country, decide to compromise and do what is good for the country and not what is good for them personally, very little will change and our kids and grand kids will foot the bill. Alfred, I'd like to hear those theories you speak of.
Kyle, you would have to press me on that one, wouldn't you. Let's just say what we call corruption, they call normal. They all may not like it, but it's just the way it is. Use of roads, for example - there's always a tax alongside the way payable to the ANA or AUP folks manning a checkpoint. If one owns a business, he's extorted a certain % of his profit to the tribe, or pays directly to the tribe if he's family. The US pays ungodly amounts of $ to local contract services and equipment, which are then funneled right back to the same tribes under the influence of HQ. So, in essence, the US is partly funding the shitheads we're fighting. No one I talked to wanted to flat out make that claim, only conceded possibly a small percentage gets funneled back to HQ indirectly. I think it's much deeper. Just my take on it.
