[Peace-discuss] Re: [Wefta] military recruitment on WEFT (!)

[bill]

For info on the value of military training and educational assistance see
www.join-snafu.org.

I knew a Laborer who was an Air Force jet mechanic.  He was a Laborer
because he would have to retrain and be certified to work on civilian
aircraft.  Another veteran who taught auto mechanics for two years in
Germany told me that Parkland wouldn't hire him until he earned a master's
degree.

Anyway, the benefits of military service are irrelevant if the PSA contains
the call to action.

Bill Gorrell
Proud to have never been a killbot for capitalists

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Dlind49 at aol.com>
To: <laborer at bement.net>; <madder_lake at yahoo.com>;
<wefta at lists.cu.groogroo.com>; <jwason at prairienet.org>
Cc: <peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2003 9:50 AM
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Re: [Wefta] military recruitment on WEFT (!)


> and this is not accurate.   Military education in the form of technical
> training has provided excellent education for individuals who would not
have
> received it otherwise.  Although with airman, sailors, marines, and
soldiers are
> engaged in active combat  the public focus is on combat, technical
training for
> combat support and combat support jobs is more prevalent.  Very few actual
> warriors are assigned to combat military occupational specialities.  While
all
> warroirs must be proficient in combat tactics or survival skills, the
majority
> are in technical support areas for which military education is very good
and
> does provide individuals with marketable skills.  That has been the proven
> history of military service and military education. Even quick review of
the
> technical education curriculum for various occupational specialities
across the
> military services shows the benefits of the education programs that are in
place.
> As to the GI bill; our nation's 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's  economic
> gains were in part due to the use of the GI bill by individuals who were
out,
> discharged, and still in the military to complete post secondary education
> programs.  My own academic education though my Ph.D. was paid for and
completed in
> large part on my scholarships awarded my own military service in two wars.
In
> Illinois you earn free college education through tuition waivers at all
state
> schools in addition to the GI bill benefits.  That is why individuals
enlist and
> continue to enlist. It is from an academic and educational analysis a very
> good benefit. However, when they have to go to war or are called up for
other
> military duty they are suprised.  Now, the moral and ethical
considerations are
> very important given our national and Department of Defense leader's
recent
> and proposed combat initiatives. We can discuss that and should. Also, the
> environmental and especially health (psychological and pyysiological)
consequences
> of war as evidenced by horrible initial and ongoing health effects of
Agent
> Orange and Agent Blue exposures from Vietnam era, the complex exposures
from
> Gulf War I (with approximately 30% of Gulf War I participants and
increasing
> daily now on partial or full Department of Veterans Affairs disability)
and the
> same effects on all coalition, and Iraqi military personnel but most
important
> noncombatants from Gulf War I and now the looming asverse health effects
of
> Gulf war II verifies the futility of war. If we want to stem the source
cannon
> fodder, people, for conducting  war then we must teach about what the
> consequences of war are not try to  get individuals not to enlist because
we tell them
> education and training is of no benefit because it actually is an
excellent
> benefit with excellent outcomes and especially for minorities who may have
never
> received the technical education unless the enlisted in the military.
>
> and in repeat---
>
> A Commitment to Peace
> Major Doug Rokke, Ph.D.
>
> September 18, 2002
>
>     As I sit here tonight unable to sleep, my mind is considering the
> ramifications of potential and ongoing military actions and economic
sanctions. As a
> disabled warrior with combat experience in two wars, Vietnam and Desert
Storm,
> I can only hope and pray that the outcomes of these actions do not leave
> another trail of adverse health and environmental problems.  I have
concluded that
> we must unite in a concerted effort to prevent additional suffering.
> Throughout the history of the world those who make a commitment to peace
have endured
> isolation and retaliation when they challenged the individuals and
> governments seeking economic and political advantages.  A vision of peace
where all
> nations can live together for the common good is an ideal dream but may be
> unrealistic.  War is the ultimate weapon a nation or leaders can use to
control the
> allocation and use of food, water, terrain, shelter, and mineral
resources.
> War occurs when nations or individuals fail to reach a satisfactory
compromise
> on sharing of these limited resources.  Today we are reaching another
> crossroads in history where we must decide which road we follow. We can
select peace or
> go to war.  One means life the other means death!  The prevalent modus
> operandi at this time of those seeking power and control is to threaten
economic
> sanctions or military attacks in order to achieve their goals and
objectives.
> This is unacceptable. We must act to with a unified and strong voice
prevent
> nations and leaders from imposing their demands on others. At the same
time we
> must make sure that those nations and leaders who pose a viable threat to
peace
> are checkmated. But that does not mean that we result to military force.
> There are many options but only wise persons are willing to discuss and
mutually
> select the option most beneficial to all.   Today information control is
used
> to prevent discussion and debate.  If a person does not have adequate and
> validated information they will be unable to contribute to the resolution
of
> serious problems.  We must ensure the complete dissemination of
information even if
> that information reveals illegal or disturbing actions by our own or any
other
> nation.  These ways to achieve peace will require a commitment of time,
> financial resources, knowledge, attitudes, life, liberty, and willingness
to endure
> isolation and retaliation by any person who wishes to contribute towards
the
> resolution of local, state, national or international problems.  The
choice is
> ours.  We can select a life as a mushroom or we can select to act.  I
select
> action for if peace is to be achieved then I must "let peace begin with
me".
>
>
>