Mayfair,

You'd be surpised at how little a lot of our equipment gets used when we aren't deployed. There will be motor pools filled with HMMWV's, Tracks, Cannons, and every shape, form and fashion of support equipment. Right now, all that equipment is being used.

Think about how much is costs to maintain just your truck??? Now, multiply that by the amount of vehicles the military has, plus all the contractors that are hired, the additional repair parts and overhauls, the meals, the bottled water, etc.

It adds up fast.

The equipment is taking a beating. We shredded HMMWV tires like they were going out of style in Asscrackistan. Those rocks over there shredded them like they were wrapping paper.

Let's talk life insurance policies. 4000+ KIA times $400,000 each....That's 1.6 billion dollars my friend.

 

I agree cumminalong, mayfair it's not the cost of the troops, their salaries are a constant, it is budgeted andthey willbe paid no matter were thier at. The problem is the maintenance, transportation, etcthink of what it cost to move 250,000 people every few weeks. I know everyone has this "I have a friend story" we all get tired of, but I have read and seen 9 contractor's running sucurity (body guards) for one diplomat, myunclemake's 110k a year doing this, and you guessed it he's retired military with 30 years of service.

 

They give up 400K for all of the ones killed? That's AWESOME !! How about the injured.

 

Yup, you can choose up to 400K in life insurance. The injured folks have starting receiving some kind of monetary stuff recently, but I'm not exactly sure of the details......either way, they can keep it.

The way I break down mine is 3/4 goes to the wife and the other 1/4 is split between my 2 nephews, with it earmarked for school in my will.

 

Do the ones injured in action recieve any compensation? Like the ones who lost an arm, leg, eye, ect.

 

That's what I was talking about. They just recently started doing that. I'm not sue of the exact details and how it works and the amounts and stuff, but I know that they did start it. I believe it was made retroactive also.

 

Mayfair, SGLI pays out a max of $500,000, i believe the spouses can chose up to 100,000 for themselves and they can add their kids on as well for a fairly cheap price. its very affordable coverage, gets taken right out of your LES so you never even see it.... i dont know if the VA funds this or if its a private firm...

as for the "disabled" a lot of its a crock of ****, this worthless sack of *** i worked with was inthe army in iraq (support) and his scrawny *** lifted a wrench for a tracked vehicle and hurt his shoulder, now he gets 400 a month for the rest of his life.... tell me he deserves that...

also mayfair, bombs and other munition/ordnance costs a lot, sure its can be considered target practice...but it still costs mula.

 

I understand that it costs more money than if our boy's were at home, but do youREALLY think it costs a million or so dollars a day MORE than it costs to have them at home? That sounds like a lot to me. The way these guy's talk about a million dollars you'd think that they were talking pocket change.

 

Think about if you had to run an orphanage with 150,000 kids.

You have to provide 100% life support for them. Now, let's say that also have to build them places to live and you are re-building (or trying at least) the entire neighborhood that they live in. You have construction crews, machinery, fuel, materials, shipping, etc....

The amount of money is rediculous. Most of it is not actual "war costs". It's all the supporting crap that goes into sustaining and mantaining.

Think about this....for every hour a helicopter is in the air, it undergoes about 3-4 hours of maintenance to keep it operational. Now every so often it HAS to come out of service for a complete teardown (phase). A lot of this stuff is being done by VERY well paid civilians.

It's not as simple as just sending the boys out and blowing stuff up. Without support assets, you can't go for more than a week and still be effective.

 

lets not forget how much a carrier battle group costs per minute to run....