OT: Increased US military presence in Australia

[rcaf_777]

I'm not sure what basing 2500 Marines in Australia will do from the standpoint of US interests. From the Australian POV -- well, an American troop presence is always a mixed blessing. American troops are paid better then most of their counterparts in the world and they love to carouse and buy stuff for friends and family to send home, so economically it will be good for the community they're based in. But -- let's just say that American troops don't always put the best, shall we say, social face forward in other countries. Like I said, mixed blessing for the Australians.

Half to disagree with the better pay part with the delcining US Dollar most troop posted outside CONUS might they no longer have a bigger bang for the US buck when is come to exchange rate, and according to the US personel we have in my unit we have more benfits than the US troops and pay is a little higher due our cost of living.

[HorseSoldier]

Half to disagree with the better pay part with the delcining US Dollar most troop posted outside CONUS might they no longer have a bigger bang for the US buck when is come to exchange rate, and according to the US personel we have in my unit we have more benfits than the US troops and pay is a little higher due our cost of living.

If they're on duty OCONUS they should get cost of living allowance pegged to offset any discrepancy in the dollar versus, er, well, the dollar in this case. Though that just helps pad things out a bit, it doesn't transform a place into something like the post-WW2 garrisons in Germany or Japan where being posted even on enlisted soldier pay was probably kind of like winning the lottery for a couple years.

[Legbreaker]

Currently the Australian dollar is hovering around parity with the US dollar.