oh good, by dint of presidential fiat my country's military is being gutted today

[Targan]

Would that be Dionysus?

Or perhaps Hephaestus?

[pmulcahy11b]

Or perhaps Hephaestus?

Did the Buddha ever visit Greece?

[dragoon500ly]

Just because the cavalry lends diginity to an otherwise vulgar brawl....

Besides, where else can you get that combination of lots of leather, really cool boots, spurs and a long...sword?

[Targan]

Besides, where else can you get that combination of lots of leather, really cool boots, spurs and a long...sword?

Now you're just being boastful

[Fusilier]

Besides, where else can you get that combination of lots of leather, really cool boots, spurs and a long...sword?

Any given Saturday night out with Targ... I mean, these guys.

[Medic]

I agree with a lot of what you've said, but I have to ask what Christian fundamentalist sect kills a woman by stoning for having extramarital sex?

I really do agree with you but I keep hearing how Christians are no better than Muslims. Maybe at one time, over 200 years ago, we had the Inquisition and witch burning, but we're over it.

Not by stoning but I've read quite a few reports about those Christian-sect families that consider every ailment an act of god and do not take their kids to see the doctor, effectively causing the death of the said child of an illness that could be treated. Also, there has been quite a bit of pedophilia in one of the sects common in Finland. And while extramarital sex has not caused any stoning to death, I know quite a number of cases where a slight infringement of the sect rules has led to banishment from the said sect in a degree where the parents of the said offender have disowned their child.

It's funny, how Christians consider their own religion as morally superior and a religion of peace, love and forgiveness, while there are so many immoral (and illegal) deeds committed by officials of the religion. The majority of all wars on the planet have been fought by Christians. The denial of same-sex marriages (because marriage is said to be sacred) and the bullshit revolving around that theme - which actually, being discussed in the Finnish TV in a panel caused a huge wave of resignations from the church. Also, when looking at the peace, love and forgiveness of the Americans (really, I don't have anything agaist you guys in general) - the way some Christians over there talk about us atheists, saying we should all be killed or at least driven out pf the U.S. - I think I can pretty much rest my case...

[Webstral]

Not by stoning but I've read quite a few reports about those Christian-sect families that consider every ailment an act of god and do not take their kids to see the doctor, effectively causing the death of the said child of an illness that could be treated.

It,c,"s awful how children suffer for the deeds and misdeeds of adults.

It's funny, how Christians consider their own religion as morally superior and a religion of peace, love and forgiveness, while there are so many immoral (and illegal) deeds committed by officials of the religion.

Religions are practiced by people who turn their backs on the premises of the faith. The most devout among us fail to live up to the standards of our faiths. Some of us fail more than others.

The majority of all wars on the planet have been fought by Christians.

A statement like this requires substantiation.

Also, when looking at the peace, love and forgiveness of the Americans (really, I don't have anything agaist you guys in general) - the way some Christians over there talk about us atheists, saying we should all be killed or at least driven out pf the U.S. - I think I can pretty much rest my case...

Assessing Christianity, or American branches thereof, based on the rantings of extremist yahoos is like assessing Islam based on the actions and words of the Wahabbists.

[Webstral]

Any given Saturday night out with Targ... I mean, these guys.

Hey, someone has been in my neck of the woods! That's an ordinary Thursday night in some parts of San Francisco.

[Legbreaker]

Hmm, first it's wallabies, then it's leather and chains....
Are you trying to tell us something Web?

[rcaf_777]

Single parents. Thanks for your help. He is a severance check equal to six months. Buh-bye.

Why? not sure, something wrong with single parents? dose'nt the US Military pay for childcare when deployed or out in the feild?

[ArmySGT.]

Why? not sure, something wrong with single parents? dose'nt the US Military pay for childcare when deployed or out in the feild?

No.

This extends into all manner of the duty day. Single parents late for PT formations because of child care. Single parents not assigned duties like Charge of Quarters because it is over night or a week end and a sitter isn't available. Exercises, and all other Details, Duties, and Commitments carried by all the other Soldiers in the Unit (married with children, or Single and childless). Throw in the allowances for quarters, separate rations, and a host of other perks and single parents (mostly female) have become an epidemic. It drains man hours and it is poor for morale to see someone else having the easy life while everyone else commits extra to make it happen.

[Webstral]

I agree with the idea that single parent soldiers are a problem for the force. However, I,c,"m wary of any policy that issues marching orders to any single parent soldier automatically. For one thing, Congress will squawk that the policy is discriminatory against women. Female members of Congress will bleat that divorce essentially will oblige a female parent and soldier to choose between soldiering and parenthood. Husbands therefore will gain control over the careers of female soldiers by threatening divorce, therefore threatening female parents and soldiers to make the terrible choice. The female members of Congress would have a point.

Of course, putting them in the rear permanently imposes on everybody else who isn,c,"t a single parent soldier. In the 1980,c,"s, this was not a big deal. However, after 9/11 and the start of the year-out/year-home cycle, the problem with granting some soldiers permanent nondeployable status reared its ugly head.

There is a solution that the Army has been loathe to put into practice: allow single parent soldiers to have 1-2 family members considered dependents. The military is firmly wedded to the ideal of the nuclear family. This is a wonderful ideal, but it,c,"s not realistic. If a female soldier parent finds herself divorced, rather than throw her and the Army,c,"s investment in her skills out the door, give her a grace period to bring in a family member or two who become new dependents. These people then play the role that the spouse is supposed to play in terms of child care, etc. If the single parent soldier is unable to meet the deadline, then she gets the boot. The candidates for special dependent might be mother, father, brother, sister, adult child, or even grandparent. I,c,"d be open to discussing whether uncles, aunts, and cousins ought to be considered.

Here,c,"s the bottom line for me: children are a forever commitment, marriages end, and the force needs skilled professionals to stay in. Any jackasses can run off to Vegas and get married, thereby entering a special legal status that makes massive impositions on the military. Having kids is even easier. A force based on fidelity and commitment needs to recognize which commitments are more durable than others and work with the lasting ones to keep its skilled personnel in the force. If that means being flexible about who is called a dependent and gets to enjoy the privileges of post life, so be it.

[pmulcahy11b]

Another exception for single parents should be those who lose a spouse due to disease, accidents, murder (by someone else other than the service member, of course!), or other unforeseen circumstances. These troops can be used at home to do paperwork, as trainers, intel work in places like the Pentagon, or a myriad of other jobs that do not require a soldier to be deployable.

I mean, think about it. "Jones, it's damn awful that your wife was murdered, but now I'm going to have to chapter you out because she screwed up and got herself killed." That's just shitty.

[Targan]

Any given Saturday night out with Targ... I mean, these guys.

LOL! I'm glad you got me on a good angle with that shot.

[Webstral]

It drains man hours and it is poor for morale to see someone else having the easy life while everyone else commits extra to make it happen.

The life of a single parent is not the easy life. I have two children under three. My wife and I can barely keep things going with only one of us working. A single soldier pulling a normal duty day, then playing mommy at night, does not have it easy. What she has is an inequitable distribution of soldiering duties because other soldiers have to pick up the slack so she can meet her commitments to her kids. In a sense, the unit becomes her support network when other soldiers take up duties that rightfully belong to her. That needs to stop. But never would I characterize the life of a single parent as being the easy life.