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Letters

BADGES OF HONOR

In an Army that has been bearing the brunt of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is becoming increasingly uncommon to find current or former infantrymen who have earned the right to wear the coveted Expert Infantryman Badge. This is largely and understandably due to time constraints between deployments, and constantly training for the next deployment.

Not to mention that the EIB is one of the most difficult badges to earn in the Army. With that said, the Army should consider revising Army Regulation 670-1, “Wear and Appearance of Army Insignia,” to authorize the wear of the EIB concurrent with the Combat Action Badge. As it stands now, those who have earned both badges must choose to either wear the badge that you volunteered to put yourself through the crucible for, or the badge that shows you’ve paid your dues in combat.

Either way, a soldier should not have to choose, and should be able to proudly wear these badges together.

These badges both serve as badges of honor to those who are qualified to wear them. I am one of many proud soldiers who have both badges. Give soldiers the chance to proudly wear what they have worked so hard to earn.

-- Maj. Rob Baker, Fort Belvoir, Va.

DEPLOYMENT UNFAIRNESS

I would like to know how in the world does the promotion board select a staff sergeant for promotion when he hasn’t been deployed. I think the Army needs to take a long, hard look at the selection process. The Army should gather all these NCOs who are hiding and make them earn their pay. It amazes me that there are so many sergeants first class and master sergeants who are slick sleeve or with just one deployment.

I’ve been deployed four times going on my fifth in the November-December time frame. I just would like to see a little fairness.

-- Staff Sgt. Allen Wilson, Fort Polk, La.

SEX HAPPENS

I disagree with Navy Lt. Cmdr. [Allen] Stout’s comments [“Chaplains not muzzled,” July 5].

Saying allowing open gays to serve will enhance military readiness because that will increase the pool of recruits might be true but will be off set by those not willing to serve with them. I estimate that allowing gays to serve might add a few percent to the applicant pool but with the reduction of 10 percent or more of those not willing to serve with them.

The current orders on no sex on ships staying in effect will not prevent such sexual activity by gays. Currently men and women are berthed separately on ships and women somehow still get pregnant months after the ship has left port and not touched shore.

Most religions consider homosexual behavior to be a sin. I do not see how a chaplain can support something that his religious order does not. If gays are allowed to serve, bad idea in my opinion, chaplains’ beliefs will have to be given an exemption. A solution would be referral to a chaplain whose faith does not have problems with such behavior.

I would like to have someone explain why having open homosexuals in the services would be different from making berthing and showers on ships co-ed. If co-ed showers are a bad idea, then having open gays and lesbians showering with the gender they are attracted to is also a bad idea.

-- Cmdr. Wayne L. Johnson (ret.), Alexandria, Va.

NO COMPARISON

I read the June 28 article “Target: Military benefits” with great interest. As an O-3E over 20, I make a fairly good living and don’t complain about the size of my paycheck. The article quotes the Government Accountability Office as saying that service members earn more than 70 percent of civilians. I’m curious, if we’re comparing military and civilian compensation for work performed, is anyone looking at the hours per week that soldiers and officers work? A typical civilian professional works 40 hours a week. Show me one soldier working a 40-hour week. Counting physical training, a company commander or primary staff officer easily works 60-70 hours a week in garrison, and upwards of 100 hours per week, every week, when deployed. Officers aren’t alone when it comes to long hours. Supply sergeants, mechanics, etc., all work well beyond what their civilian counterparts are required to put in.

We chose this life and most of us cherish it, but if you’re going to compare compensation, compare apples to apples.

-- Capt. Tony Soika, Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan

SPOUSES AND PULLING RANK

Sadly there are many Leslie Drinkwines in the family readiness groups. There are a lot of FRG leaders who wear their husbands’ rank on their shoulders and make the FRG experience so miserable that little or no information is passed down to you if you are not on “their side.” Since the commander can’t reprimand the spouse, they often take it out on the soldier.

-- Erica Serafini, El Paso, Texas

In response to “Banned from the brigade,” in the July 5 issue, I have to laugh. During my 23 years as an Army officer’s wife, I had one person try to “pull rank” and tell me that he could get my husband fired. This person was a seventh-grade boy who was in my Texas history class. His father had recently been promoted to brigadier general and had his one star pinned on in a public ceremony. This boy and his best buddy were taken by all of the pomp and ceremony. One day they got upset with me. They told me that if I didn’t treat them right, the general could get my husband fired.

I laughed. My husband was a major who was serving in Vietnam at the time. I then told them that yes, the general did indeed outrank my husband, and that if he wanted to he could go to Vietnam and fire my husband. Then I told them that they did not know how many stars my daddy had.

Several days later, one of my fellow teachers spoke to me in the teacher’s workroom about a problem that he and other teachers were having with these boys. They were very distressed about how many stars my daddy had and bothering other students trying to find out.

I confided in the other teacher that my father was a Kansas wheat farmer, and that he had a whole sky full of stars each night.

I was an Army wife; I didn’t wear rank.

-- Etta M. Myers, Stephenville, Texas