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Letters

INK THE EFV

A replacement for the Amphibious Assault Vehicle is desperately needed, but I don’t believe the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle is the solution.

I have always believed the best defense is a good offense, and a capable AAV is an important part of our ability to project our force abroad. Our unrivaled offensive abilities keep foreign militaries working around the clock in a futile attempt to match our military might, but we must stay ahead of the curve.

I know I will catch a lot of criticism for saying this, but the EFV will not keep us ahead of the curve or meet our needs. It will be a hydraulic and mechanical nightmare, overweight, large and vulnerable, cramped and a drain of resources. I’d like to drive a stake into the heart of the EFV’s deck plates.

— Master Sgt. Michael Bilger (ret.), Summerton, S.C.

STOP COMPLAINING, DISPENSE DISCIPLINE

In response to Cpl. Andrew Barrett’s Aug. 3 letter [“Ridiculous restrictions”] that complained about not being able to wear Army and civilian physical training gear during his combat deployment, I say this: Are you kidding me?

Forward operating bases come equipped with air-conditioned living spaces, cable television, Internet service in your room, fast-food chains, a post exchange the size of a Walmart, laundry service, a swimming pool, bus services, a state-of-the-art gym, Salsa Night at the White Elephant, a coffee shop, souvenir stores, an education center and chow halls that rival any stateside buffet.

Still, Barrett feels his leadership is being ridiculous by not allowing him and the Marines in his charge to walk around dressed like a band of third-world gypsies? Is that really what the backbone of the Corps is complaining about? Maybe he should stop writing letters questioning the regulation he’s supposed to be enforcing, go to the gym and kick out the Marines he’s witnessed violating the commander’s orders.

— 1st Sgt. Charles Weeks, Okinawa, Japan

PRIORITIZE VICTORY, NOT HEALTH CARE

In her July 27 letter [“Congress keeping its commitment”], House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opines that military families and veterans must be protected with a new federal health care system. It is clear to me the constant need to fix veterans health care is evidence of the government’s inability to run any health care program. Speaker Pelosi should consider this before forcing government health care on all Americans.

Although I’m not a veteran, I can speak with authority on military families. We are much more concerned about the Obama administration’s shift in policies than we are about social programs for families. We want to know our husbands are furnished with the best weapons and equipment, supported by the best intelligence programs, and have the freedom to use these advantages. We want to know our husbands are risking their lives for the sake of freedom and peace, which must come through victory in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our husbands are at war and Pelosi thinks our greatest concern is day-care centers? That’s insulting.

— Anna Baker, Okinawa, Japan

TRY SHOPPING AROUND

Thank you for the article about the commissary and savings [“A real bargain,” Washington, July 20]. I once thought the commissary had the lowest prices, but I have found tactics for coupon use — often not at the commissary — that can save money.

One is to use “Buy One Get One Free” coupons at civilian grocery stores. When sale prices and coupons are combined, prices are much cheaper than at the commissary. Other things, such as toothpaste, shaving cream, shampoo and conditioners, are best bought at drug stores. Sometimes they cost less than a dollar or are free if coupons are used during sales.

A key rule is to not be loyal to one brand. Another is to clip every coupon you can because chances are, almost all coupon items will go on sale. I have even been “paid” on occasions when coupon savings were more than the sale price of products.

I still buy meats at the commissary because their prices can’t be beat. For everything else, I shop somewhere else.

— Monette Eames, Albany, Ga.

HOPE IN TRAGEDY

The discovery of Navy pilot Capt. Michael Scott Speicher’s remains in the Iraqi desert after 18 long years is a hopeful story for America [“Pilot’s remains found in Iraq,” Frontlines, Aug. 17].

Although the discovery must bring painful closure to Speicher’s friends and family, it highlights a rare instance of civility between the Iraqi people and the U.S. military. After all of the horrors the Iraqi people have suffered and the depravity they have witnessed since 2003, there fortunately remains, at least for some, engendered respect for our dead. After all the sacrifices made by American servicemen and women on their behalf, this event shows there remains some level of civility toward what many Iraqis have opposed as an occupation force.

Furthermore, Speicher’s final journey home, and the bugle at long last sounding at this hero’s funeral, affirms America’s legendary and great devotion to those who wear the uniform. You may be gone, you may be missing, you may have all but vanished, but you are never forgotten.

— Capt. Mark R. Fenwick, New Bern, N.C.