Paul Ryan (R-WI) guts billions from veteran's benefits

NoDrama

Well-Known Member
You guys know that the military has an entrance exam right? If you can't score well enough, they don't want you. Dumb people do not get into the service.
 

echelon1k1

New Member
The idea that special forces soldiers have to be particularly smart has no foundation. Qualification is not based on raw intellectual ability.
You think passing qualification means you're in? It doesn't work that way. Qualification just means a barrier test to judge suitability at attempting selection. Even if you're part of that lucky 25%~ who pass selection/assessment, you can still be dropped anytime during the reinforcement cycle (the part where they actually train you to be special) and returned to your unit for something like a safety violation, standard fail or mental unsuitability - intelligence. Psychological testing plays a major part in the selection of a SF candidate gone are the days of brawn over brains.
 

Wilksey

Well-Known Member
You guys know that the military has an entrance exam right? If you can't score well enough, they don't want you. Dumb people do not get into the service.
When the military can't find enough people that meet the standards, they just lower the standards.

Hence the recruitment of females, gays, losers too unmotivated to finish high school or get a GED, and, of course, those with criminal records or psychological "issues".

Our military "leadership" lies as much as our politicians do, so if you want the "truth", you've got to talk to the boys on the line....as usual.
 

tokeprep

Well-Known Member
You guys know that the military has an entrance exam right? If you can't score well enough, they don't want you. Dumb people do not get into the service.
I think most of this discussion resulted from misunderstanding what I meant when I used the word "dumb." I only meant it relatively. People who score in the bottom half for intellectual ability are dumb relative to people in the top half.
 

NoDrama

Well-Known Member
When the military can't find enough people that meet the standards, they just lower the standards.

Hence the recruitment of females, gays, losers too unmotivated to finish high school or get a GED, and, of course, those with criminal records or psychological "issues".

Our military "leadership" lies as much as our politicians do, so if you want the "truth", you've got to talk to the boys on the line....as usual.
I assume you were never in the military because of the fictitious data you just claimed.
 

NoDrama

Well-Known Member
I think most of this discussion resulted from misunderstanding what I meant when I used the word "dumb." I only meant it relatively. People who score in the bottom half for intellectual ability are dumb relative to people in the top half.
I would put money on the average military person being of higher IQ than the average citizen.
 

echelon1k1

New Member
When the military can't find enough people that meet the standards, they just lower the standards.

Hence the recruitment of females, gays, losers too unmotivated to finish high school or get a GED, and, of course, those with criminal records or psychological "issues".


Our military "leadership" lies as much as our politicians do, so if you want the "truth", you've got to talk to the boys on the line....as usual.
Could you cite some .gov sources in defence of your claims?
 

BigEasy1

Well-Known Member
I think most commenting here have no idea of how military retirement, VA disability, and the plethora of other benefits actually pan out. As a veteran and a former spouse I've been around the military my entire adult life and I can tell you that if all were transparent there'd be more cuts. This is a very politically incorrect topic that people get butthurt over very easily but as some who did my time I feel I have a right to comment and don't give a shit what others think about it.
 

tokeprep

Well-Known Member
I would put money on the average military person being of higher IQ than the average citizen.
Since they purposely exclude people who are mentally retarded and have other severe intellectual disabilities, you're probably right. That's not a very fair comparison.
 

NoDrama

Well-Known Member
Since they purposely exclude people who are mentally retarded and have other severe intellectual disabilities, you're probably right. That's not a very fair comparison.
Every person in the military has either graduated high school or has a GED. They won't let you join otherwise. I don't consider people who haven't graduated HS as being severely mentally retarded though. Then again I don't look down on everyone as inferior either.
 

Wilksey

Well-Known Member
I assume you were never in the military because of the fictitious data you just claimed.
Survived 20 years, much to the chagrin of some of our fellow posters I'm sure. Matter of fact, today is the 24th anniversary of my first combat jump into a lovely little place down south. I was jumping out of airplanes while a lot of you were jumping out of diapers, and I bet I'm not the only one on this forum like that either.

Females couldn't meet the fitness standards for men, so instead of kicking out the chicks that couldn't hang, and keeping the ones that could, they simply lowered the fitness standards for females to keep the weak ones as well as the "strong" ones. Never mind the fact that you can only move as fast as your slowest dude...unless you want to carry them, AND their shit. FUCK the men though, right? They don't deserve to have strong team members when they're laying their ass on the line, right?

Clinton, and gang, opted to allow greater access to gays and females, which in turn weakened the force by adding weaker links in the chain throughout a greater portion of the military. Ever work in a place that had bad office romances that made life miserable for everyone? We didn't have to worry about that before some dumb asses decided that "equality" was more important than QUALITY troops.

Also in the 90's, they adjusted the fitness test, but this time for everyone, by lowering the max standards. Troops that busted their asses to meet and maintain the highest standards to differentiate themselves were now considered the same as those that did less.

Once the GWOT kicked off, recruitment started to become an issue, so they added "waivers" to enlistment that lowered educational, psychological, and criminal standards for enlistment.

So I have indeed seen and experienced that which I described. It's all open source information if one cares to search, but I don't believe many will, because the military is "somebody elses" problem, right?

Congress sucks goat ass, and so do senior Army "leadership". They have no integrity, no foresight, and absolutely no honor.
 

see4

Well-Known Member
I think most commenting here have no idea of how military retirement, VA disability, and the plethora of other benefits actually pan out. As a veteran and a former spouse I've been around the military my entire adult life and I can tell you that if all were transparent there'd be more cuts. This is a very politically incorrect topic that people get butthurt over very easily but as some who did my time I feel I have a right to comment and don't give a shit what others think about it.
Ok, so what's your comment?
 

see4

Well-Known Member
Clinton, and gang, opted to allow greater access to gays and females, which in turn weakened the force by adding weaker links in the chain throughout a greater portion of the military. Ever work in a place that had bad office romances that made life miserable for everyone? We didn't have to worry about that before some dumb asses decided that "equality" was more important than QUALITY troops.
How exactly is a woman or a gay man/woman a weak link? Are you saying sexual preference is a direct correlation to physical attributes? May I offer that most gay men are 10 times more physically fit than the average straight man. How is a woman a weaker link? She can pull a trigger just as fast, sometimes faster than any man. She can jump out of plane just as well. I know, I've jumped out with a few. Sure, they can't lift a guy on their own, but how often have you lifted a soldier on your own, threw them over your shoulder and walked them safety? I'm betting none.

If I were a betting man, I would bet your entire story is bullshit.
 

abandonconflict

Well-Known Member
For everyone one of those leaders there were thousands more that did 2-4 and came out older. I'm not saying all, I'm just saying it was a rule of thumb in those days.

If your second paragraph is what he is saying then it's just an opinion and I don't agree. If you think the military puts their best and brightest on the front lines, then I will respectfully disagree with you too.
If they did not put the smartest people in the most dangerous jobs, the casualties would have been staggering.
 

abandonconflict

Well-Known Member
You're equating being trainable and giving/following orders with intelligence. That makes no sense. Being able to perform a certain maneuver or being able to lead a unit has little to do with intellectual ability.

I'm certainly not arguing that "infantryman are dumb simply because they are in combat arms." You're pulling that out of your ass.
I'm making no such equation. You have can not begin to fathom the unpredictable nature of combat, therefore you believe soldiering requires only physical attributes, discipline and the ability to follow orders. Nothing is more important than the ability to solve problems while under extreme stress. Mistakes cost lives.
 

BigEasy1

Well-Known Member
Ok, so what's your comment?
How can a person serve 20 years on active duty then the day after he retires he goes to the VA and gets a disability rating of 80% then gets hired on as a full time permanent federal civilian? I work with this guy and even though he's 80% disabled he can still work full time and go skiing every weekend. The system is ripe for abuse but all anybody ever wants to bring up is how Little Johnny and his family might starve to death and how Little Johnny is getting shot at. The truth is most never see combat and all are well compensated and every single one volunteered.
 
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