Pentagon urges a tobacco free military

[woad&fangs]

Hehe, if this goes through I'd love to see the reaction the first time the CinC lights up on a military base

edit: although I hope this fails.

[rotorgun]

It wouldn't be the first time that our politicians used our military to practice social engineering. This especially happens almost every time we have a democratic majority. I currently smoke, although I had quit for something like twelve years. While I agree that there are legitimate health concerns, I still think it's a right for one to use tobacco. It's just one more reason that many feel that we are sliding ever faster down the slippery slope of socialism. I have just one word to describe such an effort by the administration-HYPOCRISY!

PS: I think I'll go burn one.

[Adrian II]

All Gregoshi needs is a smoking gun...

[Major Robert Dump]

Yeah no kidding. This isn't the only travesty, either. The Obama administration is trying to push a pro-gays-in-the-military agenda as well.

*The economy makes me want to stay in, but I don't think I'm ready for years of Obama's administration pushing a "let's screw up the Army" agenda.

Are u in Ft Sammy for training or is that your duty station?

[Hooahguy]

leve them alone. smoking is a huge stress reliever, or so i hear.

[Hooahguy]

whenever you see war movies you always see them smoking after a battle. seems to work.

[Fisherking]

The whole cost issue is also bogus!

Who has lung cancer or emphysema between 18 and 45. What are their costs?

If they die early in retirement, doesn’t that save money?

While a pack of cigarettes cost $0.50 to make and $0.50 profit the rest goes to government.

In the case of the military the extra money goes directly into their coffers since they were ordered to raise the price to the prevailing civilian price back in the early 1990s.

The impact on the troops is always ignored by people who don’t know what they have to deal with...

[Devastatin Dave]

The impact on the troops is always ignored by people who don’t know what they have to deal with...

Like the community organizer that is currently the Commander in Chief.
Funny no one is telling him to quit smoking...

[HoreTore]

Yeah no kidding. This isn't the only travesty, either. The Obama administration is trying to push a pro-gays-in-the-military agenda as well.

Yeah, damn those equal rights....

Why can't some people just accept that they're not as human as we others?

[Hooahguy]

Yeah, damn those equal rights....

Why can't some people just accept that they're not as human as we others?

i think the dont ask dont tell policy was good enough. i would imagine thats its very nerve-wracking when you know ur buddy in your foxhole is gay.

[Banquo's Ghost]

i think the dont ask dont tell policy was good enough. i would imagine thats its very nerve-wracking when you know ur buddy in your foxhole is gay.

Well, you would imagine wrong.

I can't even begin to address the prejudice in this post without banning myself. Try to work it out for yourself using the analogy of say, a religious persuasion long considered outside the norm.

[Ja'chyra]

If they're old enough to die for us then they're old enough to decide for themselves if they want to smoke

[CountArach]

i think the dont ask dont tell policy was good enough. i would imagine thats its very nerve-wracking when you know ur buddy in your foxhole is gay.

What the hell? I mean seriously, what the hell!? Are you suggesting that gays are incapable of controlling their urges when in a combat zone or a professional situation?

[Hooahguy]

i never said that. but maybe the other guy doesnt think that he can, and will probably be a bit nervous.

[CountArach]

i never said that. but maybe the other guy doesnt think that he can, and will probably be a bit nervous.

Then shouldn't we be dispelling myths about gays?

[HoreTore]

i never said that. but maybe the other guy doesnt think that he can, and will probably be a bit nervous.

If so, he's a complete idiot. And complete idiots do not deserve sympathy, nor do they belong near guns. They should be made to complete the first grade instead.

Honestly, the notion that gay men are "incapable of controlling their urges" is the dumbest idea on the planet. Face it, with the exception that they love the same sex, gay people are just that, people. Just like me and you, there is no difference.

I'm heterosexual. Does that mean I can't be around women for protracted periods of time without raping them...? Does it mean that I will be hitting on lesbians, trying to convert them to straight women?

Women are allowed in the army. Why aren't they afraid that their foxhole-buddy is going to rape them? Why isn't that a problem to you, Hooahguy? Following your logic, you should be supporting an all-female army, shouldn't you?

[Hosakawa Tito]

i think the dont ask dont tell policy was good enough. i would imagine thats its very nerve-wracking when you know ur buddy in your foxhole is gay.

Well, not to veer too far off topic, but as long as he's brave & doing his job that'd be good enough for me. Or, as a homosexual in Attica once said to me, "Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I want to everybody's ."

[Ja'chyra]

The issue isn't gay rights, the issue is unit cohesion. At the very least, gays shouldn't be allowed in Combat units, for the same reason women aren't--it'll sow discord and hurt morale. Not to mention the gay person's life would be at serious risk. It's not pretty, but it's the truth--and the Army recognizes this.

Back on topic, it still seems like this is more of a scare than anything else. I really don't think the smoke-free-army dealio is going to go through.

Yep, those greeks never got anywhere because of all the man love.

[Devastatin Dave]

Just curious, how many of you attacking hoahguy have actually, voluntarily, served in the military?

[HoreTore]

Just curious, how many of you attacking hoahguy have actually, voluntarily, served in the military?

*raises his hand*

@Gelatinous cube: gays aren't allowed in combat u8nits for the same reason women aren't allowed? Well... Women are allowed in every unit here, and that works wonderfully. In fact, the army here is pushing to get even more women in the army....

But hey, prejudice is fun too.

[CountArach]

The issue isn't gay rights, the issue is unit cohesion. At the very least, gays shouldn't be allowed in Combat units, for the same reason women aren't--it'll sow discord and hurt morale. Not to mention the gay person's life would be at serious risk. It's not pretty, but it's the truth--and the Army recognizes this.

They said the same thing about Blacks.

[CountArach]

Look, this isn't a civil rights issue.

That's funny, because it sure seems like one to me.

Ever been in the Army? Ever even been through an Army barracks and talked to the soldiers? The vast majority are not exactly enlightened people. An openly gay infantryman would be dead in a week.

By that logic they should be dead now anyway. If there is as much hatred towards gays as there allegedly is now then surely they should be getting lynched in the streets/murdered all the time?

Now, you can either force it, and destroy countless units, or you can just keep gays out of the front line.

The unit will adapt. Again, it did when Blacks were able to serve with regular units.

I also think the whole "Gays are at risk, let's not put them in combat roles" to be incredibly patronising towards gays. I'm sure any Gay who is willing to serve openly would be well aware of the risk from his own side.

[rotorgun]

I could care less if the guy or gal next to me in a foxhole is gay or lesbian, as long as they are doing their job, and I don't have to tote their load as well as mine. (Unless I am having nicotine withdrawals, or it's before 9 AM and I haven't had my coffee yet!)

I think the Military needs to rethink it's outdated 18th century mindset, and get with reality. Just don't micromanage everything in the process, and that's exactly what this is. Some egg-headed, over college educated, analistic, kissin' politician's back pocket idea. It's bad enough that we have to do their dirty work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now they want to tells us how we must conform to the ideal image of the "healthy" American, when people such as they act in such a way as to make a Mafia Don look like a choirboy.

Whew...got that rant off my chest!

PS: Thanks Gelatinous Cube for doing your bit with us. I'm sorry to hear you were injured. If there is any way I can help, please PM me. Praying for you Bro! You also have a point there about Infantry units that I hadn't considered. You may be right.

[rotorgun]

Here him! Here him! He's right, we should discuss this in another thread. It's just that this kind of topic always opens up so many cans of worms. I do agree, on second thought, having served in line infantry outfits in my former glory days before I became an aircraft maintenance FOBBIT.

Well...on to the anti-anti smoking agenda!

[Husar]

I could care less if the guy or gal next to me in a foxhole is gay or lesbian, as long as they are doing their job, and I don't have to tote their load as well as mine. (Unless I am having nicotine withdrawals, or it's before 9 AM and I haven't had my coffee yet!)

There is your proof!

Ban nicotine and coffee and guys like rotorgun will even carry their comrades' stuff around!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[rotorgun]

There is your proof!

Ban nicotine and coffee and guys like rotorgun will even carry their comrades' stuff around!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

LOL! Not if their rucksacks are as full of horse manure as you are Husar, you old...kopf! You are my favorite German, did you know that?