Pentagon urges a tobacco free military

[Hosakawa Tito]

I heard this one on the radio while at work yesterday. I'm not a smoker, and though I wish everyone could quit I'm a realist and can certainly sympathize with those working in a high stress environment. What I find most insulting about this proposal is the emphasis on "costs to the Pentagon budget", not the health of the soldiers. The Pentagon probably wastes more money than any US institution that we know about, but they're concerned about tobacco related costs to an all volunteer force. I find it hard to justify telling those that put their life on the line for us every day that they can't smoke if they want to. What's your verdict?

[Banquo's Ghost]

Leave them well alone. Soldiers need distractions.

Whilst I don't smoke, this constant attack on a small vice is disproportionate.

[CountArach]

I can definitely see the logic and I'm sure that not smoking would lead to a healthier and better average soldier... but something just seems... wrong about this? Can't quite place my finger on it.

[rory_20_uk]

The only way of replacing it would be if there as a good nicotine driven "inhaler" the troops could use.

[KukriKhan]

Preposterous. Outrageous. Insulting. Wrong-Headed. Stupid. Ignorant.

Therefore, it'll probably go through.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Preposterous. Outrageous. Insulting. Wrong-Headed. Stupid. Ignorant.

Therefore, it'll probably go through.

There goes a man who understands how the military brass thinks & works all too well.

[Veho Nex]

There was a time when the military encouraged smoking.... Hey also some of the worlds oldest people smoke a pack to two packs a day. It was on some movie in science about old people.

[Mooks]

Would never work.

Need I say more?

[ICantSpellDawg]

We demand that you live a long time!, now run into that firefight and get shot at. I sincerely believe that we will all be forced to wear helmets at some point in my lifetime. Soldiers can't even be trusted to make simple decisions about their own health.

[Rhyfelwyr]

The occassional cigarrette must be one of the few things a soldier can look forward to at the end of a hard days work, leave them alone.

[Major Robert Dump]

Just because soldiers won't like it, just because it will drive down troop retention, just because enforcing this and penalizing violators will be a nightmare and cause otherwise good soldiers to lose rank etc......doesn't mean that it won't take effect. Making the CONUS bases smoke-free would do plenty, but an outright ban on use aka the likes of marijuana would be a nightmare to enforce. Thats why it will probably happen.

[Devastatin Dave]

I absolutely LOVED smoking when I was in the military. This is dumb, so it will probably happen.
Atleast it won't affect the Navy, since they take care of their oral fixations on other things!!! Baaaazing!!!! Just kidding to all your Squid headed, Village People on boats!!!!

[Hosakawa Tito]

Perhaps they should have the desk jockeys replace the front line grunts while they're receiving training/treatment to kick their nicotine habit....

[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.

[Lemur]

Atleast it won't affect the Navy, since they take care of their oral fixations on other things!!! Baaaazing!!!! Just kidding to all your Squid headed, Village People on boats!!!!

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[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?