[lbo-talk] a new low

[John Thornton]

Dennis Perrin wrote:
>> Not necessarily arguing with your main points, but don't all signers 
>> on to
>> the military go through basic training, and fire weapons etc.  Then 
>> go on to
>> regular support jobs?
>
> Yes, though according to younger soldiers I've spoken to (one of whom 
> spent a year in Iraq), the training's not as rigorous or sadistic as 
> it was when I went through basic (summer '79). Back then, you could 
> wear you down to the pavement. Now, trainees wear gym clothes for PT. 
> Still, they do have to fire M-16s.
>
> Dennis

The Navy , Coast Guard, and the Air Force do not fire weapons nor learn 
to field service weapons in basic training. They constitute ~50% of all 
service personnel.
I never even saw a weapon except for the sidearms on MP's during basic 
training in the Navy in the late 1980's. I did my basic at Great Lakes.
I did not even have to do so in Marine basic which I had to complete 
after finishing my Navy A School. Marine basic was at Camp Lejuene.
I think ~50% of all recruits never even holding a weapon constitutes 
"huge numbers of people in the military" and since learning to fire a 
weapon does not constitute becoming a trained killer I cannot see how 
the minimum number of military personnel who are not trained killers 
could possibly be less than 60%. It's probably more like ~75%.

John Thornton