A Squad Leader’s Yearly Salary or an Hour in an F-22?

Spencer Ackerman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:50:15 +0000

Something I didn’t know but Brandon Friedman at VoteVets did: a staff sergeant leading an infantry squad in Afghanistan makes, with combat pay, about $44,500 per year. And it costs about $42,000 per hour to fly an F-22, a fighter jet never used in post-9/11 combat at a time when the two wars the United States is fighting require a lot of infantry squad leaders and not a single fighter jet. This is all apropos of the vote this week on the fiscal 2010 defense authorization bill, which President Obama has threatened to veto because of all the money for the F-22 back into it as Defense Secretary Bob Gates tries to end the jet’s production line. Obama’s big ally on the effort to put the F-22 out to pasture is none other than Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), whom you may remember from the 2008 campaign, when he attacked Obama’s judgment on national security questions.

VoteVets Takes On Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell

Spencer Ackerman — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:59:16 +0000

Don’t miss this excellent and heartfelt post from Brandon Friedman of VoteVets, the progressive veterans’ organization, going after the 1000 retired generals and admirals who want to retain the military’s ban on service from out gays and lesbians.

The fact that 1,000 long-retired generals are frightened of gay people is not the modern military’s problem. Their antiquated homophobia is theirs and theirs alone. As I’ve said before, with two wars raging, as long as you can shoot straight–or speak Arabic or Pashto–it’s shouldn’t matter whether or not you are straight. Leaders like General Magnus should know that better than anyone.

Magnus is a Jewish retired Marine officer who rightly punched a captain in the face for calling him a Jew Boy.

The Washington Independent » brandon friedman

A Squad Leader’s Yearly Salary or an Hour in an F-22?

VoteVets Takes On Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell