Bad for morale.

Reading "An Army of Debt" (by Anne-Marie Cusac, April issue) and similar pieces in other magazines and newspapers, I am somewhat puzzled. The armed services, whether regular Army, Reserve, or National Guard, are instruments of war. These forces were not set up to provide educational opportunities or any other civilian purpose. People who join up must be aware of the pay and the possibility of going to war. Unless you want to be a soldier, you shouldn't join up. If you do it for any other reason, there's no point in whining about it.

Olaf Mend

Chicago, Illinois

"An Army of Debt," by Anne-Marie Cusac, "Bush's Odd Warfare State," by Barbara Ehrenreich, and "The Ultimate Betrayal," by Howard Zinn (April issue) leave one in a state of righteous indignation. Why are we not bombarding the White House and our Congressmen with phone calls, letters, and e-mails decrying this abominable situation?

The latter part of Ehrenreich's article included one sentence that brings to mind another covered-up betrayal: "If the citizens get too demanding, you can always resort to an army of foreign mercenaries." According to U.S. laws, we cannot use mercenaries in fighting, but the Administration has managed to get around this by privatizing some military jobs. By giving Halliburton the jobs of handling military mail and running the mess halls, the Administration has succeeded in taking those jobs away from our military (while increasing taxpayer costs) and leaving our volunteer forces, the Reservists, and National Guard only the job of fighting and dying.

Those who manage to make it home without physical wounds are still going to be suffering mental horrors. In addition, those in the Reserves and National Guard left behind lives and jobs outside the military when they were sent overseas. Now they are going to be faced with the monumental task of digging themselves out of the financial hole into which their loyalty to their country has put them. And the Armed Forces chiefs wonder why so many are committing suicide? Their question should be, "Why so few?"

Patricia M. Koster

Williston, Florida 

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