Thanks, but no...

Stars and Stripes reported Monday that Under Secretary of Defense Michael Dominguez announced the Pentagon would be suspending a $1000.00 per month stipend troops receive for each contiguous month spent in Iraq past the first year. The stipend, while not generally viewed as an inducement to extend one’s tour in the war zone, was accepted as a concrete means to reduce the unfair burden extended deployments by providing compensation in other areas. For example, under the old rules, a trooper who spent 14 months in Iraq would receive an extra two grand in his paycheck

Under the new plan, troops would not be compensated monetarily, but would receive one additional day off for every month in combat after the first year. A trooper who returns home after 14 months in Iraq would now receive – an extra two days off.

My first reaction to this was that it was a joke. When I realized they were serious, I was incredulous. Do you know what you can do with your extra two days, Mr. Dominguez? You can shove it up your God-dammned ass. I can’t believe you could even propose something so insulting. Why don’t you come over here for a year, and then be told that you’re going to be extended an additional two or three months in this hell hole, but, oh, it’s okay – you’ll be getting a long weekend out of it. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you keep your money and your two days? And just leave us the fuck alone.

I am gonna go run now, to work out some of this frustration.