Six-figure contract for some, food stamps for others...

I find it interesting that the government is trying to retain large numbers of experienced service people with large cash bonuses. Hit here to read the AP article on yahoo that talks about this issue. If the businesses feel that it hasn't been a significant drain, isn't this really making an effort to extend the tours of already career military men? I say men since I don't believe that the green berets and navy seals receiving the payments allow women.

I do know that there are servicemen and women who are barely making the equivalent of minimum wage and many families are on food stamps. All the 'benefits' referred too in that article are available on the base only, and the quality of housing is vastly different for non-officers than it is for officers and their families. If the Pentagon is having trouble paying the younger troupes, most of whom are young men and women with young families and children, than how is it able to afford paying six figure bonuses to anyone? If these career soldiers are so experienced, how about they lead the tactical training and drills to better prepare the younger and less-experienced soldiers, then the military could cut down on the number of high bonuses they hand out and maybe the families with children could afford to send their kids to competitive local schools, afford better child health care, pay for spouses to go to school or receive job training and a host of other things. Maybe they could even take better care of the surviving families of those who have already lost their lives. Wouldn't that be worth the money?