Cronyism ****ing Over the Troops

#1
n_huffhines

n_huffhines

What's it gonna cost?
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Mar 11, 2009
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#1
It's one thing when lawmakers screw over the consumer, it's another when the consumer is the military. WTF

Did you know that the military is required to buy uniforms and boots that are made in the USA? Aside from the unintended effects of such a mandate (hint: it hinders economic growth, costs jobs and makes us relatively poorer), until now it hasn't applied to sneakers because it's difficult to find athletic footwear made in the United States. Most sneakers are made in Asia.

So recruits receive a cash allowance to buy sneakers. Army and Air Force recruits may choose from 14 different variations of shoes between men and women at troop stores. More consumer choice is always good, but in this case the health of the troops is also at stake. The military spends $100 million annually to treat injuries to new recruits, with 80 percent treating injuries to lower extremities. Not everyone has the same type of foot, so the wider the choice of sneakers the fewer injuries.
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The Military Is About to Buy A Lot of New Balance Shoes. Thank Cronyism. - Reason.com
 
#2
#2
n_huffhines said:
It's one thing when lawmakers screw over the consumer, it's another when the consumer is the military. WTF



The Military Is About to Buy A Lot of New Balance Shoes. Thank Cronyism. - Reason.com
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1. US uniforms are made in the US by people with severe disabilities, like being blind, or other malady's that make regular employment difficult. The evil US government even has a program where prisoners manufacture all sorts of industrial and office equipment/furniture that we are forced to buy.

2. 3 choices? When I went in The Force we had ZERO choice.. we got a pair of New Balance shoe and some combat boots, and that was almost 20 years ago. When you are not a recruit you can wear whatever you like. And 250,000 shoes a year? Thats a made up number like $15 minimum wage. Choices create individuals which destroys unit cohesion and makes the military a bunch of p######.

3. Guess what? Most of our equipment is all made in the evil USA! Damn those protectionist laws that keep countries with zero regulation and oversight from getting a fair shake at providing the military with goods. I bet China makes some fine cheap parachutes..


In summary,

Feigned rage by people who literally know nothing about the military.
 
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#3
#3
Why yes, sarge, I do so much just looove this chartruse chiffon as the color for my combat blouse. What do you think?
 
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#4
#4
FLVOL_79 said:
In summary,

Feigned rage by people who literally know nothing about the military.
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None of your points are a reason to limit their current choices. They don't have to have a protectionist law in place to buy the clothes made by the people with disability. Your experience is irrelevant. It's in the past and cannot change. Just because you had it ****ty, doesn't mean guys today should.
 
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#5
#5
Not sure if you guys have ever had to run in shoes that don't fit your feet well. It can be the difference between sore calves at a mile, and 5 easy miles.
 
#6
#6
Sidetracking I guess, but 100 million each year on new recruit injuries? I'd like to see the math with that?
 
#7
#7
n_huffhines said:
Not sure if you guys have ever had to run in shoes that don't fit your feet well. It can be the difference between sore calves at a mile, and 5 easy miles.
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And that's why that person shouldnt be in the military. The Army isn't to get your 10K sticker for your Prius.

Interesting fact: Combat boots are worn more than running shoes...




Unless you are a women and get a waiver because, well, you're a woman..
 
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#9
#9
I've always been a firm believer that AAFES and Clothing & Sales is a rip-off.
 
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#10
#10
FLVOL_79 said:
And that's why that person shouldnt be in the military. The Army isn't to get your 10K sticker for your Prius.

Interesting fact: Combat boots are worn more than running shoes...

Unless you are a women and get a waiver because, well, you're a woman..
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Why not make everything completely uncomfortable for them and if anybody has a complaint we can just say "they shouldn't be in the military."?

By your reasoning, one could argue they shouldn't even have shoes besides boots.
 
#11
#11
n_huffhines said:
None of your points are a reason to limit their current choices. They don't have to have a protectionist law in place to buy the clothes made by the people with disability. Your experience is irrelevant. It's in the past and cannot change. Just because you had it ****ty, doesn't mean guys today should.
Click to expand...

The military isn't for individuals. That is absolutely why you limit choices. That is why you dont get to start with choices. As I stated above if you haven't been in the military you will never be able to wrap your mind around the idea of breaking down the individual to build up the unit. But that's ok it isn't your fault for not knowing.

Dude I was in the Air Force. My "sh!ttiest" experience was having to move to from one hotel to another during a deployment and not having a rental car... and that takes top spot after I spent months in the Pakistani countryside sleeping outdoors getting shot at while eating MRE's and taking 2 showers in 3 months and digging catholes to crap in while listening to hyenas meander through our camp at night while taking pills to keep ecoli and malaria at bay while hoping my m-16's training magazines that were dented to hell didn't jam when I needed them and not being able to tell my family where I was for months and running out of cigarettes. :salute:
 
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#13
#13
n_huffhines said:
Why not make everything completely uncomfortable for them and if anybody has a complaint we can just say "they shouldn't be in the military."?

By your reasoning, one could argue they shouldn't even have shoes besides boots.
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Sometimes you don't have anything besides boots. I know trying out for Air Assault I didn't get to wear my Brooks...

Now I cant speak for other branches but in the Air Force we all go the SAME New Balance shoes. They measured your feet and you got length and width calculated and received the shoe. If you developed shin splints or other problems you usually got kicked out because you will wear boots more than you do sneakers while on the job. Stretch, hydrate, know your limits, don't be a moron, and everyone will be fine. Still getting the splints? Then you probably have a medical problem that will preclude you from serving.

And its about recruits. Basic training isn't comfortable. You don't get to wear regular clothes. They shave your f##king head! I have awesome hair! That was almost too much! You have to stand in single file lines to eat chow and usually have to eat so fast you might puke when you stand up, you have to fold your towels a specific way, you (once upon a time) shined your boots to a mirror finish, sleep under wool blankets, experience massive sleep deprivation, I mean "torture"..
 
#14
#14
Good socks and two pair of combat boots and that fit you IS ALL YOU NEED.

Wore them all through Basic at Fort Knox and we did 20 mile forced marches in them during combat medic AIT at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.
Got new jungle boots in Nam.

What is all this shiet about CHOICE of frickin sneakers?

Get out o'here!
 
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#16
#16
FLVOL_79 said:
The military isn't for individuals. That is absolutely why you limit choices. That is why you dont get to start with choices. As I stated above if you haven't been in the military you will never be able to wrap your mind around the idea of breaking down the individual to build up the unit. But that's ok it isn't your fault for not knowing.

Dude I was in the Air Force. My "sh!ttiest" experience was having to move to from one hotel to another during a deployment and not having a rental car... and that takes top spot after I spent months in the Pakistani countryside sleeping outdoors getting shot at while eating MRE's and taking 2 showers in 3 months and digging catholes to crap in while listening to hyenas meander through our camp at night while taking pills to keep ecoli and malaria at bay while hoping my m-16's training magazines that were dented to hell didn't jam when I needed them and not being able to tell my family where I was for months and running out of cigarettes. :salute:
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Were you in a special ops group?
 
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#17
#17
n_huffhines said:
So sounds like you small government conservatives are mad that NB got the shoe contract then, right?
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I don't know what you do for a living but generally it doesn't make sense to order the same thing from multiple providers. cheaper in bulk, one person/entity to deal with etc. so are you upset that the military uses one source, or who that one source is?

and it makes a hell of a lot of sense for the military to require American made products only.
 
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#19
#19
LouderVol said:
I don't know what you do for a living but generally it doesn't make sense to order the same thing from multiple providers. cheaper in bulk, one person/entity to deal with etc. so are you upset that the military uses one source, or who that one source is?

and it makes a hell of a lot of sense for the military to require American made products only.
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Yeah. This makes sense. When I walk into Foot Locker they only have 1 brand because shipping and management cost is crippling when you have more than 1 supplier.

Aside from that, it's basically a single bid contract. They didn't have anybody to compete with so I highly doubt they got the best deal possible.
 
#20
#20
n_huffhines said:
So sounds like you small government conservatives are mad that NB got the shoe contract then, right?
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I could care less. We weren't allowed to buy Nike running shoes in basic. Had to wear NB but the first thinking I brought when I got out was a par of Nike 4.0s because NB are trash. The thing about the military is that almost every item is contracted by one contractor. From uniforms to weapons to vehicles to printer paper. Everything is made by the lowest bidder.
 
#21
#21
Orangedogsrule said:
Good socks and two pair of combat boots and that fit you IS ALL YOU NEED.

Wore them all through Basic at Fort Knox and we did 20 mile forced marches in them during combat medic AIT at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.
Got new jungle boots in Nam.

What is all this shiet about CHOICE of frickin sneakers?

Get out o'here!
Click to expand...

Things have changed.
 
#22
#22
Orangedogsrule said:
Good socks and two pair of combat boots and that fit you IS ALL YOU NEED.

Wore them all through Basic at Fort Knox and we did 20 mile forced marches in them during combat medic AIT at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.
Got new jungle boots in Nam.

What is all this shiet about CHOICE of frickin sneakers?

Get out o'here!
Click to expand...

We did PT in tennis shoes but I know we weren't issued any. To the best of my recollection you either showed up with a pair of mostly white running shoes or they took you to the PX to buy some.
 
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#23
#23
Why would you want US taxpayer money going to a foreign country to procure war goods? Yay more choices, I love my new Chinese sneakers with the exclusive polonium infused inserts.
 
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#24
#24
n_huffhines said:
Yeah. This makes sense. When I walk into Foot Locker they only have 1 brand because shipping and management cost is crippling when you have more than 1 supplier.

Aside from that, it's basically a single bid contract. They didn't have anybody to compete with so I highly doubt they got the best deal possible.
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entirely possible. *but thats capitalism for you, New Balance fills a niche than none of the other big players can, so they get the contract. you should really be talking about the failing of capitalism that there aren't more providers that meet the military's requirements.*

foot locker is a distributor, of course they are going to have multiple manufacturers; your smarter than this. the military is the end user and they aren't going to use multiple manufacturers.
 
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#25
#25
There's a company here that makes tents and uniforms for the military.

They take folks with disabilities, both mental and physical and teach them a job. Provide them with nice homes and transportation.

They do a lot for the community as well.
 
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