Obama wants my Job

[87OldYeller]

Well looks like it is my turn,

I am in the Gulf Strike Team and my Job in is called out in this article.
This month the Coast Guard cut right at 1200 people and last month i believe it was around 700. These number may not sound to high but the Coast Guard from start to finish is 42,000 people yes that is right 42,000 we (the Coast Guard) are smaller than the  New York Police Dept. When i say cut i mean they hand you walking papers and you are out. These people did not do anything wrong, there just is not enough funding to support their job so they were discharged. Along with 5 Boats all of our  NEW Helicopter’s U know the pretty bright orange ones you might see on TV, and all there short range falcon planes(All this was announced this month along with the 1200 people cut).  So much for job security in the military. Now Obama wants another 1100 people gone.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-02-25-coast-guard-nominee_N.htm

[choptop]

Id be happy to hand him his walking papers, but thats another topic. Hang in there, maybe you wont be one of the many he has sent to the un employment line.

[Lt.Del]

i keep thinking about the movie "The Perfect Storm" and how the brave and well-trained Coast Guard is as they risk their lives out there to try and save boaters who got in over their heads.   Sebastian Junger's book by the same name is a nonfiction book.  If i recall correctly, a Coast Guardsman died rescuing others and after the copter went down.  

This is just an example of what they do.  I won't even get into the war against drug smuggling and boats coming into Gulf states and Florida.

They have an important job of search and rescue and recovery like JFK jr's airplane crash, the three football players last year off of Florida whose boat capsized, etc....However, I will say this; I don't want millions of tax dollars going to rescue morons who get in over their heads and don't have the boating skills of a toddler in an intertube in the neighborhood swimming pool.

If you play in the oceans thinking nothing will happen to you, suffer the consequences!  

However, we must keep enough Coast Guardsmen for the bona fide jobs around the thousands of miles of U.S. coastlines--what is that number?  I don't know, but, I know that ALL of gov't has gotten very fat over the last decade or two.  All local jurisdictions have as well.  Time to trim the fat.  I am speaking from experience here.  I worked for county gov't and have been doing so for nearly 19 years.  We will not get a raise for the 2nd year in a row because our leaders don't want to lay people off. I say, lay people off if we can't afford to have them.  Last hired, first fired.  I am all for that. People who have not vested much time in their occupation should go if we can't afford them.  Let those of us who have paid our way get our measly 4.0% annual raise that we normally get in "good" times.  My daycare, medical, living expenses aren't holding steady, they are increasing.  My salary should increase as well.  We can work with fewer people in our jobs.  We have more civillian support jobs now in law enforcement than we have ever, ever had.  We don't need all those.    

If they lay off people in the Coast Guard based on the last hired, there should be little problem.  I don't know how they are doing it.  With experience in the Coast Guard, it is only a matter of time before other branches of military will need that experience and hire those laid off.  Transfers should be made from Coast Guard to other branches to reduce problems.

Real money, however, can be saved by adopting new procedures as to when to search and rescue.  Three people who go out fishing and capsize thier boat is unfortunate.  But, is it worth a $5 million effort who don't have to reimburse taxpayers?  Darwin's law of survival of the fittest (and smartest) must be allowed to run its course.  But that's not P.C.  We must cater to knukleheads who drain our tax money.  Send one copter out, that's it.  Search for 4 hours.  Can't find them?  too bad.
  

[87OldYeller]

I looked into that, you can transfer to another branch but you have to be out of the Coast Guard First (maybe not be a problem) but the Amery is the only reasonable option for me. I would go from E-5 to E-3, but a pay cut (would be around 700 a month) is better than no pay at all.

My hope was to ride out this unit and get out before they shut it down but looks like i am going to miss that date by about 4 months.

I do hold a CDL, guess i could go drive a Dump Truck...

[Lt.Del]

My hope was to ride out this unit and get out before they shut it down but looks like i am going to miss that date by about 4 months

see, that really sux.  Get rid of the newer fellows, not the ones approaching retirement.  That's stupid!  Let the 19 and 20 yr olds be the ones to look for a job, they have their entire lives ahead of them to earn a living, not the ones getting ready to call it quits and must make a specific number of years to retire w/ benefits...spending 20 yrs of your life in a job just to get axed w/ months to go to lock in to retirement pension is stupid.   People will go postal in that scenario.

[Zeked]

I was surprised to see Coasties in S.E.A. but they were really (!) welcome.
Nothin but a good group of folks.

Thanks for your service and commitment.   wish I could do/say more.

Stand Tall

Zeke

[Captkaos]

My cousin retired from the Coast Guard.  That is just sad...

[87OldYeller]

Well the whole point of this thread is just to raise awareness, I mean yes it sucks there doing away with the unit i am in but the bigger picture is there down sizing the Coast Guard again. It will bounce back, but just though i would pass this as general info on some of Obama's bad Ideas.

[CreativeNotice]

It's amazing to me how the Feds (mostly liberals) will spend boat loads of cash on stuff they were never supposed to, and cut funding for protecting our borders... one of the very few tasks the Federal government was actually created to do.

[Grover 1]

Yes, how many millions of dollars do we send to countries that hate our guts or to dictators that make themselves rich.  Meanwhile our country is being invaded by third world people that just want to get on the government teat.

[80stepsideguy]

Sorry to hear this man.I respect our brave men and woen in the armed forces and i seen some of these bad (you know the last word) helicopters at where i work in florida.They are impressive units and i hope this knucklehead of a president we all got in office sees cutting the military is not the right thing to do.My uncle was recently forced YES I SAID IT RIGHT FORCED to retire as he had over 38 years in the national guard.He was so upset it was his 2nd income.But the idiots we got in the white house will soon realize we need the armed forces to keep this country safe..I  don`t want to get into a politicla argument as i hate politics as bad as a seized up big block.But ill leave it at that as i respect you oldyeller for doing a stand up job as well as the others that served our country here on this forum to not make this a disagrement on chris`s forum...

thanks
pat