Asymmetric Military

The Jim Webb amendment to HRHR 1585, #2012, is intended by Virginia Senator Jim Webb to help those soldiers upon whom the burden of the war has fallen most heavily. Basically, it says that soldiers can't stay deployed for a time longer than they "nest" or stay at home. So, a soldier can't be deployed for 12 months and only stay home for 11; they have to stay home at least 12 months before leaving again.

It sounds like a great idea. Who wouldn't want soldiers staying home? Webb thinks their leader don't- which brings me to the problem I have with this amendment in particular and with union-type legislation for public service employees in general. Webb assumes hostility between decision-makers and those they lead, or, in other words, Webb believes that the Army can perform its duty with a more liberal rotation policy and that it doesn't because it wants to be mean.

In business, a union may want to mandate certain break times because the boss, having profit as a motive, may not have the best interests of the worker at heart (although some may argue that even this theory doesn't apply as a smart employer wouldn't abuse his workers for fear of propelling them to his competitor). In government, however, the motivation is supposed to be public service. If the government can't assume that its employees want what's best for their workers, then the whole thing is lost.

Webb needs to take for granted that the secretary of defense and the generals deploy only as many soldiers as they need for as little time possible to complete the mission. To take away that flexibility would certainly force military leaders to make compromises and thus hamper the war effort.

It's the same reason I'm against No Child Left Behind. If the parents, teachers, and principals don't care about education, what can the federal government do?

This is a blog with another opinion.