The 2016 fiscal year military budget has been approved by the US Senate by a vote of 91 to 3. The total amount is $ 607 billion and makes provisions for a pay raise of 1.3 %, a 401(k) style retirement plan and a ban on the closure of the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay Cuba (which come election time the GOP will blast Obama for not closing as he promised when elected). There is $ 51 billion "for US combat operations abroad" and "$ 715 million to help Iraqi forces fight Islamic State and $ 406 million to boost Syrian opposition forces" (something we were told was a complete failure and going to be shut down). Another $ 50 billion for active duty and retiree health care. The issue that I have a problem with is that less than 10 % of this budget is for military activities in the field of combat. So where does the rest of the money going? Into someones pocket, I would guess. (Info from "How they Voted" in The Virginian Pilot on 9/15/15).
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Racism in America. An article in The Virginian Pilot on 11/22/15 reports on a World War II military unit of African American women from Virginia. They were the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and were the "first and only all-black women's Army unit sent overseas". Their job was to organize the mail delivery system to the troops in the field. The article was about the families of two of the women who served in that unit and had died recently. It was reported that in Virginia, educational opportunities for blacks was limited due to the fact that the state didn't offer high school classes for African Americans before 1934. It is also noted that "Jim Crow" was present in Europe for these women. When several of the women from the 6888th were selected for a WAC all-star basketball team went to London in 1945 to compete they were told "official policy forbade mixed race teams" so they could not compete. At the same time the Red Cross wanted to but the black players in a segregated hotel; they refused to patronize.
(Source: "Delivering Morale" by James F. Lee of the VP)
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