Editor,
I have no issue with the majority of Daniel Martinez's letter in Friday's Daily Lobo. He is free to disagree with the Iraq war and President Bush. However, I have a huge problem with Martinez referring to military personnel as "gullible suckers" who chose to bypass a legitimate education and were baited by ridiculous
bonuses.
Before I joined the Marines, I attended an exclusive four-year private university in Washington. Another enlisted Marine in my platoon had his master's degree in business. My platoon sergeant dropped out of school 12 credits shy of a chemical engineering degree to serve his country, and two other friends are more than 30 years old and were successful chefs making $80,000 per year before joining the Marines.
I am disgusted that anyone would imply military personnel are taking the easy way out or are in any way less intelligent than some high-and-mighty college student. On the contrary, I think Martinez could learn a whole lot from any service member from any branch of the military.
Neither I nor any Marine I know ever got a signing bonus. The bonuses we are offered are an incentive to stay in past the standard four-year commitment, not to lure us away before we get a "legitimate education." In fact, the military gives me $1,000 a month so I can get educated. I can't speak for the Air Force, Army or the Navy, but I don't think these bonuses are so ridiculous when one considers the starting pay is less than a teacher makes and every day could be your last.
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It is pretty sad there are people out there who think joining the military is an easy decision for "low-income individuals, minorities and inexperienced youth." Being a soldier, a Marine, an airman or a sailor is something to be proud of. The one thing we all have in common is pride - it has nothing to do with being gullible.
Phillip Camp
UNM student
