U.S. Army Europe Eliminates Funding For Welcome-Home Celebrations For Troops

[ProSense]

U.S. Army Europe Eliminates Funding For Welcome-Home Celebrations For Troops

In Feb. 2005, President Bush visited U.S. troops stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany and thanked them for “serving our great land.”

But that gratitude extends only so far. Those U.S. troops in Wiesbaden — and others stationed in Europe — will no longer receive welcome-home celebrations from the U.S. military. Stars and Stripes reports that the U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) is cutting troop celebrations in an effort to save money:

In response to continuing financial strains, U.S. Army Europe has canceled all welcome home celebrations for units returning from deployment through this fiscal year, halting the tradition of free food, rides and other community festivities for returning soldiers and their families.

While USAREUR cited cost-saving reasons for its decision to cut the celebrations, it was “unable to say how much the command would save by canceling the events, or what a celebration typically costs.” One of the largest units to be affected by the decision will be the 1st Armored Division’s 1st Brigade, based in Friedberg, Germany. It has been in Iraq since Jan. 2006, and was supposed to come home in January, but had its deployment extended by six weeks.

As Fred Steube, a Vietnam veteran and organizer of a May 2005 welcome-home celebration for Arkansas National Guard and Reserve members, noted, these celebrations are a way “to give these troops the welcome home we never got. … This celebration is the least we could do to express our gratitude.”

Wonder if this came up at the Super Bowl party last year:

Halliburton Execs: You Gotta Fight For Your Right to (Throw a Taxpayer-Funded) Party (in Iraq)

[Ezlivin]

1. Maybe we can give them a magnetic yellow ribbon for their car or prosthesis

That oughta cheer 'em right up!

I'm a disabled veteran who is damned glad that he doesn't have to serve right now. War fucking sucks.

[ProSense]

2. It really is terrible.

It would be one thing if these funds were being allocated to provide proper care for the troops returning from war, but as it stands, it seems that's not the case.

[madrchsod]

3. my generation was demonetized for not having

parades after the fall of vietnam...now the government of the coward in charge is actually doing the same. i get the feeling he does`t care..........