Comments on: Army To Pay $150,000 For Arabic Speakers http://donklephant.com/2008/08/05/army-to-pay-150000-for-arabic-speakers/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Rich Horton http://donklephant.com/2008/08/05/army-to-pay-150000-for-arabic-speakers/comment-page-1/#comment-412771 Rich Horton Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:08:06 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=6661#comment-412771 How is this "buying our way out of the problem" exactly? You have an in-demand skill that few have....hmmm....low supply + high demand = high salary. What occupation doesn't work that way? Plus, I've never once heard someone in the military complain about the difference in pay for special ops folks. Individuals work their butts off trying to get into those units, and often wash out. Not everyone is cut out for elite units and the troops accept it. Same here...not everyone is going to be able to pick up a difficult to learn language like Arabic...although they are all welcome to try. I'm sure the US was paying a premium for Russian speakers in 1947 too. We adjusted and by the late 1980's we had too many to employ. How is this “buying our way out of the problem” exactly? You have an in-demand skill that few have….hmmm….low supply + high demand = high salary. What occupation doesn’t work that way?

Plus, I’ve never once heard someone in the military complain about the difference in pay for special ops folks. Individuals work their butts off trying to get into those units, and often wash out. Not everyone is cut out for elite units and the troops accept it. Same here…not everyone is going to be able to pick up a difficult to learn language like Arabic…although they are all welcome to try.

I’m sure the US was paying a premium for Russian speakers in 1947 too. We adjusted and by the late 1980′s we had too many to employ.

]]> By: kritter http://donklephant.com/2008/08/05/army-to-pay-150000-for-arabic-speakers/comment-page-1/#comment-412727 kritter Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:12:13 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=6661#comment-412727 I must have missed that pre-9/11 hue and cry from all those folks more far-sighted than the Army, counseling a massive effort to train arabic speakers. Seriously folks, if the choice is between not having arabic speakers and paying market rate, there's not much to argue about, now is there? The anti-gay policy is of course moronic. Though I suspect that with the retention bonuses as high as stated, we're talking about more than 58 openings. I must have missed that pre-9/11 hue and cry from all those folks more far-sighted than the Army, counseling a massive effort to train arabic speakers. Seriously folks, if the choice is between not having arabic speakers and paying market rate, there’s not much to argue about, now is there?

The anti-gay policy is of course moronic. Though I suspect that with the retention bonuses as high as stated, we’re talking about more than 58 openings.

]]> By: wj http://donklephant.com/2008/08/05/army-to-pay-150000-for-arabic-speakers/comment-page-1/#comment-412724 wj Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:44:33 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=6661#comment-412724 To expand on what Gold Star said, just consider it the price you pay to avoid having gays in the military. Obviously the damage to morale from gays is greater than that from the vast differential for linguists. Obviously -- even though the troops (as opposed to the generals) don't seem to think so. To expand on what Gold Star said, just consider it the price you pay to avoid having gays in the military. Obviously the damage to morale from gays is greater than that from the vast differential for linguists. Obviously — even though the troops (as opposed to the generals) don’t seem to think so.

]]> By: Gold Star for Robot Boy http://donklephant.com/2008/08/05/army-to-pay-150000-for-arabic-speakers/comment-page-1/#comment-412722 Gold Star for Robot Boy Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:08:24 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=6661#comment-412722 Or, the Army could've kept the 58 Arabic linguists who happen to be gay. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/23/america/NA-GEN-US-Military-Gays.php Nah. That's crazy talk. Or, the Army could’ve kept the 58 Arabic linguists who happen to be gay.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/23/america/NA-GEN-US-Military-Gays.php
Nah. That’s crazy talk.

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