WTF?!? Miller bodyguards at forum included ACTIVE-DUTY Soldiers

[kpete]

Miller bodyguards at forum included active-duty soldiers

Questions surround Miller's use of security force at school

By RICHARD MAUER
[e-mail]

Published: October 18th, 2010 10:17 PM
Last Modified: October 19th, 2010 08:06 AM

Was Joe Miller required to bring a security detail to his town hall meeting Sunday at Central Middle School?

That's what Miller, the Republican Senate candidate, told two national cable news networks Monday in the wake of the arrest by his security squad of an online journalist at his public event.

But the school district said there was no such requirement made of Miller -- he only had to provide a hall and parking lot monitor, and advise participants of school district courtesy and food rules.

Meanwhile, the Army says that two of the guards who assisted in the arrest of the journalist and who tried to prevent two other reporters from filming the detention were active-duty soldiers moonlighting for Miller's security contractor, the Drop Zone, a Spenard surplus store and protection service.


Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/10/18/1507982/questions-surround-use-of-security.html#ixzz12pWaTgFz

[ejpoeta]

1. should active duty soldiers be moonilighting at a poltical event?

[trayfoot]

3. Not in my humble opinion!

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. No, that is an actual violation

They can attend in civvies. Work security... I think they crossed a line.

[aquart]

2. Our soldiers MOONLIGHT? On active duty???????????

Wow. That should leave them alert and ready.

[WillyT]

4. Welcome To Republican Nirvana...

:banghead:

:shrug:

[TwilightGardener]

8. Lots of them do. Lower ranks don't get paid a whole lot, often have families.

[SoCalDem]

13. temping in an office, working as a waiter, selling cars, maybe

but acting as a hired goon at a political event & arresting people?..not so much

[TwilightGardener]

16. Now that's true--that's a new one to me.

[Statistical]

10. Lots of soldiers work a second job.

Lower enlisted get paid next to nothing. Enough if you are single and just need spending money but hardly enough to support a family.

It shouldn't be anymore surprising that lower enlisted work a second job then it is that someone making minimum wage at Walmart needs a second job. An E-1 gets about $1400 a month. Assuming soldiers work 2000 hours per year (LOL anyone in military knows you are going to work a lot more than that) that works out to $8.40 an hour.

As you move up into NCO ranks and gain years of experience the pay improves but nobody gets rich in the Army (well except maybe Generals).

I worked at UPS when I was in the Army during Christmas rush season.

[Obamanaut]

18. It is true that base pay for E1 is about $1400/month, but it is also true

that unless one is a complete screw-up, there are not many who are E1 after basic training. E2 for example is slightly over $1600/month base pay, for a single enlisted. If this single enlisted lives on base and eats in the dining hall, he/she has no rent/food expense, and no medical insurance expense - so the whole amount (after taxes) is available for frivolities.

If the member has dependents, the allowances are added to that base pay. Not 'millionaire-generating', but I know many non-military who support families on similar amounts as an E2 with dependents.

Pay scales at this link http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/militarypaytables/2010WebPayTable34.pdf

[kenny blankenship]

6. But a Brown Shirt is not a military uniform, so technically they're in the clear.

[DeSwiss]

7. K&R

Kpete, here's your missing part:

"There was a -- a private security team that was required. We had to hire them because the school required that as a term in their lease."

- Of course in addition to everything else wrong with this guy, he's a goddamned liar too. And a bad liar at that......

[kpete]

9. bullshit

the school district said there was NO such requirement made of Miller -- he only had to provide a hall and parking lot monitor, and advise participants of school district courtesy and food rules.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/10/18/1507982/questions-surround-use-of-security.html#ixzz12pZ39Gtv

[DeSwiss]

11. Yeah I know, that's the line I was referring to earlier.

And from what I've read and seen thusfar during his whole campaign, he's lied so many times and for such innocuous reasons and about such stupid things. This guy is bad news in so many ways.

- I believe he has some serious mental issues. And I'm not even talking about the beard....

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. So, the Army says, according to the article

"the two soldiers did not have permission from their current chain of command to work for the Drop Zone, but the Army was still researching whether previous company or brigade commanders authorized their employment.

The Army allows off-duty soldiers to take outside employment if the job doesn't interfere with their readiness, doesn't risk their own injury and doesn't negatively affect the "good order" and discipline of their unit, Coppernoll said."

What time of day was this event?

[Blue_In_AK]

17. Afternoon on Sunday.

[Bitwit1234]

14. I know the military is poorly paid, but this should not be allowed.

[Statistical]

23. Why?

I mean they shouldn't get any special treatment or protection but why shouldn't soldiers be allowed to pursue 3rd party employment?

Now (based on limited information) the soldiers violated the law and they should be punished but I don't see any reason to pre-emptively prevent all soldiers from securing part time employment.

[Bonhomme Richard]

15. "doesn't risk their own injury" I would say being a security........

guard would fall into that category.

[Ikonoklast]

19. I hope they get good lawyers.

They'll need a couple dozen part-time jobs trying to fight the charges coming their way.

[Scurrilous]

20. WTF indeed. n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

21. Also note that The Drop Zone apparently was not licensed

to act as "security" for anyone. Please see The Immoral Minority here: http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2010/10/joe-millers-security-goons-were-not.html

[TexasObserver]

22. That figures. They acted like guys with no knowledge of the law.

They acted like guys who thought they were rounding up citizens of the country they were occupying, with the same lack of regard that is so common to our presence in two wars in which we are foreign occupiers mistreating the people who live there.

They should be disciplined by the military and prosecuted by civilians.