Business
IDF restricting use of fuel
Naama Sikuler
Published: 14.04.09, 10:11
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1. Good idea...
Andy ,   ramat hasharon   (04.14.09)
everybody has to tighten his belt.
2. this is rediculous
zionist forever   (04.14.09)
If a car needs gas it needs gas and the amount it needs is based on the journey. This is an unfair rule, if somebody is on business for the IDF and they need more fuel than their quota then they have to pay for it out their own pocket. With this law I would not drive for the IDF why should I have to pay for their business? Saving money through something as basic as this and this year there will of course be more budget cuts. Bibi who loves nothing better than taking money from the IDF to pay for other projects because civilians don't notice IDF budget cuts until they have to go and fight a war and budget cuts have resulted in lack of equipment or training just like in Lebanon. After the next round of cuts soilders are probably going to be asked to buy their own bullets if they fire more than they have in their magazines.
3. To Zionist Forever #2. ABUNDANCE of Solar Energy.
Maansingh ,   The Netherlands   (04.14.09)
You say :”.. if somebody is on business for the IDF ..” Then the IDF has to pay. The IDF has to venture into solar energy. There is an ABUNDANCE of solar energy -- the Military should use as much energy as they NEED, in order to be able to defend Israel properly.
4. Using government vehicles to survey the terrain may
Rivkah   (04.14.09)
seem like a waste of fuel in their off duty time; but I can assure you, that is what Ariel Sharon did long ago so he would know every nook and cranny and gulley in the area he was assigned to protect. He had to know the land like the back of his hand, wherever he was stationed. So I disagree with this cost saving measure. It interferes with training that is often done on off duty time. It may look like the family is going on a picnic, but familiarity of the terrain is critical in battles. It is like taxi drivers have to learn about a lot of places to know the best routes to avoid problems and to anticipate requests. If a taxi driver drives all day to know his terrain, surely IDF should be given more fuel to know the terrain even better.
5. Rivkah you obviously haven't served in the IDF
Genuine Tosefta ,   Tveria   (04.15.09)
These are vehicles like regular cars to transport officers from home to military bases and from one military office to another on paved roads only. For strict military activities other all terrain and armored vehicles are used which is not what the article is referring to. This is what Sharon used as well.
6. 5 GT: I have not served in the IDF, but I have served in
Rivkah   (04.15.09)
miltary with two honorable discharges as a commissioned officer. The book "The Warrior" by Ariel Sharon says he toured terrains extensively in the IDF. If he had to pay for the fuel himself to do that, that would have been a hardship. He did not always have a ranch and farm for income. That came later in life. You expect too much of the IDF who want to be the best they can be. Checking out a car from the motor pool on a military base to survey the terrain should be at taxpayer expense, not individual expense. Sharon drove around military bases in a jeep with his son Gur at his side. Was he supposed to pay for the fuel, too, whenever his son was onboard? The military in the USA is so impoverished that many enlisteds are on food stamps and have to also draw supplies from a chapel locker to get through the month. They are supposed to pay for fuel for government vehicles, too? The wives and children dress like ragamuffins, unable to afford the clothing at the base stores which is expensive. Only the commissary gives a discount of about a third less for groceries than in town stores. The housing for US military is shameful in most places. There are some newer housing, but most is old and shabby. But these people are expected to put their lives on the line 24/7. A US Marine General liked to start lectures at officers training courses with, "If you think you are any better than the enlisted who do so much for so little, then leave right now." Then he taught them to eat on training missions only after the enlisteds have eaten, to make sure there was enough food for them, with the most senior officer eating last, to see what the situation was at all times on maneuvers. There are other ways of saving money in the IDF, such as an EMP attack on Iran to put out the electricity and reduce the hazard from their electronics weaponry.
7. Rivkah, #7
Michael ,   Ra'anana, Israel   (04.18.09)
I'm so glad you could share your experience. Different countries, different needs, different attitudes. This article is purely about the standard, on-road vehicles that officers often abuse the privilege of having for weekend picnics, private shopping jaunts and other personal business. This is what the budget is for. The days when someone like Moshe Dayan could establish an "Antiquities Unit" with 20 vehicles to collect antiquities from Sinai to put in his garden are over. You should learn the difference between using a privilege and abusing it. Don't compare chalk and cheese.
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