The US Army is based on plastic (surgery)?

[Popmartijn]

This is from the Boston Globe (although I'd already read it earlier):

Bigger breasts for free: join the Army

July 23, 2004

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has long lured recruits with the slogan "Be All You Can Be," but now soldiers and their families can receive plastic surgery, including breast enlargements, on the taxpayers' dime.

The New Yorker magazine reports in its July 26th edition that members of all four branches of the U.S. military can get face-lifts, breast enlargements, liposuction and nose jobs for free -- something the military says helps surgeons practice their skills.

"Anyone wearing a uniform is eligible," Dr. Bob Lyons, chief of plastic surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio told the magazine, which said soldiers needed the approval of their commanding officers to get the time off.

Between 2000 and 2003, military doctors performed 496 breast enlargements and 1,361 liposuction surgeries on soldiers and their dependents, the magazine said.

The magazine quoted an Army spokeswoman as saying, "the surgeons have to have someone to practice on."

So now you know where the bigger Defense budget goes to...



Marty

 

[nbcrusader]

Reconstructive surgery is an important skill. Since you don't want to create situations where the surgury is necessary, you open the door for voluntary situation. The result is increase operating room time for doctors and nurses to hone their skills.

Instead of a do you have an alternative proposal that would give doctors and nurses training opportunities?

 

[BVS]

It seems like the military need everything they can to get people to enroll right now...

Well yes they do need practice, but I don't care about the cost, I'd hate to be the one that they "practiced" on. I've seen enough bad plastic surgery on celebrities who paid fortunes, I'd hate to see what I got for free.

On a side note the doctor they quoted was a neighbor of mine where I grew up...small world.

 

[verte76]

I really don't see anything wrong with this. Since our military is stretched to the max, why not use attractive incentives as well as give student health professionals a chance to learn?

 

[STING2]

It seems like the military need everything they can to get people to enroll right now...

Well yes they do need practice, but I don't care about the cost, I'd hate to be the one that they "practiced" on. I've seen enough bad plastic surgery on celebrities who paid fortunes, I'd hate to see what I got for free.

On a side note the doctor they quoted was a neighbor of mine where I grew up...small world.

The Military is having far better success in recruiting than they did in the late 1990s under Bill Clinton.

 

[ThatGuy]

I've heard this a lot, without any actual numbers used.

 

[Klaus]

The Military is having far better success in recruiting than they did in the late 1990s under Bill Clinton.

That's important because they also need much more military than under Bill Clinton

 

[BVS]

The Military is having far better success in recruiting than they did in the late 1990s under Bill Clinton.

From everything I've read and heard first hand the recruiting numbers are about the same they've been for the past 10 years, with a small spike right after 9/11. But at a time like this the numbers should be higher.

 

[STING2]

From everything I've read and heard first hand the recruiting numbers are about the same they've been for the past 10 years, with a small spike right after 9/11. But at a time like this the numbers should be higher.

The military services failed to make their quota's in 1998 and 1999 missing them by as much as 30,000! Recruitment over the past few years has been the best its been since the early 1990s with the military exceeding their quota's and often having to delay recruits entry into the service. The numbers are indeed higher.

 

[najeena]

How about practicing on poor patients who need reconstructive surgery but can't afford it? Surely there are such people. A free nose job for a soldier, OK. But breast implants? How many female soldiers do suppose need new or augmented breasts after being injured? Just one of the myriad ways the misuse of my tax dollars pisses me off.

 

[ThatGuy]

The military services failed to make their quota's in 1998 and 1999 missing them by as much as 30,000! Recruitment over the past few years has been the best its been since the early 1990s with the military exceeding their quota's and often having to delay recruits entry into the service. The numbers are indeed higher.

Yes, but are the quotas the same, or have they been lowered to meet lowered expectations?

 

[BAW]

How about practicing on poor patients who need reconstructive surgery but can't afford it? Surely there are such people. A free nose job for a soldier, OK. But breast implants? How many female soldiers do suppose need new or augmented breasts after being injured? Just one of the myriad ways the misuse of my tax dollars pisses me off.

I understand the need for bodies to practice on, but how many injured soldiers will REALLY need breast augmentation or lipo?

 

[STING2]

Yes, but are the quotas the same, or have they been lowered to meet lowered expectations?

The Quotas have actually gone up slightly.

 

[carrieluvv]

errg...i had a baby in a military hospitol....it was a shitty expirience.

someone may need breast augmentation after they have one removed because of breast cancer....but implants?
ya could get a boob blown off in battle I spose

lol...

 

[RocknRollKitty]

someone may need breast augmentation after they have one removed because of breast cancer...

That's what I was thinking. It was probaby originally put in to make sure reconstructive surgery for all body parts would be covered, in cases such as cancer, injury, or especially being wounded in battle. It was probably a good idea with good intentions that ended up being taken to extremes due to loopholes or technicalities.

 

[nbcrusader]

Plastic surgery is reconstructive surgery - not just the stuff you see on "Nip/Tuck"