DASH FOR CASH

Gotta love the USMC. The Green PR machine has churned out an article identifying the financial bonuses of being in a combat zone. but they were a bit hard pushed to get some nice sound bites. Thus:

"I'll have enough money to put in savings and on a down payment on a car," said Lance Cpl. Tirian M. Smikle, 20, a 1st Force Service Support Group legal assistant originally from Miami.

Staff Sgt. Travis E. Burks, 32, 1st Force Service Support Group's legal services chief: "I'll miss my ninth wedding anniversary on this deployment," he said. "I'm not thrilled about that fact, but the extra entitlements saved during the deployment will be there next summer when we celebrate our tenth. Our plans currently are to do something grander than we otherwise would have done."

Lance Cpl. Jonathan C. LaRoch, 20: "It's nice, but I'm not doing this for the money," said the administrative clerk, originally from Los Angeles. "If you're in this business for the money, you're in the wrong business."

Not trying to knock these guys down for trying, but don't the marines have any, well, Marines? You know, the guys that go hoo har, throw the grenade, storm the trench, kill with the bayonet? A legal assistant, a legal service chief, and an administrative assistant? Did the PR guys get lazy and just interview whoever was laying around the office at the time? (And BTW, this articel is not begrudging them their entitlements either. Every person deployed into combat is worth every cent they get paid, and more. So there.)