August 19, 2004

Pentagon to provide free breast augmentation for female military personnel. Amidst understandable outcry against such policy being a poor way to spend those precious tax dollars.

I find this stunningly deplorable myself. I am mostly inclined against cosmetic surgery, as I would like to see our culture evolve to a place where people, particularly women, were less prone to equate their worth with their physical appeal. In this context I am additionally befuddled by my own lack of ability to imagine how fake boobs will make a better soldier.

posted by Medusa 19 years ago
  • * Sorry. But I love you.
  • motherfucker!! I checked, I swear I did!! obviously I am just not very good at it.... love you too!
  • As someone who's *never* double-posted, I just want to say I'm very disappointed in both of you. I'm afraid there won't be any TV this week.
  • Fifteen lashes with a wet noodle!
  • Actually in medusa's defense, one would have had to specifically search Threads for plastic surgery or boobs to get it to come up. Searching breasts or military would not have worked, and doing this for Thread Comments would have brought up a million threads. I think the days are numbered until I do my first double post.
  • Yvan Eht Nioj
  • That's right, Lieutenant L.T. Smash.
  • Just tell me when the penis enlargements begin and I'll sign up! oh, wait... I take that back! don't need penis enlargment...[cough]
  • I could understand if this was a policy limited for women with certain medical conditions. For instance, my best friend from high school had a condition that caused one of her breasts to grow normally when she hit puberty, but the other stayed, basically, a little-girl breast. She had one C to D cup and one AA. She stuffed one cup of her bras and never let her boyfriends get, uh, too close. For stuff like that, I could understand - but if it's sheerly cosmetic, I'm not sure why we're doing it. Unless we're trying to curb pregnancies by military personnel, and all the army men have finally figured out that big fake boobies are oooooogly.
  • Sure, for mastectomies, too, I can understand, as it would amount to a kind of prosthesis. Gotta say that if I had my boys surgically removed, I'd want some kind of prosthetic replacement.
  • Vaguely serious-ish comment: obviously cosmetic surgeons are vital members of military medical staff - they would have to deal with all the burns, scars and other horrible disfigurements that are part and parcel of active duty. So if they're on a retainer... why not use them in their spare time to ensure the troops really are the best of the breast? Slightly less serious-ish comment: so gays in the military "distract the troops", but Luscious Lucinda with her 44DD stunnas don't?
  • flashboy, one of the comments in the linked article mentioned the need for the army's plastic surgeons to practice, which, particularly in light of yr serious comment, is very valid...but I think the basic question in yr less serious comment was one of the first things to cross my mind after coming upon this news item....
  • Why not offer their surgical skills to uninsured civilians who actually need reconstructive/cosmetic surgery after burns, car accidents, gunshot wounds, etc.? I imagine there is quite a different skill set involved in unmangling people vs. augmenting boobs. "Sorry Private, I've never repaired a third-degree burn before. How about a terrific set of knockers instead?" Or is that too logical?
  • I don't understand the reaction to this. Military personnel (and their families) are provided free plastic surgery in order for military surgeons to hone their skills. The surgeons are salaried so it costs taxpayers nothing. If some choose breast augmentation, why do you care?
  • buncha titty-haterz!
  • First, military personnel (and their families) are NOT provided "free plastic surgery" in a carte-blanche manner. There are very strict rules that pertain to cosmetic surgery, and there are very few *purely* cosmetic procedures done by the US military. Second: "We support our military 100 percent. Part of the reason we're protesting is that we think these tax dollars would be much better spent on essentials (for soldiers)," Kulkis said. Ensuring that military surgeons are able to keep current on critical skills and allowing them to practice on a par with their civilian counterparts is absolutely essential. Recruiting and retaining physicians in the military is expensive -- and necessary in order to have the best fighting force in the world. Allowing the handful of plastic surgeons to maintain their skills is very important -- because while they are truly proud to serve, they also don't want to be considered "poor cousins" -- in skills, education, or prestige -- to their civilian counterparts.
  • Considering the service military personnel do for their country, for low pay, I don't really see any problem in one of their other benefits being access to a responsibly run plastic surgery program. The military doctors and hospitals are already set up, and I highly doubt that the military is allowing personnel unconditional leave from vital posts just to get a tummy tuck. As has been pointed out in different words above, I'm sure any female soldier who's taken a chest full of shrapnel, or any soldier who's taken a round in the jaw, would want access to experienced surgeons during recovery.
  • one would have had to specifically search Threads for plastic surgery or boobs to get it to come up. Smrrk. Snrk.
  • I don't understand the reaction to this. Military personnel (and their families) are provided free plastic surgery in order for military surgeons to hone their skills. The surgeons are salaried so it costs taxpayers nothing. If some choose breast augmentation, why do you care? Because generally, I think people aren't aware of that. I was not aware of that until I read your comment. In light of those details, it makes more sense to me.
  • It was mentioned in the linked article (albeit as an aside). The main point of the article was that Mary Carey has big boobs...and they're real.
  • mmmm . . boobs.
  • I hate the word "boobs." I have nothing else to add, certainly nothing constructive.
  • boobies boobies woot rocks