This morning's Christian Science Monitor reports that the Army is preparing to offer a staggering $150,000 retention bonus to service members who are proficient in Arabic, "in reflection of how critical it has become for the US military to retain native language and cultural know-how in its ranks." Indeed, as the war in Iraq goes on, and the military subsequently finds fewer and fewer people anxious for extended stays in the desert, retaining trained troops is becoming a critical centerpiece of many commanders' strategies. The supply of Arabic speakers just isn't keeping up with the demand created by ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."Under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, over 60 Arabic linguists were discharged from the military over the last several years (when we needed them most to help fight terrorist jihadists) simply because they were gay.
Say it with me: The. Worst. President. Ever.
