What is the military?

It was recently reported that the Sgt Maj of the Marine Corps (the highest enlisted soldier in the Marines) said to Congress (in sworn testimony) that "lower pay raises discipline".

And while I'm sure that there's a kernel of truth in that statement (for sure, it forces decisions over where limited resources should be spent), it's also true that it's awfully cruel to soldiers who already sacrifice a lot to serve their country.  Forcing them to choose between keeping the power on or paying the co-pay to see a doctor to see whether a persistent cough is important, for instance.

His response to those charges:

"If we don't get a hold of slowing the growth, we will become an entitlement-based, a health care provider-based Corps, and not a warfighting organization," Barrett said.

I wonder how far he thinks the warfighting will get, without the warfighter.

Marines without weapons are still a force to be reckoned with.  Weapons without Marines are not the least bit scary.