I know the troops need uparmored HumVees, but this is ridiculous.

Hat tip to Bill in Portland who also tells us about a soldier in Maine who can't afford to pay for stuff. It's worth a look.

I would like to ask Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe to please help my family understand why my son, Pfc. Matthew Deister of the Maine Army National Guard's 172nd Mountain Co., has to pay for basic services while in Iraq and Kuwait.

Matthew has been deployed for 18 months and left home Feb. 1 with his unit.
Matthew and our family understand the reason for the deployment, as he enlisted during this war. But I, his father, can't understand why we are charging our soldiers for Internet and telephone services, food and even haircuts!

Did we not ask these fine men and women to go? And yet, we continue to charge them for simple services that should be provided at no cost.

Matthew has to pay $5 per hour for Internet service. Anyone who knows about the pay structure of the service can understand why this is such an outrage. Matthew makes Pfc. wages while overseas.

If you deduct what he pays for the Internet, telephone and haircuts, you can see the reason I am very angry right now. I have never been so angry about any situation. We require them to go overseas and yet continue to allow people to profit off their needs.

Richard Deister
Buxton, Maine
Maine Sunday Telegram

Now, Internet service is not a right for troops, and to tell you the truth I've always felt that "if you want me to wear silly clothes you give them to me, so why do I have to pay for a silly haircut?" But we live in an electronic age. The DOD has $$Millions to pay for bribing Iraqi and American reporters to print good favorable news. They even have their own proprietarial internet networks. I wonder why they don't give up some wavelength to the troops? A large number of Americans consider internet communication a fact of life rather than a luxury.

And Bill asks for help:

I called Richard last night to thank him for speaking up. He's a nice guy---really nice guy---who is concerned not only about his son's situation, but about all the members of the 172nd Mountain Co. and their ability to pay for basic services that the Pentagon should be picking up on their behalf. For me, charging for internet access is the last straw.

Can you spare 5 bucks for one hour of internet service for the 172nd? If yes, email me at bipm04103@yahoo.com [emphasis added] and I'll tell you where to send it. Sorry I don't have a fancy PayPal account or high-tech credit card processing technology. This is an old-fashioned grassroots effort, born out of pride in our troops...and anger at the Republican country club elitist "leaders" who aren't supporting them. We'll accept a 5-dollar bill, 5-dollar check, 5-dollar money order or 500 pennies in a coffee can. In return, Pfc. Matthew Deister and his company get to log on and connect to their family, friends and country for an extra hour or two without being forced to pay for it. I'll start by donating 10 hours worth.

Those of us on the oxygen-breathing side of the planet are asked a lot to support progressive and liberal political causes, and we have responded. I think this is something worthwhile, and I'm asking if any of our readers feel the same way. I'm in for 10 hours.