Regards

Also, I agree the government should not be in the business of taxing the troops.

And why should my tax dollars be used to fund government employee’s time spent on the sale and distribution of such a poison.

They don’t. Cigarettes are usually purchased at the PX or off post. According to wikipedia, “AAFES funds 98% of its operating budget, including civilian employee salaries, inventory investments, utilities and capital investments for equipment, vehicles and facilities, from the sale of merchandise, food and services to customers.” AAFES is the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. In other words only 2% of AAFES operating budget comes from “your tax dollars”.

Intentionally enabling our own troops to poison themselves, reduces their fitness, their strength, their stamina,

I tell you what. Go to a nearby army post and challenge a smoker to a five mile foot race. When you can win, THEN you can complain about fitness, strength, and stamina.

and their wealth;

If you’re concerned about a soldiers wealth, then you should advocate reducing cigarette taxes or the idiotic DoD directive that requires the PX to charge outrageous prices for cigarettes.

and when in battle, the smoke and the smell gives away their position to the enemy.

Soldiers don’t smoke in battle. And if smoking on the FOB gives away your position then the enemy is horribly incompentant.

You’re so typical of the political fringe. You come in with opinions based on nothing, and then expect others to waste their time and energy proving you wrong.

I don’t have one more minute to waste on an intellectually lazy troll.

If the false notion that service members who use tobacco products might use up one or two pennies of your tax dollars tweaks your sensibilities,

GREAT!

Come back when you have anything of value to contribute.

And yet, I continually find myself doing it.

One of things that irritates the living crap out of me is civilians, who have never served a day, trying to debate military issues.

And, before you start, EVERYTHING a service member buys on base/post is sales tax free.

Also, I am not personally causing any change in government policy. I am not in a position to do that. I am just telling you what I think, why I think it, and what I tell my elected officials they should do if they want me to support them.