www.CostaRicaTicas.com

You are correct, brother JB - Most of the substance abuse problem in the US military related to alcohol and prescription drug. So I suppose it won't coincide with the market they would try to destroy.

Not wanting to side track the post - Do you really think it's going to make this place any better having that many testosterone-rampant K*ds running around here? Without considering the political aspect of it or the real solution of drug trade, how do you think it will effect the current monger scene?

"War on Drugs," yeah right. In Costa Rica? In Nicaragua? Wow, I guess history really does repeat itself . How'd that work out for us last time?

Unbelievable, how about spending money on something new that may actually benefit the US

PURA VIDA!

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Livin' & Lovin' in Key Largo....oh....And the one in The Keys, too!

Hate to argue with you, but your post is full of such bullsheet, someone needs to point it out;

1) The military regularly tests for drugs and discharges the offenders with rapid expediency. 15 years ago, I Court Martialed 2 of my soldiers for cocaine use in Panama; they both got the Big Chicken Dinner (Bad Conduct Discharge ) with some time in the Confinement Facility. If there is a drug problem in one of these Marine units it will be with something like steroids and that is a big "if".
2) The Costa Rican government wants these units to visit as they will be conducting a host of humanitarian tasks like conducting Medical Readiness Exercises which will treat the sick and building public buildings like clinics and schools. When I visited with a task force in 90, we launched 7 Bailey Bridges and build at least a dozen public buildings while also treating a host of sick villagers. I would say that we were a welcome presence in the country.
3) Central America is now a major transshipment site for cocaine that stupid American kiddies still insist on shoving up their collective noses by the ton and that funds the narco-trafficking, which also fund insurgency on both sides of the political spectrum.
4) The only thing you left out on your dinosaur hippie leftist prattle is that the AF should have to have a bake sale to buy a bomber; those marines and swab jockies go a long way towards insuring that you have the right to your uninformed opinion.
5) The US should play GI Joe somewhere else; Beg Pardon, but who the F are you? As I stated in 2) above, the task force is here at the invitation of the CR government and are just as welcome, or more welcome than the huge monger population that occupy the gringo gulch on any given day.

Of course this is just my opinion.......

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“Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” And we are the guys that keep them in Eggs & Grits

Well said. I will be retiring in September after 37 years working for the Department of Defense. The last 30 with the Navy. Bottom Line here folks, the NAVY has been doing these type visits around the world for years in poor countries for various socio and political reasons. A big motivator now is the Navy trying to convince the Administration and the American public they are still "Relevant" and "Neccesary" despite the HUGE COST to maintain and operate the worlds largest and most expensive Navy. Lot's of new technology out there that will soon replace most of the Fleet.

Well said TimBones, I have worked along side Air Force, Navy and Army personnel in my past. I can say for the most part there were no drugs. There was the few who used the evil weed but they were the minority.
And JazzBo, I think Portsmouth closed sometime in the 70's, it was a bad place to be. And, really who cares if the military is in CR?? I have no problem knocking back a few with them, as long as the Navy and Army don't cross paths in a bar, it can get crazy at times.
Regards, 911 Driver

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The happy hour is a device either for getting rid of social obligations hurriedly en masse or for making overtures toward more serious social relationships, as in the etiquette of whoring.- Brooks Atkinson

In spite of all the rhetoric that the people of Costa Rica were against the U.S. ships entering CR waters and ports an article in this mornings Inside Costa Rica would seem to indicate that the people, not the opposition politicians and leftist leaning students, actually have adopted a laissez faire attitude about the situation. When you read the article notice the make up of the personal on board and the humanitarian work they intend to do.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I am 100% in favor of these types of humanitarian missions. They are as unintrusive and non-displacing of a country's human resources as can be. I just wish I could be there when the AF Band plays salsa and reggae tunes. Oh Daddy!

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Regardless of whether or not one likes or dislikes the former administration, almost no attention was paid to Latin America during that period.

I do not make that as a political statement nor do I want my comments to devolve into a political discussion. That is not the intent. It is simply an historical fact that the US ignored its friends in Latin America, except for Columbia.

In the absence of the US, the Chinese and Iranians have been building relationships. There are serious potential problems for the Costa Ricans which will most likely develop from the building of relationships by the Iranians and the Chinese.

It is no accident that one of the first things the new administration did, about 60 days after taking office, was to make sure that the vice president formally visited Costa Rica to pay respects to the leadership. It is as if the administration was saying: "WE'RE BACK."

And the US is back with a good faith gesture of medical assistance to impoverished indigenous peoples and others, in partial fulfillment of promises made to the Costa Rican government. I wasn't there but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what must have occurred.

It is very understandable that some living here are concerned about the presence of uniformed foreign military personnel in uniform in a county that doesn’t have an army.

Costa Rica has traditionally not cared much about Limon. It was not until 1948 that the primary population of Limon, Afro-Caribbean’s transplanted from Jamaica to work on the rail road, were considered citizens of Costa Rica even though they were born here. It wasn't until 1948 that the Afro-Caribbean's were allowed to leave Limon Province without special permission of the government.

A friend of mine, an older gentleman, told me he worked for the rail road in Limon. The Afro-Caribbean’s would operate the west bound train from Limon to Turrialba where they would meet the east bound train operated by white Costa Ricans from San Jose to Turrialba. There they would switch trains. The blacks would continue with the eastbound train from Turrialba to Limon and the white Costa Ricans would take the westbound train from Turrialba on in to San Jose.

What Costa Ricans really care about is: when does the next futbol game come on TV and is the beer is cold.

No one from the Central Valley will see the ship and few will see the anchor clankers and Marines; and few will care. If the sailors and Marines do make it to San Jose, they will be just another Gringo.

As long as the US sailors and Marines do not cause an incident, no one cares except the desparate people getting help. They care and they are grateful.

Yeah, so much for the invasion of the Yankee Imperialists!!

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“Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” And we are the guys that keep them in Eggs & Grits

Calm down. These guys deserve our thanks. Unless you served, you probably don't understand the sacrafice they're making... I'm pleased that they'll anchor somewhere nice for a change, rather than port in Iraq. A welcomed change I imagine.

Yes, they're still guys and have their own ambitions, joining for a dual mission of serving their country (and yes, you) and some for education/training. I can attest that the pay is not going to make any one of them wealthy.

Vietnam was a time where we targeted the troops for simply answering their countries call. Disagree with the government, but realize the troops and sailors are just doing their job. One that only a fraction of our country has the guts to do.

Amen Brother well said!!!!!

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LOL I would Love to never hear the word game used again ever again! :)

I like Brother Paco's answer big-time. Strictly luck of the draw that those individual military/naval folks landed here, and if they've been afloat for any part of the last decade, good chance they've spent time there.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Yeah, Props to Paco for telling it like it is. Having been a marine reservist and army officer who has served in some not so nice places, I understand intimately what the experience is like. What used to piss me off to no end was some slack jawed civilian who thought he knew what's what in the military w/o having spent one day in uniform. Anyone that thinks the military is a waste of money should be offered a one way ticket to Russia or North Korea; places that would greatly benefit from us spending less tax payer dollars on people and things that protect the freedoms that this country affords us all.

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“Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” And we are the guys that keep them in Eggs & Grits

Your share is about .98 cents.

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“Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” And we are the guys that keep them in Eggs & Grits

Aren't posters not supposed to make "political" posts; discuss politics, etc.? If it's ok.....I got some shit to put out here I do believe.

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"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16