Troop Deployment

* Re “U.S., Troops Pay Price in Cycle of Deployments,” Nov. 16:

What is a military for if not to prepare for a battle? If it is possible to prevent the battle and save lives, is that so bad? If the worst part of the current Persian Gulf crisis is that preparations for battle “cut into the training of military personnel, strain their family lives and complicate a busy worldwide deployment schedule” and “are disruptive and expensive to the armed forces” (let’s remember that it’s our money), shouldn’t we celebrate?

The reason men and women are “getting out in droves” is because they joined the service to get training they could use in civilian life. There will always be an active turnover in the service, but while they are there they should be used to put out global fires to back the U.N.

LAUREL FIELDING

Canoga Park