Connecting a Week to Military- GPS, Work, and Money
GPS: One thing I have become very dependant on is my GPS. Considering I commute to school, each time before heading out, I check my GPS to see which way is faster due to traffic that morning. Iâve not only used it for traffic purposes, but since this is my first semester on campus and Iâm still getting used to where everything is and how to get there, I constantly use to at school as well. This connection to the military can be simply through knowing that the Global Positioning Satellite, GPS, was originally invented for military purposes by the U.S. Department of Defense, and was given civilian access in 1996. Moreover, as seen in my next post, a connection may be found somewhere else, a little more evasive.
Pokemon Go: A few friends and I regularly play the phone game Pokemon Go, and I was given a warning about it. Being that it uses the GPS in your phone, in correlation to my previous post, my boyfriendâs cousin words rang in my head as we walked back and forth getting Pokestops, âDoesnât that track you? You know the CIA and military are closely tied with that kind of stuff,â Iâm not one for conspiracy theories, or alike, but she was adamant about the idea of military tracking. (Oh well for me since I canât even get around campus without using it!)
Work: As mentioned in class I work at Lids in Monterey and just through that alone I am connected to the military on a daily basis, but not just because of all our camo hats. When we were first given this assignment my initial thought was directed towards my income, not my LIDS income per se, but my income in general. I was connected to the military with my previous jobs beforehand as well, since every time I clocked into work, a portion of my pay would be deducted from every paycheck. This deduction would be the income tax portion, and by clocking in this day, something portion of my 7 hours spent working would go to military spending. Trying to find numbers and percentages as to how much of our income tax goes to âPentagon spendingâ, as some charts called it, is a bit of a challenge. There are so many different figures, and so many different ways people calculate and consider âpast warsâ and âcurrent warsâ type of spending. However, there is a general consensus, at least some portion goes to these entities.
Khaki pants: Furthermore, in correlation with my work, our uniform consists of khaki pants. And upon reading Chapter 7 in Enloeâs Globalization and Militarism is wear you would read how khakis have roots in military conquest (pg 124).
Coffee: It was mentioned in class how coffee has connection to the military. As an avid coffee drinker, this struck me particularly hard. I do have some knowledge about how these two have connections, but as a coffee addict, it tends to get pushed to the back of my mind and I donât necessarily want to think about it. However, for this assignment I wanted to see what I would be able to find upon a quick internet search. Unfortunately, typing in coffee and war and variations of sorts, my search engine knows me as a coffee drinker, therefore this brand vs. the brand kept popping up. I was able to find one article about the economy of Ethiopia and how itâs dependent on the trade of coffee. Continually, articles about how soldiers are able to sustain in wars because coffee kept popping up as well. If anyone is interested in directing me towards more articles and possible ween me off coffee that would be great!
Coins: My boyfriend collects different types of coins and while sleeving his latest purchases one of the more elegant coins struck my curiosity. The Walking Liberty half dollar was issued from 1916-1947 and the design on the obverse depicts âA full-length figure of Liberty, the folds of the Stars and Stripes flying to the breeze as a background, progressing in full stride toward the dawn of a new day, carrying branches of laurel and oak, symbolical of civil and military glory.â She is walking towards the sun in the east, a symbolic gesture for war-torn Europe at the time.Â
Hats: Again, being at work connects me with the military in so many ways. In particular, we have one camo printed â47 brand Cal hat that has a special sticker on the brim. The sticker reads, âOPERATION HAT TRICK âą Thanks for supporting our servicemen and women wounded while serving our Country. Operation Hat Trick is a program in memory of Nate Hardy, and Mike Koch, both Navy SEALS who died in combat. A portion of your purchase goes to the Operation Hat Trick organization to benefit the recovery, education and future employment of wounded servicemembers and veterans. See our full story on the hangtag.â
Naval Base and Work (Again): When driving to work I pass the old Fort Ord military base and the Naval Postgraduate school in Monterey. Both of these entities being there further solidifies my connection to the military. Monterey has a big military presence, even with the closure of the base, the town still has its ties with the school. And my job likes to capitalize on those notions. Since many service members come into my work we have more than just camo printed hats, and the Memorial Day MLB hat, our store has a certain folder of specialty embroidery stitching we can do on hats. Our embroidery machine is a key component to my job, and with it we are able to stitch on designs, logos, words, etc, on hats. Our store has a specialty folder with designs of military emblems, equipment, words, and flags simply because of the strong military presence. We are instructed to push to sell these sorts of custom hats but not all stores focus so heavily on the military background of our customers.
Tesla: This day at work there was the Exotic Car Show on Cannery Row (EOCR), where they were showcasing and auctioning off very expensive exotic cars. The streets were lined with many exotic cars and one of them happened to be a camo painted Tesla. The Tesla was not JUST painted camo but also featured a custom roof rack dawning all branches of the military's emblem and a decal on the side stating, âTesla U.S. Veterans Programâ.
Initials: As mentioned again, work and our embroidery machine. I had a gentleman come in and buy a hat and wanted âJDVâ stitch on his hat, like the one he was currently wearing. Upon asking JDV is his sonâs initials, who is in the Navy. The father gets his sonâs initials stitch on anything he can, and even showed me a tattoo of it on his arm, surrounded by an American flag standing tall on a hilltop. I asked when he will see his son again and he answered, âI have no idea. You never know when it comes to that. They will tell him one thing then something happens. Itâs been awhile since Iâve seen him so hopefully soon.â
Auto Insurance: My auto insurance payment was due on this day, so upon payment I wanted to see where my insurance company may have ties to the military. Upon a simply search I found that my particular company has a, âCommitment to the Military -Dedication. Service. Reliability. Leadership.â This page has an outline of just how they are supportive with, âWe proudly support our troops with military-specific offerings such as: -100 percent differential pay to active-duty reservists. -Continuing medical benefits for active-duty reservists and their dependents.â This company has acquired several awards and recognitions for their military support including, Top 100 Military Friendly Employers 2015 (sixth consecutive year). Upon further research this company also has a âSocially Responsibleâ page which communicates âWe explore ways to ensure a better future for all within the context of our business. We focus on insurance, which is what we know best, while working hard to minimize our effect on the environment.â It then has another link to which a person would be able to explore to find out what types of involvement this company, and its employees, has done. A sort of pie chart indicates, in 2015 out of 423 events, 22 were âmilitary support events or collectionsâ.
Voter Registration: Upon receiving my official degrees and certificates in the mail from my community college this day, there was also something else included in the package. A voter registration form sent from the old Secretary of State Debra Bowen. This extraordinary registration form included a special message from Bowen stating, âCongratulations on your graduation! Your diploma is a powerful tool that will help direct your future in positive ways. So is your vote. Itâs an important tool in making your voice heard and your opinions known. I encourage you to fill out this form, drop it in the mail, and become an actively engaged citizen who can make a difference in the world around you. Donât wait, and donât hesitate. In less than five minutes, you can complete the voter registration card and begin exercising your political muscle.â
Parking ticket: I admittedly was issued a parking ticket at work the other day, and chose to pay it off via internet today. Upon reading the site the warning is as followed, âFranchise Tax Board Pre-Intercept Notice Recipients: The Franchise Tax Board (FTB) operates an intercept program in conjunction with the State Controller's Office, collecting delinquent liabilities individuals owe to state and local agencies/colleges. FTB intercepts tax refunds, Unclaimed Property (UPD) claims and lottery winnings owed to individuals. FTB redirects these funds to pay the individual's debts to the agencies/colleges (California Government Code Sections 12419.2, 12419.7, 12419.9, 12419.10, 12419.11 and 12419.12).â Therefore, in correlation with my previous income tax post, this could affect me just as well. I did pay my dues, so it should not get withheld. Furthermore, the FTB also has a Political Reform Audit, to which they can audit Candidate-controlled companies, state ballot measures, state general purpose, and primary formed committees, and lobbyists, lobbying firms, and lobbyist employers.
Commercials: Tac Light and Travis Manion Foundation. While getting ready for work, I had the television on and two commercials came on right after another. One for a product called Tac Light, which is a âMilitary Grade, Â High Performance Tactical Flashlightâ. An infomercial about a flashlight that is âused by the military, law enforcement, and fire rescue.â The man yelling about the product is dressed in camo himself, and assures the viewers the light can get run over by a Humvee and STILL work! Only $19.99 with free shipping folks! The next commercial, (which was literally right after the Tac Light), was a more serious overtone of asking a charitable donation to the Travis Manion Foundation. Their mission (taken from their website) states, âTravis Manion Foundation (TMF) empowers veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. In 2007, 1stLt Travis Manion (USMC) was killed in Iraq while saving his wounded teammates. Today, Travis' legacy lives on in the words he spoke before leaving for his final deployment, "If Not Me, Then Who..." Guided by this mantra, veterans continue their service, develop strong relationships with their communities, and thrive in their post-military lives. As a result, communities prosper and the character of our nation's heroes live on in the next generation.â Of course I understood that media is has its military connections as well, but one commercial after another, a bit much.
