[lastofthemojito]

The way I read it the military isn't taking that money to buy guns or tanks or whatever - it's the relatively piddly MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) groups that are profiting, and then using the profits for other MWR activities. From the article:

> A Pentagon report in the early 2000s claimed that without the slot machines, the MWR groups would not be able to afford other amenities for military members such as golf courses and family activity centers. DOD spokeswoman Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman echoed that argument, telling NPR the machines "contribute significantly to the non-appropriated fund and many other recreation and entertainment overseas programs."

The military base I've lived near had plenty of such activities - adult sports leagues, an auto skills center, bowling alley, etc. I guess it might not be as ideal as every such activity being self-sustaining in terms of costs, but it doesn't really seem like a scandal for all of the MWR income to go into a big MWR pot to be spent on various activities.

[runnerup]

It’s the least objectionable place for the money to go but that’s actually rather shrewd. I assume that if the military did not pay for those creature comforts that morale would suffer and operational readiness / effectiveness would be reduced.

If foreign bases don’t have fun things to do then maybe younger siblings won’t enlist without more expensive bonuses. Or maybe the unmotivated soldiers won’t go the extra mile while maintaining vehicles. Or the infantry will leave the boring-ass base and fraternize at popular military “companion” bars and come back with STDs and get into fights with locals, losing some of the military’s license to operate bases as freely in that nation.

The military would have to spend some of this money anyways if it wasn’t coming out of the soldiers own pockets.

[lmm]

IDK. Taking gambling income and funding golf courses with it feels pretty regressive.