Bigger Breasts for Free: Join the Army

I saw this on Yahoo. I guess this must be related to the military plastic surgery residencies?

Bigger Breasts for Free: Join the Army

The U.S. Army has long lured recruits with the slogan "Be All You Can Be," but now soldiers and their families can receive plastic surgery, including breast enlargements, on the taxpayers' dime.



The New Yorker magazine reports in its July 26th edition that members of all four branches of the U.S. military can get face-lifts, breast enlargements, liposuction and nose jobs for free -- something the military says helps surgeons practice their skills.


"Anyone wearing a uniform is eligible," Dr. Bob Lyons, chief of plastic surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio told the magazine, which said soldiers needed the approval of their commanding officers to get the time off.


Between 2000 and 2003, military doctors performed 496 breast enlargements and 1,361 liposuction surgeries on soldiers and their dependents, the magazine said.


The magazine quoted an Army spokeswoman as saying, "the surgeons have to have someone to practice on."

[migirl]

I saw this story on MSNBC a couple of days ago. They interviewed the doctor in the Yahoo story, Dr. Lyons, who tried to spin it as "most of the procedures are reconstructive surgeries (e.g., 'dressing up' battle wounds, etc). Um, ok.

[mommax3]

I had never thought about this angle! (Maybe I should!) I have just been kicking myself for not getting eye surgery (LASIK) while we were in San Antonio......I could still do it, I guess, but it isn't totally free and I would have to go down there to have it done.

The other thing that is free for military members/dependents is infertility treatment......a big plus, in my opinion.

Sally

At first glance this does seem a bit outrageous but after thinking about it, taxpayers aren't really paying for bigger boobs per se, but for the training to put them hooters there. So I can't say I'm too disturbed. Just jealous my DH isn't a hot marine, although he is hot.

Okay, just kidding, even if he was a hot marine, I wouldn't get a boob job (although I wish I was shallow enough to), but I'd definitely entertain the thought! Unfortunately, on my small frame, I'd look like a freak.

I guess what it may boil down to is how one feels about boob jobs in general. If you think it's a disgusting way to "improve" your self-esteem then I suppose you'd be mad at having to foot the bill. But if you were in the market to sell your bod, then it probably wouldn't seem like such a bad thing. Me, I don't really care either way. It depends on the fella - if he wants natural or artificially big. What kind of guy you want is the kind of guy you'll probably attract and keep.

[DCJenn]

Well, it's not exactly like- ok, you're done with bootcamp, go get some boobs, (or lipo or whatever)

First, civilian spouses are not eligible.

Second, the surgeries can by default only take place where there are surgeons- i.e. it's not a readily accessible option for most people who are not based at large medical facilities- or at least live near one.

Third- part of the reason why my husband works at Children's, Sally's husband works at the civilian hospital near them, and surgeons do surgery for free- is precisely because there's not enough people in the service to get all of the kinds of experiences that they can if they were in the civilian world.

So, it sounds much worse than it really is, especially since there are more than a million people in the service.

Jenn

Well, it's not exactly like- ok, you're done with bootcamp, go get some boobs, (or lipo or whatever)

Dang....I thought maybe I'd make it through boot camp and see if post-partum belly counted as a battle wound.

[DCJenn]

Well, when women finally take over, epidurals will be free and tummy tucks will be included in all post-partum plans.

Jenn

Hmm. I think the article could have been better written, to emphasize why military docs need extra experiences. When I first saw it this morning, I laughed at it, but it makes more sense now.