Lol, haven't found anything "touristy" in one of the bottom 5 poorest countries. You missed the point though. It's not about the money. But if they are going to require cadets to adhere to GO's, UCMJ, and the standards of soldiers (which they are being held to, and should be), it needs to be reciprocated. Nobody is demanding to be paid like a king (or even close to an O1), but atleast guarantee they will be paid the fair wage they were originally told. The imminent danger pay and hardship duty-location pay (which the country I'm in qualifies for both) was merely to make a point (and the army re certifies those regularly, which apply to everyone in the country regardless of duty. There are folks that never travel outside the embassy compound or their secure housing that rake that in). If a cadet isn't being paid as a soldier or treated as one, one could ask the question if they are covered for medical and other things. And being in a country that is still on the brink of re-entering civil war where Americans are forbidden from walking on the streets between the hours of 6pm-7am, Somali terrorists send threats to Americans on a weekly basis, and everyone is briefed on how to react to gunfire in the city, those are questions I'd want answered. Not a "well I would think medical would be covered" or "I'm sure you fall under support from CJTF-HOA if **** hit the fan". But I mean a serious, no ****, answer if I'm going to be here for 3 months.
And if it's not covered, that's cool, I'm not looking to travel to Main Street USA. But that's something I'd like to know so I can make necessary plans on my side should something happen. And if were not prepared to provide that support for our future leaders, maybe we don't extend the program to those countries. Or send a CA company there to do it. And if we just want to make them vacations (which I haven't been seeing in my region, though I know it's different from almost all the rest) then let's call them that at the beginning, and put aside the uniforms, standards, UCMJ, orders, etc. It's only a vacation.