[Cdnwolf]

Originally Posted by Olefin

Or having 43000 men come home and only 1400 are ever used

I think Army of Darkness answered some of this question. The Milgov was also trying trying to re-establish control of major cities in its region and may have sent units in to pacify the area.


The player characters are members of an advance party sent
into New York City to gather information which will permit the
Military Government to re-assert control over the city. Milgov
is particularly interested in three basic categories of information:

Census: One of the Military Government's first steps in securing
control of the New York area must be to count and register
the inhabitants. No one knows for sure how many of New York
City's eight million inhabitants are still alive, and how many remain
among the empty glass and steel towers of America's
largest city.
Once the government knows how many people remain in New
York City, they will be able to take steps to organize the survivors
into work forces and begin the city's reconstruction.

Salvage: With registration, the government can begin collecting
taxes from the inhabitants-taxation being the ultimate sign
and proof of a government's control over its citizens. New York
City must still hold vast treasures which Milgov can use to
secure its own position and prestige; treasures such as
salvageable computers and telecommunications gear, copper
tubing, refined steel, chemicals, heavy machinery, ball bearings,
telephone wires, diesel and gasoline engines, auto and truck
parts, and a wealth of other flotsam and jetsam of civilization.
Milgov taxes will consist of a portion of the items salvaged. Initially,
these will be used to get local government back on its feet.
The players are to recover and/or take steps to preserve any
surviving electronic and telecommunications equipment, plus
other material or data of technical, historical, or cultural value.
Particular attention is to be paid to securing computers and data
processing equipment which was only slightly damaged by EMP.

The players are ordered to prevent the further deterioration
of the city's buildings, and salvage what they can from those
which are not in suitable condition for reoccupation. Private
salvage operations are to be encouraged, registered and licensed,
and taxes levied (in kind) on any salvage operations.