Military Personnel being screwed

[MereMere21]

I read not too long ago wounded service men and women were being held financially responsible for their meals when they are returned to hospitals stateside. So thanks for fighting and getting your legs blown off in the process and by the way, you owe us $300.

Today I heard that all the troops that were recently granted a 2 week leave period had to pay for their plane tickets home from wherever the service flew them. For some, that one ticket could cost upwards of $1000! So not only does the Bush administration cut the military personnel benefits, they are finding new ways to screw them? Am I the only one that feels this way?

ok this wasn't a Bush-Hater thread, just an observation!

[Munchkin03]

How is the administration cutting benefits for servicemen? I thought Bush was giving them more take-home pay then Clinton had. I grew up in a military town, and when there are cuts, we usually hear about them in the incipient phases.

[MereMere21]

I'm not sure of the specifics - my information on benefit pay cuts comes from my friends in the service.

I know that the pay cuts and military spending are from our budget crunch in the country, but still.....I think I would rather pay and extra tax if our servicemen and women didn't have to pay those little extras you know?

just my opinion

[bethany1982]

This type of travel arrangement is typical of the military. Nothing has changed. In most cases, the individual has always been responsible for such expenses. It would be nice if the military paid the whole thing, but this is nothing new.

[docetboy]

A couple notes:

---> Most civilian hospitals make patients pay for meals also, whether they take them or not. It's a flat $8something a day

---> The Military is allowing these servicemembers two weeks of vacation during a war. They flew them to from Iraq to stateside (for most, Baltimore). If the servicemember chooses to go all the way home, they pay their own way. (DUH - we all pay for vacation trip costs don't we?????) There is nothing saying those servicemembers HAVE to go home - they could go stay in Baltimore, etc. Still beats Iraq, IMHO.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by Munchkin03
How is the administration cutting benefits for servicemen? I thought Bush was giving them more take-home pay then Clinton had. I grew up in a military town, and when there are cuts, we usually hear about them in the incipient phases.

Last I heard the Congress decided on military pay and benefits, not the administration.

[ShaedyKD]

I agree with Docet...one of my sister's fiancee is coming home in 2 days from Iraq, and they are both thrilled. I know he would pay $2000 to fly home to see her and his family. The last time her was here was over Winter Break (Dec. '02) and he was not supposed to get leave again until Thanksgiving this year. So he feels very fortunate to be able to come home for 2 weeks.

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by docetboy
A couple notes:

---> Most civilian hospitals make patients pay for meals also, whether they take them or not. It's a flat $8something a day

---> The Military is allowing these servicemembers two weeks of vacation during a war. They flew them to from Iraq to stateside (for most, Baltimore). If the servicemember chooses to go all the way home, they pay their own way. (DUH - we all pay for vacation trip costs don't we?????) There is nothing saying those servicemembers HAVE to go home - they could go stay in Baltimore, etc. Still beats Iraq, IMHO.

If they're crafty enough, they can take advantage of 'Space-A' (space available) travel; many airlines offer military discounted fares as well.

[MereMere21]

ok well then I must be the only one that feels this way. Yes Congress cuts benefits......the administration does have the power to override those things.

All I was saying was Bush sends us into a un-necessary war (unless someone here on GC has found the WMD'S?) with our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. These soldiers are seeing the horrors of war, suffering irrevocable mental and physical damage to find Saddam Hussein and these WMD's - - - then they have to pay for their food in the hospital? Some 18 year old with no legs now has to come up $300?

Yes civilians pay for their meals in hospitals, but these servicemen and women are OUR employees if you will. We want them to defend us, fight for us, risk their lives for us, but we don't want to feed them? O-K


Yes civilians have to pay for vacations, but I don't think our daily lives involve mortors, bombs, and roadside attacks. The soldiers shouldn't be taking vacations - they should be home.

but hey just my opinion

[Munchkin03]

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Last I heard the Congress decided on military pay and benefits, not the administration.

That is true, however, I am speaking more of the first Congress during the Clinton administration, which, from 1992-1994 DID push for more cuts in the military. Besides, I'm not the first person who mentioned it in terms of the administration.

And, like everyone else is saying, there's nothing really NEW going on. It's not as if Tricare has been cut (it's pretty bad anyway compared to our private insurance), the housing allowance has been cut (in fact, in some areas it has increased), and they still don't have to pay income taxes. I see no problem with paying for one's hospital meals and for one's elective trips.

[docetboy]

Originally posted by MereMere21
ok well then I must be the only one that feels this way. Yes Congress cuts benefits......the administration does have the power to override those things.

All I was saying was Bush sends us into a un-necessary war (unless someone here on GC has found the WMD'S?) with our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. These soldiers are seeing the horrors of war, suffering irrevocable mental and physical damage to find Saddam Hussein and these WMD's - - - then they have to pay for their food in the hospital? Some 18 year old with no legs now has to come up $300? Yes civilians pay for their meals in hospitals, but these servicemen and women are OUR employees if you will. We want them to defend us, fight for us, risk their lives for us, but we don't want to feed them? O-K

So because no WMD have been announced as found, the war was unnecessary? First, if any WMD were 'found', you would just label it as 'planted' and blame Bush even more

Forget the important stuff that a oppresive dictator has been removed from power, that repeatedly used chemical weapons on his own people, that has proven to be a threat to the United States, that supported Al Queda. Take the following message from Congressman Roger Wicker:

Several members of the House of Representatives went to Iraq during the August recess. They report that the situation on the ground there is far different from the accounts we have seen on the network news. While isolated attacks on U.S. troops have attracted the headlines, much progress has being made toward establishing a free and independent government.

According to my colleagues who made the trip, the vast majority of the Iraqi people are thankful that our coalition forces are there. They are glad to be free of the terror and oppression of Saddam Hussein. A diverse national governing council has been created, and 90 percent of the towns and cities already have functioning local governments. More than 55,000 Iraqis have been trained and deployed to keep the peace in their country.

These soldiers are protecting us AND the Iraqi people by removing an evil dictator and putting in a functional government

Back to the main topic, though. You say the soldier shouldn't have to pay for meals. Absolutely right. But lets remember this little loophole has existed since 1981, and it is for anyone who gets served in a military hospital. For example: When my two brothers and I were born, all medical service was free except for $8.10 a day for food. Not a bad deal, if you ask me.

You ask where the soldier is going to come up with $300? Don't forget that the soldier was getting paid his regular allowance, plus a food allowance (though he was provided govt food in Iraq), plus a housing allowing (though he was provided housing in Iraq), plus a combat pay bonus, plus a hazardous duty pay bonus, etc. The meals in the hospital should equal out to what he recieves in Subsitence allowance - why should the taxpayers be giving him six free meals a day???

Yes civilians have to pay for vacations, but I don't think our daily lives involve mortors, bombs, and roadside attacks. The soldiers shouldn't be taking vacations - they should be home.

but hey just my opinion

These soldiers should be defending the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, while bearing true allegiance to the same. They should also be obeying all orders of the officers appointed above them and the President of the United States.

I have taken this same oath, and I feel strongly about the war in Iraq being vital to National and International Security. These soldiers knew when they signed up there was a chance they could go to war, and there they are now.

The government feels that getting these troops home for a couple weeks will do great things for morale, and it has. What if the Government said okay, you have two weeks vacation, find your own way home while they were still in Iraq??? Ask any soldier in Iraq if they were given a trip to Baltimore and told they had two weeks off if they would mind paying the rest of the way. I'm sure not many turned the offer down.

BTW, if you feel so strongly about this, why don't you start up a campaign to raise money to help send troops home when they are given leave? Otherwise it would take taxes being raised because the defense budget is already stretched thin right now. And what happens if Bush raises taxes?? You complain more on here!

[LXAAlum]

Originally posted by Munchkin03
How is the administration cutting benefits for servicemen? I thought Bush was giving them more take-home pay then Clinton had. I grew up in a military town, and when there are cuts, we usually hear about them in the incipient phases.

The Congress approved an increase in the military budget and in pay. IMHO, those in the military STILL aren't paid what they're worth, but, things are getting better...

When I was in the Navy, same policy - we got leave when we returned from deployment, but had to pay our own way home from base if we really wanted to get away. There are good military only travel reps on most bases, and the rates on flights were reasonable, so I always took off to home when I could.

The thing about paying for meals does chide me just a little bit - of course, all their actual health care is free, but the meals thing does look a bit suspicious, and I would venture to guess that if enough publicity is given to it, it'll be revoked (only for those wounded in the line of duty)...time will tell.

[bethany1982]

Injured Troops Get to Keep Meal Allowance... News Max, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003

"The Defense Department can no longer try to recoup meal allowances from sick and injured servicemen while they are receiving treatment in military hospitals.

The U.S. Senate today inserted language prohibiting the practice into the Pentagon's $87 billion request for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Servicemen receive a daily stipend of $8.10 for food. Upon leaving a military hospital, where they received all their meals, they had been billed for the daily stipend to prevent double-dipping."

[MereMere21]

I had not read that yet, thank you Bethany for posting that

and docetboy, I was not personally attacking you and I'm sorry you feel it necessary to go after me for expressing my OPINION, since thats all it is - an OPINION. I'm glad there are still people like you willing to go to war. I'm glad you support this 'Wag the Dog' like war. I hope you still feel that way after more and more of our troops are being killed by those Iraqis who are "so thankful we ousted Saddam"

This wasn't a Bush Hater thread, I was just wondering.....thats all it was.....I really don't like how some people on here can't have a discussion without attacking someone for their OPINION!

I asked in the first post if I was the only one that felt this way - and I got my answer - I am!

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by Munchkin03
...and they still don't have to pay income taxes.

Clarification: no income taxes are taken out if the serviceman or servicewoman is serving in a combat zone. If they're serving anywhere else, the Infernal Revenue Service (aka the Tax Gestapo) expect their beaks to be wetted.

BTW, I have two high school classmates of mine serving in the 'sandbox' right now: one's a first sergeant with the 101st Airborne in Iraq and another is a major in CENTCOM HQ in Qatar.