“I hope recipients of the largesse (meaning generous giving or generous gift) mentioned on this thread appreciate that taxpaying Americans who often cannot afford even a fraction of the benefits you receive for themselves are forced to pay for yours”
Mr Engineer, haven’t we’ve had this discussion before?
Give your life, your best years, over to Uncle Sam, give him a blank check payable up to your life, frequent deployments to nasty places where you may live in primitive conditions and sometimes you get shot at (or shot or maimed), constantly moving so your family is uprooted and you can never build up equity in a home, you don’t have a hometown, your children are constantly uprooted their entire life attending different schools, and it is a rare thing where the wife can establish a career in an environment where you are stationed (”dream sheet” is just that. . .a dream), if the wife sticks around to raise the kids when you are deployed, don’t forget the stress on the family as they experience sleepless nights, wife staring at the TV hoping for news or a brief glimpse of you, the wife serving as head of the home and father, and bill payer, and the children are not immune from the stress, and lets not forget acclimation when you return and you try and fit-in with the family and society in general. . .and so on.
Why do it?
It is service before self, country first, willing to sacrifice it all for a nation of people that do not understand nor care about the dangers and difficulties you go through during your career to EARN the benefit.
Of course, some may have a different opinion.
Tommy
I WENT into a public ‘ouse to get a pint o’beer,
The publican ‘e up an’ sez, “We serve no red-coats here.”
The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:
O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;
But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins,” when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s “Thank you, Mr. Atkins,” when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music ‘alls,
But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”;
But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide,
The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,
O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide.
Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;
An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.
Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy how’s yer soul?”
But it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll.
We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints:
Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints;
While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an “Tommy, fall be’ind,”
But it’s “Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind,
There’s trouble in the wind, my boys, there’s trouble in the wind,
O it’s “Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind.
You talk o’ better food for us, an’schools, an’ fires an’ all:
We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”
But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country,” when the guns begin to shoot;
Yes it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
But Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool—you bet that Tommy sees!
Rudyard Kipling
I was in the military, so spare me the lecture. Been there done that.
I also am aware of the tremendous fraud in retirement “disability” declarations.
So we either have a military or we have a benefit program for able bodied people to skim for 50 years after serving 20.
Today, and this thread exemplifies the problem, we have people that are bragging that they get free stuff that other people must pay dearly for.
It’s pitiful
Military service does not give anyone license to take from our taxpayers, children and grandchildren for 50 years.
If we had the money, fine. But we don’t have it anymore.
It’s gone. You want to argue about that?
You people bragging about your benefits to people who must pay 30k a year think that is ok? It’s not. It’s not what miliTaryn service or America should be about.
You may try to wrap yourself in the flag or hide behind true sacrifice of dead or severely wounded. They are the ones who have earned it.
So explain to the 60 year old guy who works hard for 40 years why he should pay the retirement and Healthcare for an able bodied military retiree at age 38, all while paying tens of thousands for his own family to have health coverage and paying for everything else. Do you deserve his money more than him? Is that why you served? It’s not why I served.
I worry about that more than I worry about Tricare co-pays that amount to a pittance compared to what Americans who pay the bill must sacrifice.
You don’t care about that, I understand.
You ought to. We all ought to.
Thank you. Kipling had it right 100+ years ago. Those who have never smelled the mixture of fear and cordite will never understand.