Posted on 01/11/2014 6:03:49 PM PST by SkyPilot
That is a tough charge, not made lightly. The Secretary of Defense is stealing earned but deferred income from his soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. It is especially troubling because Hagel is a former Vietnam combat soldier and noncommissioned officer. He served in the infantry with valor and gallantry. He just stole $6 billion from his retiring or retired soldiers.
No need to detail here the massive debt the nation has created and much of that from fighting mostly unfunded wars. No need to repeat the abundant and perpetual instances of fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal budgets and especially including the Pentagon and defense budgets. No argument either that massive spending reform is needed throughout the federal government. All that is compounded by an Administration and Congress that lacks fiduciary competence, moral courage, and a determination to do what is best for the nation rather than for political party and agenda or congressional duchy. If only they emulated the fidelity provided by the nation’s soldiers. Alas, no. The Congress, stupefied as they are, collectively and individually, recently passed the Bipartisan Budget Act which the President signed. To avoid another government shutdown the law’s architects, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), ended long-term unemployment benefits in exchange for a pension reduction for military retirees under age 62, including 100,000 retired for disability. It is widely reported that Rep. Ryan says that the Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel volunteered and proposed the pension reduction; Hagel stepped forward with the idea. The idea did not originate in the Congressional committee. Hagel sacrificed the retirees to ease defense spending cuts involving, programs, material, and consultants all raging out of control and mostly unaudited. It is an idea long recommended by the Defense Business Board and other beltway consulting firms including retired senior officers (most over age 62). The proposal if not endorsed, was certainly not publicly objected to, by senior Pentagon generals including the Joints Chiefs of Staff. Rather, this is the first and long waited opportunity to convert military pensions into federal employ pensions. (The December 2013 Bipartisan Budget Act is explained here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/26/us-usa-obama-idUSBRE9BP0HK20131226
http://www.military.com/benefits/2013/12/26/hagel-ryan-defend-retiree-cola-caps.html
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Christensen, a Pentagon Defense Department spokesman says an Army private with fewer than two years of service and no dependents earns on average about $40,400 annually, What? 2014 Pay Table, Army Private 2, $1,717 a month X 12 = $20,604 year. Army PFC, $1,805 month X 12 = $21,660; SP4 $2,000 X 12 = $24,000. These soldiers without dependents live in barracks and eat in a DFAC. No wonder the SECDEF thinks the military are paid too much. Pentagon staff are ripe with officer incompetence who cannot do 5th grade math. This article with its misinformation is being repeated in civilian newspapers and news broadcasts across the nation without correction.
Hagel, Ryan, and Murray now attempt to weasel out of the public outrage over this idiocy by agreeing it was a mistake not to have shielded more than 100,000 service members retired on medical disability from the pension cuts. Message to Hagel, Ryan, Murray, and the rest of the numbnuts (worthless or neutered) in Congress. It is a gross mistake to steal from retired and retiring military regardless of age, disability, or rank or grade their long and hard-earned deferred income.
If you want to do this to military members not yet on active duty, then do it. However, those now on active duty entered military service under a contract at enlistment or commissioning that clearly explains retirement obligations by both parties – the soldier and the government. The soldiers met their obligation. Congress fails. Below are Congressional Budget Office examples of the money stolen from members of the Armed Forces by their Commander in Chief, the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the United States Congress: An E-6 who retires at age 32, after 12 years of service, due to injury or illness would lose more than $45,000 in retired pay by age 62 if inflation were to average three percent. An O-3 officer medically retired at 34 after 12 years would lose more than $63,000 in retired pay by age 62. An enlisted member in pay grade E-7 retirees at age 40 with an annual pension of $23,000, would lose $83,000 off the total value of E-7 retired pay. An officer who retirees as an O-5 at age 42, with a pension of $43,000, will lose more than $124,000 by age 62 How does the government have the audacity and heartlessness to do this after so many of these soldiers served for so long with so much loyalty, sacrifice, valor, and gallantry, on multiple combat tours, often wounded and sick, with incalculable casualty to families. If the government thinks these payments excessive, then change the inducements before the war not afterward. This theft of earned albeit deferred compensation demands restitution for ALL retired military and immediately. It doesn’t help that the same nest of elected and appointed bureaucrats were responsible for the screw-up involving death benefits for families of military killed in action a few months ago when the government was dysfunctional. If some readers object to Watchdogs sarcasm, disrespect, and hyperbole, kindly understand that it is mild compared to comments posted on http://www.military.com and in American Legion, VFW, all ranks clubs, mess halls and mess decks about this betrayal. It is also a public outrage.
To be fair, while it is clear that Hagel despises our military and every person in uniform, he did not steal from them. Hagel certainly betrayed the people who defend freedom, but that is different from stealing. We should use the correct words, even when criticizing America’s enemies.
I think at this point the word chosen might be semantics. It is now clear that Ryan is saying he was "offered" the scalps of military retirees and currently serving military by none other than Chuck Hagel himself. Ryan is a traitor for implementing the cuts, but it cannot be denied the offer to take from military pensions (including the disabled and survivor widows pensions) came directly from Chuck Hagel himself.
In November, Hagel warned troops he was about to screw them over:
Hagel Says Cuts to Pay and Benefits are Needed
But, Hagel and his minions appeared to be frustrated that Congress would not go along with all of their proposals:
Hagel acknowledged the need to get approval for changes to compensation and personnel policy from members of Congress, who would be reluctant to justify military pay cuts to voters back home. At a CSIS panel on defense budgets following Hagel's address, Jim Dyer, former staff director for the House Appropriations Committee, said he saw "no movement on pay, or to address TRICARE costs" in the current political environment. "Congress is not there on this yet," Dyer said. "They're too determined not to hurt the troops," or their own chances for re-election, Dyer said.
So he gave them a little incentive and push: they would insert the pension heist at the very last minute into the Ryan-Murray budget deal, with no hope of amending it. Otherwise, Congress would have to confront another government shutdown.
This is just the beginning, I expect Hagel to push to kick "working age" military retirees and their families out of TRICARE, eliminate payments to VA rated disabled retirees, and a whole host of other "savings" that will further break morale and our volunteer force.
The only roadblock to Hagel's (and I believe Obama's) agenda would be if Congress rolls back the provision that robs military pensions. It would demonstrate that the American people's outrage (and there is plenty) and Congress' reaction will stymie their attempts to hurt the retirees and troops.
Hagel is a great example of how wrong people in NE are so often. But they had two good ones 50 years ago, Roman Hruska and Carl Curtis. Neither had show-biz charisma, but both were quite colorful in their own right.
There are several people here who, it would seem, have no problem with this. They seem to think that the military and veterans should take the hit rather than welfare mooches, crony capitalists, foreign aid or just about anything else.
Three Fortunate Sons and the Humiliation of the Military
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3110648/posts
Depends on what the meaning of "is" is. If "to steal" means simply "an unethical taking of something belonging to another", then Hagel initiated just such a thing.
So, the outrageous headline is true to our military retirees and active duty. He is taking what is their without their permission.
If any one know more, I would appreciate knowing.
1. Hagel's hatred of Israel
The Bible says very clearly says this concerning the Jewish people and the nation of Israel:
"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:3
Hagel and Obama both have clearly chosen Israel enemies over her, and moreover, share a deep, corrosive malice against Israel. God will not be mocked, and their actions will have ramifications upon America.
2. Hagel's nonsupport of the War Against Terror while a GOP Senator
Seldom did Hagel pass down an opportunity to trash President Bush's War on Terror, even as strategy and operations were unfolding and the outcomes far from certain.
3. Hagel's confirmation hearing
Hagel appeared confused, ill informed, meandering, out of his league, inept, and some even said he appeared hung over. It was uniformly labeled a "disaster" in Washington by both parties, yet he won confirmation by the Senate a few days later.
4. Government shutdown
Hagel and the DoD were the ONLY Federal agency that was granted a 100% exemption by Congress, voted on by both parties and signed by Obama, so that the DoD would not be affected and all military and DoD civilian employees would be paid. Hagel didn't act on this and claimed DoD "lawyers were studying the law." It was several days into the shutdown that Hagel relented and brought most civilians back to work, but only after the House Armed Services Committee threatened to haul him before the cameras and confront him in public. Moreover, Hagel had never attended the reception of a fallen warrior as SECDEF, but when a public outcry arose of the failure of the DoD to pay death benefits to the families of the fallen (citing the Govt shutdown), Hagel reacted to the bad PR by mugging for the cameras the next day at Dover AFB as the caskets came off the C-17 transport.
4. Hagel's appetite to take attack pay, benefits, health care, pensions, etc of our military and military retirees
It is now pretty clear that Hagel initiated the pension COLA cut, and Paul Ryan was his happy hatchet man. Hagel sees this cut as just the beginning. Watch.
The troops know they are being screwed - but they cannot speak out. God help this nation if war in the Middle East breaks out. Morale could not be lower. Readiness is still suffering the on-going effects of Sequestration. I greatly fear for our nation.
There are many ways to steal - abetting those who will take away what was promised and earned by fulfillment of your side of the contract does qualify as stealing, which is the kindest definition of what he and the Congress are doing.
In roman times if the army felt like they were being ripped off the soldiers would revolt and threaten to march on Rome.
Augustus Knew better than to Piss off the Military.
6. Hagel furloughed nurses at Walter Reed, but exempt politically correct counselors from pay loss huck Hagel to exempt DOD sex assault prevention workers from furloughs
While nurses that cared for our combat wounded at Walter Reed and countless other facilities were furloughed and lost 20% of their paychecks, Hagel exempted Sexual Assault Prevention workers, who were going around installation to installation, preaching a PC mantra. This was an incredible Machiavellian approach, and destructive to the DoD workforce.
Then there was Caligula who didn’t
Some days I think a military coup is our only hope.
Active Duty/Retiree ping.
Ha, you think that’s low, you ought to see what widows (and children) get as retirement.
True. It is only one half of what the serviceman or woman was getting, and for the widow or widower to even get that pension, they have to pay out of their own meager retirement, every month. That cost isn't covered by the Federal government, and the military retiree has to make that choice to pay for the insurance because it can be quite substantial.
So the government screwed the military retiree by moving a substantial portion of their salary into housing, subsistence, and base pay - so as to vastly reduce the retirement owed them at 20 years.
And the government screws them again by reducing that sum to 50% for the widow and children, and that is only if the contribute a large portion of their own retirement.
It is now all out war on our military members and retirees. The NY Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the Washington Post are running editorial after editorial that are not only trying to justify the totally unjust pension cuts, but are doubling down by screaming for military health care to be slashed.
We truly live in evil times.
Military Watchdog (me) wrote the original article. Thanks for reprinting.
Steal is the correct usage and remains unchanged albeit not a prosecutable crime in Washington.
Those who disagree with “steal” in this context may enjoy Military Watchdog’s other caustic, acerbic, and satirical articles that drive Washington staff apoplectic. Other articles are at Military Watchdog on Scribd. http://www.scribd.com/Military_Watchdog
Look also there for “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” http://www.scribd.com/doc/100509730/When-Johnny-Comes-Marching-Home
Regarding another point, it is the United States Marines, however, members are marines as are airmen, soldiers, and sailors. Collectively, members of the armed forces may be referred to correctly as soldiers in a very general application, such as a headline, as in Hagel steals from soldiers.
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