[SoConPubbie]

I hate to sound callous but if they were seasonal or part time they aren’t entitled to the benefits of full time employees.

You are callous.

I've done brush-fire fighting, and even that job makes most jobs look like a walk-in-the park.

Add in the risk of parachuting and being at the fore-front of the fire, and these boys/men and their families deserve both our respect and support.

Every time they went out on a fire they put their life on the line and at-risk.

Can you say the same from whatever job/career you have/had?

[HartleyMBaldwin]

What’s this about parachuting? They were not smokejumpers.

[GatorGirl]

I function in a somewhat less deadly environment but I am a military spouse so I get it.

We have SGLI. We have investments. We have life insurance WITHOUT an act of war exclusion. I have a self-sustaining career.

The law’s the law. Either these guys were entitled to survivor benefits or they weren’t. You take the job you live with the stipulations. Changing the rules ex post facto because we feel bad is not the right course of action.