Top enlisted Marine pens open letter after testimony angers troops

Stars & Stripes ^ | April 14, 2014 | Stars & Stripes Staff

[xzins]

He should be fighting for it all.

It’s like coming ashore and saying “fight ‘em in the center and on the right, but leave the enemy on the left alone.”

[DocJhn]

How to keep a volunteer force to protect a Nation. Throw em some combat boots an unloaded rifle and put their families on bread and water!
What an Arrogant Bastard!

[driftdiver]

In my experience it was not uncommon for senior people to regularly throw the younger folks under the bus.

Take base housing, the younger enlisted who really need it cannot get it. Senior people snap everything up though.

[The Working Man]

I agree, and let’s be honest with ourselves. Just like the Colonels and various breeds of General when you get that high up in the ranks it’s mostly political at that point.

The Hands on guys are usually limited to E-6 and occasionally E-7.

[Ezekiel]

“Nobody wants less,” Barrett continued. “But if we don’t slow the growth of our hard-earned generous compensation/benefit entitlements that we have enjoyed over the past decade, we don’t have sufficient dollars for what we need — investment in our warfighting capabilities and our wonderful Marine and family care programs.”

This guy is digging a deeper hole. He can't be that stupid so he must be spewing this nonsense on purpose. Well he is in a prominent position in the heirarchy of beast.mil. He follows the orders and agenda of the one who pays him.

The money for "what we need" is systemically and routinely skimmed and scraped off though multiple levels of graft and corruption, but hey pal don't look there and fix the nature of the beast, just find more cash in places where the money actually belongs, and start scavaging and cutting under the usual pretext of "saving money".

The DoD's BS about "saving money" or "cutting costs" or "streamlining" is merely a thinly veiled code for diverting those funds into more desirable programs and pockets. Ecowacko money pits, perversion support and tolerance reeducation, "fixing" stuff that isn't broken so there's always a make work project to repair the inevitable damage and dysfunction, things like that. And perpetual uniform changes, can't leave that one out, lol.

[GeronL]

bump

[GeronL]

All federal civilian employees should have pay and bennies cut 10% - it will instill discipline

[Mears]

“Bouncing checks or failing to pay bills is a different issue.”

—

I worked many years for a public utility and the military were our favorite customers.

They were very couteous and always paid their bills.

..

[driftdiver]

There is a reason most businesses near bases love doing business with military people. Because they pay their bills. Sure there are problems but they know they’ll get their money.

If I failed to pay my bills or even bounced a check I would face an letter of reprimand at least. One guy I served with had his father bounce a check on a joint account. He got an article 15.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

I responded to this quote from you:

"What a Marine does with his income is his business.Its not the Business of the Marines"

Now you say:

"It is not for the Marines, Army, Navy, or Air Force to tell a person what they may or may not buy as long as its legal."

I'm pretty sure that you have never been in the service, at least not been in the Marine Corps. It is not like a regular type of employment. What a Marine does with his income is the business of the Marine Corps. If he's spending it all on frivolous things and not taking care of his wife and children, then yes the Marine Corps can and does get involved. If the Marine has problems with merchants out in town, then yes the Marine Corps gets involved. I know from personnel experience because I have had to deal with this many times.

[clintonh8r]

These guys shouldn't be testifying before a Senate panel. Of course, the Senate is run by RATs who have no concept of chain of command.

This SMMC is apparently a bonehead who serves with the worst CMC in my lifetime.

[driftdiver]

Well sport you are wrong. 10 years in the air force.

It is none of their business as long as its legal and he meets his obligations. To use your example it doesn’t matter what they spent the money on, it matters that he’s not taking care of his responsibilities (e.g. his family).

Key distinction there. But if you want to support this turd throwing junior enlisted under the bus go right ahead. I’ve found many officers have been duly trained to think the junior enlisted ranks are worthless. I saw it all the time with pilots.

[truth_seeker]

I also rose to the lofty rank of SP5 during my short Army career.

I was designated a Personnel Management Specialist, so they filled my military mind with such matters.

Since our time, they have done away entirely with Specialist ranks from E5 to E9, with only SP4 remaining.

Thanks for your service.

http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Catalog/HeraldryMulti.aspx?CategoryId=9168&grp=2&menu=Uniformed%20Services

[Gay State Conservative]

He’s earned whatever the pay is.

Never said he didn't.All I was suggesting was that at his pay level perhaps he might have lost sight of the sad fact that all too many of the enlisted ranks of our Armed Forces are already on food stamps.And once reminded of that perhaps he'd understand that *that* might be a drain on morale and a cause of low retention rates.

[Hulka]

“generous compensation/benefit entitlements “

That statement right there should get him fired and reveals he spoke with his mouth full of crumbs from his “betters” in the Big Zero PC-brigade.

[Ezekiel]

You know this song and dance is disingenuous because freeloaders’ freebies are never cut off. Why on earth would the government do that... beast.gov relies on, enables, and perpetuates government dependency and class warfare to justify its continued existence and control. Poverty and perversion of the mind are desirable virtues in this twisted alternate reality.

The military are easy prey for the PTB because the beast can and will hold those who "disrespect" it to the letter of their contracts. When the beast wants to cancel its obligations, contracts, and promises however... it does what it wants when it wants. Because it can.

There will come a day when this demonic government will discover that it really *isn't* the highest power and law of the land. It chose... poorly.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Well sport you are wrong. 10 years in the air force.

It is none of their business as long as its legal and he meets his obligations. To use your example it doesn’t matter what they spent the money on, it matters that he’s not taking care of his responsibilities (e.g. his family)."

Well sport, 22 years in the active duty Marine Corps says you are incorrect. As I stated before leastways you weren't in the Marine Corps. I can tell you from a former Company Gunny's perspective (the guy that had to deal with this stuff), this happens all the time. Forcing Marines to meet their obligations. Be it family, loans etc... That means telling them what to spend their money on. The Marine Corps is not like a regular employer. A regular employer could care less if you pay your bills or make sure your kids get fed. The Marine Corps does.

"But if you want to support this turd throwing junior enlisted under the bus go right ahead."

Please show me where I supported what he said? I didn't, in fact I've stayed out of this argument because when the active duty people get a pay raise, I get a pay raise as a retiree. So I don't feel that I should state my opinion in this matter because it directly affects me.

[driftdiver]

So if a member meets his obligations you want to tell him what he can buy?

really? No, you get involved when they DON’t meet their obligations.

So no I’m not incorrect.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

What you originally said:

"What a Marine does with his income is his business.Its not the Business of the Marines"

Then your first qualifier:

"It is not for the Marines, Army, Navy, or Air Force to tell a person what they may or may not buy as long as its legal."

Now your current qualifier:

"you get involved when they DON’t meet their obligations."

I love how you keep qualifying what you said. You were incorrect on your first statement. You were incorrect on your second statement. You did finally get it correct on your third statement. Congratulations. Yes, as long as the company gunny and first sergeant does not get calls from irate wives, or from merchants out in town or from base housing after inspecting his house and saying he lives like a pig or a myriad of other personnel problems the Marine is free to spend his money as he wishes. We are in agreement on that.

[Pollster1]

Our junior enlisted (especially) are grossly underpaid, and articulating any other message on military pay is a disservice to our military.