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I don't think most people understand what a military career entails. Service members are voulenteers. Most of them serve because they love their country and are patriots. They submit to regimentation most civilians could neither understand nor tolerate. They are provided sub-standard housing, lousy pay, (some are on food stamps), they are seperated from their families for long periods, they work long hours, 12 hour 7 day weeks occur all too often, they are on call 24-7 for alerts, their work is often dangerous, and they stand the off chance of getting their butts shot off.

Remember the Nam POW's? These were mostly officers shot down by the VC. They spent YEARS in prison camps suffering hunger, beatings, and horrible torture. Most of them came home with some degree of disability. Many of them also found their faithful wives had taken all the pay checks, divorced them, and married someone else.

For every member, there are often postings to gosh-awful places like Hopedale, Labrador, Incerlik, Turkey, Diego Garcia, or Buggeroff, Bosnia. They work long and hard for that retirement at the end, but if they get wounded, injured, or suffer other disability, the government confiscates part or all of that hard earned retirement Pay.

Absurd!

42 posted on 11/07/2002 8:52 PM PST by advocate10
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To: knak

Yes, VA health care can be likened to that provided in third-world countries. Indeed, that is where many VA doctors come from. They are willing to work cheap, and you get what you pay for. It's hard to even see a doctor. I have been on a waiting list for over two years to see a doctor at my local VA clinic.

Don't get me started on the supposed benifit of shopping at military BX/PX's where savings are a sham and service doesn't exist. The "deep discounts" at commissaries are a joke, too. Yes, prices seem low...until you get to checkout where they slap on a 10% surcharge!