“One of the carrots dangled in front of GI’s to get them to commit to 20+ years was the free health care. It was the deal they made with the rest of America to protect the freedoms we have.”
Friend, I was in the military. I know and respect military service. None of what follows applies to those severely injured in service their country. I did my hitch and got out eagerly. Today, the retirement benefit package makes each member of the military defacto millionaires - even multi-millionaires.
The country simply cannot pay for a 38 year old soldier & spouse medical care costs for the next 40 years. We don’t have the money. Somebody made promises that cannot be kept. It’s simply a fact. We do not have the money.
Additionally, The more the military is placed above the average citizen, the less free we actually are - because you are asking the impossible of the citizens whose freedom the military defends. We do not have the money. The same principal applies to other federal, state, and municipal government employee retirement plans, not just military.
The people that have to pay the taxes that support all of this cannot continue to make folks that leave government service - whether by military or civilian or any other means millionaires. We can barely afford our own medical benefits - and we are supposed to pay for everyone elses first?
I’m not pretending to know what the answer is - but the answer is NOT to make every military member that makes it to 20 years a multi-millionaire when retired pay and medical benefits are considered.
The deal our founding fathers made with every American - freedom supersedes the deal the military bureaucracy made with members of the military.
Again, I don’t know the answer, but apparently you do not know the answer either.
Military service can be very hard and brutal - if you live through it, I agree, but the answer is not to make you a multi-millionaire when you retire. It can’t be.
Not when they are also paying for free lifetime medical care for millions of moochers, loafers, drug addicts, illegals and other assorted victim groups and voting blocs who have done exactly nothing to deserve 5-cents worth of free care.
“Today, the retirement benefit package makes each member of the military defacto millionaires - even multi-millionaires.”
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I retired in 1982 and am by no means a millionaire. My retirement pay at that time was $600/mo. On that I also had to pay income taxes. I spent over 20 years moving where I was told to go, did the job I was told to do, and ate when I was told I could eat. I don’t think the military is being put above anyone. They have earned the medical care that they were promised.
The gov has already broken their promise to me on educational benefits. They changed the rules and told me that my benefits has expired. That was not in the contract I signed. There was no mention of the benefit expiring (the old GI bill). Now they want to change the rules again on medical care. I’m getting very upset with the whole gov system!
Do you have the numbers to prove that out, cause I'd like to see them.
I'm a retired E-7, make about $1400 a month before taxes, SBP, etc. I don't qualify for the GI Bill (long story).
I agree in principle that the system has become unsustainable, but it isn't because of the benefit packages that are offered as incentive to fill the ranks.
The douchebags in DC are responsible for squandering this country's wealth and they are pulling a typical liberal tactic, take away pay and benefits from those that actually contribute to our society vs. those leeches who suck at the teat.
I don't believe that our society is placing the military member "above" anyone, I see where people appreciate that there are still rough men and women willing to exercise violence on our behalf to keep us safe and work to ensure our freedom.
How many men and women walked into a recruiter’s office and thought: “Hot dam*! These lifetime medical benefits are sa-weet!”
Next to none. Joining the Military is a big “what did I just do?” to many enlistees. I served and was honorably discharged, and married a Soldier. My Soldier still serves. He is 42 year old and has a hearing aid from explosions. He is a combat engineer. He needs a hearing aid on the other ear, but doesn’t want two. The meniscus (spelled wrong, I am sure) in his knee has been torn and repaired 2 times, as he was Airborne (hooah) for many years. He has had Lyme disease, from being out in the woods and field for weeks months years, and having ticks on him. The Military docs thought his swollen knee, at one point, was another knee injury, but it was hot and swollen from Lyme disease.
Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Sardina, Norway, Germany x2, Drill Sgt for 3 years. Route Clearance, which was in Afghanistan. He has disarmed (don’t know the “real” word) IEDs without protective gear. He got one of his ranks pinned/frocked, replacing another Soldier, who got his eyes and face severely injured in garrison while disposing of ordanance. The Soldier lost his eyes. My husband took his place.
Our daughter will graduate with honors this year, and we will have to let her enroll in college and be hundreds, if not thousands of miles from her, as we can and will be moved anywhere in the world. We don’t want to be that far from her, she is our beloved daughter. Yet we have no choice.
And we have been relatively lucky. When I gave birth to our sons in a German hospital, it was free. Of course I was alone for the birth of our middle son, as my husband was clearing mines, minefields,etc, for Bill Clinton in Bosnia.
I know most women would crawl on their hands and knees through broken glass to give birth alone in a German hospital while their husband was clearing mines, as it was free...oh, wait a minute! The average female illegal alien, teen mom, single mom with no husband because she likes to be a hoe, they get it for free, all their medical care. Why on earth would anyone think my husband and our family deserve the benefits we were TOLD WERE OURS FOR SERVICE to America? We were really damn stupid to go thru all this to have anal intercourse with no lubrication from a nasty, ignorant, Kenyan m.f. and all the jerks who say “Sorry! No money left! Guess you pay now.”
My husband runs 6 miles a day most days, and has to be fit and trim. He’s not a fatty riding the Iraq cannon fodder train. When is the last time you ran 6 miles? He does it to remain a Soldier, because it is a privilege to serve, and they can and will take his job from him for being overweight. And still, after getting up very early, and pushing himself to run after punishing his body for 20 plus years, he still doesn’t deserve his bennies? And he’s going to be a multi-millionaire? I have lived in and around Military communities, and I have never met a retired enlisted Soldier who remotely resembled a millionaire, much less a multi- millionaire.
And please don’t think I am complaining. I am so proud of my husband, and our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen all deserve the benefits they were promised when they enlisted or were commissioned.
I swear people who served and got out before retirement and mad because they don’t get the medical benefits retirees do, and want to see our retirees stripped of these benefits out of jealousy.
Have any actual numbers to back this up?
I don't know of any retired military who is a "defacto millionaire". Especially Enlisted who make up the majority of the military.