Food stamp use among troops skyrockets during Obama admin

The Daily Caller ^ | 2/17/14 | Caroline May

[Nachum]

Food stamp redemption at military grocery stores, or commissaries, has nearly doubled since the beginning of the “Great Recession,” topping out at $103.6 million in FY 2013, from $31.1 million in FY 2008.

While the amount of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or food stamps, have soared over the past five years, the rate of increase has slowed, according to data from the Defense Commissary Agency and published by CNN Money Monday.

From FY 2009 to FY 2010 the level of spending jumped from $52.9 million to $72.8 million; from FY 2010 to FY 2011 the amount of SNAP benefits redeemed increased from $72.8 million to $87.8 million; from FY 2011 to FY 2012 it increased from $87.8 million to $98.8 million; and from FY 2012 to FY 2013 from $98.8 million to $103.6 million.

[GailA]

Military Pay Chart: http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_pay_scale.asp

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty ping.

[GailA]

Hubby served from the 60-80,retired as a SCPO, would have made MSCPO if not for a being run off the road be a teenager and spending 35 days in the Navy hospital during Eval time.

I remember washing diapers, clothes and fatigues, in the bath tub and drying them on a clothes line, ironing them, sewing on new patches, fixing tears, etc. And we went hungry several days a month when out lay of pay exceeded bills and there was no money for food for that last week. We made sure the baby was fed first. 1 car. Call I was expecting #2 at the time. BAQ was $130 per month then.

[GailA]

We are an inland Navy base, went from training to BUPERS, from 1 Admiral to a dozen. Exchange prices so high end they are actually higher than the big dept stores like Macy’s, lower ranks can’t afford to shop there except for Uniforms, Commissary is nearly as expensive as the private sector grocery stores, and in some cases much higher. I can buy a gal of milk at Kroger’s cheaper even with the sales tax than I can at the Commissary. Even the gas station is higher than the private sector.

[pfflier]

The problem has always been that the commissary was the only option within 10 miles of some posts like Vandenberg AFB or Yuma Proving Ground for example. You are screwed if you don't have a car.

[pfflier]

The first sentence was supposed to be irony as in...Sure take away another benefit promised by the recruiter.

[pfflier]

I was in the USAF from 1971 to 1980 until carter disgusted me so much I got out. We didn't even begin to live well until I got E-4 re-upped and we got on-base housing.

Fortunately I had a large selective reenlistment bonus. The first things we did was pay off the car, get a color TV and eat meat twice a week (for the first time in two or three years).

The commissary saved our butts so many times before that because we could buy "issue" pasta, milk, bread, honey and peanut butter.

Thanks to your husband for sticking with it (especially through the carter years) and my wife and I both know that you were dedicated as much as your husband to the military. You too served some very hard time as a Navy wife.

[edpc]

At least we know they’re doing more than enough to earn them. The same cannot be said for other recipients.

[TurboZamboni]

I’m talking the messhall. The commissary is a benefit, but ‘optional’ as to whether or not you use it.

Your daily rations(breakfast/lunch/dinner) are not supposed to be an optional benefit,but are if the mess halls near your barracks are all closed on weekends,etc.

[dsc]

Oh, Irony. No, we don’t have that around here.

[GailA]

Thanks, you too for your service. I come by it honestly,like most Americans my gene pool is a polyglot of races and every one of them volatile, warrior in nature, I got the biggest share of the Highlander Scot than my 3 younger siblings. Type A, take no crap person.

I calculated how many jars of baby food we’d need for a month when we went to the Commissary, they did not carry a lot at the small bases we were assigned, ate a lot of hamburger meat, cheap peanut butter, and pasta, Never saw base housing. I joined my hubby on his Japan tour again no base housing. He was on the Midway when they pulled the Ambassador out of Nam, off the coast of Cuba during the Missile Crisis, after that he taught A/B schools.

I grew up on stories of MacArthur, as my dad served under him for 6 yrs, put old Glory back up on a telegraph pole when old Mac retook the ROCK he was a a short skinny guy, Staff Sgt and a PFC volunteered under sniper fire to put Old Glory back up, they earned Bronze Stars. Once upon a time when history was still history he was in the encyclopedia, now it’s just books on the battle to retake the Rock.

You ask these kids who old Mac was or what the ROCK was they have no idea what you are talking about, same with Merrill.

[pfflier]

If memory serves me right, there is a monument in the Philippines that depicts an American soldier climbing a palm tree to mount a flag. Your dad maybe?? I think it is on Luzon but maybe Corregidor.

We saw it and several MacArthur monuments on excursions from Clark AFB. We thought one looked like he was giving the NAZI salute but the locals said he was pointing inland.

[cherry]

first of all, just because food stamps are being used at commissaries doesn’t mean that the military are using them...could be retired military of which there are millions...

[GailA]

NOPE, most definitely a telegraph pole. Dad was the smaller of the 2 so that is him on top. We have brownie photos of Old Mac about to board a plane talking to some officers. That are not part of official records.

Putting Old Glory up on a Palm Tree would not be regulation correct. The telegraph pole was the highest clearest object they found left standing which is why it was used.

On Jul 12, 2009 at 1:14pm When the 503rd returned to Corregidor, 1st Sgt. Carl N. Shaw of Reg. HQ and HQ Co. saw to it that the flag be raised again shortly after landing. His 2 volunteers were T-5 Frank G. Arrigo and Pfc. Clyde I. Bates.

The pole they used was not the Old mast flag pole. It was a tall old telegraph pole on the western end of the parade ground. The pole was already spiked for climbing and the 2 men went up under Japanese sniper fire. The flag remained on this pole for 2 weeks during the fighting. It was not until the fighting was all but finished and orders were given to move the flag higher on the parade ground where a formal ceremony took place.

That was taken from the book "Combat Over Corregidor" by Dr. Charles H. Bradford page 49-50.

In the book "The Return to Corregidor" by Harold Templeman, he has an account too. You can actually see a photo of the 2 men mentioned above putting up the flag. The photo is on page 5 and the caption gives these 2 men credit also.

"The Return to Corregidor" by Harold Templeman, page 7 starts off by saying that "Climaxing a fortnight of bitter fighting, Corp. Donald G. Bauer (from Ohio) hauled the Stars and Stripes to the top of a bomb and shell scarred mast, in a short simple ceremony."

A fortnight is equal to 14 days, or 2 weeks. So with this information we know where the flag was for the first fortnight and who raised it. We also know who raised it at the official ceremony and where the Flag was put, on the old mast.

[GailA]

NOT any more. I still use the one in Millington TN Navy training base turned BUPERS. And most items cost about the same if not more than Kroger’s, You make up the cost difference in gas points alone. The restock fee is 5% vs sales tax of 9.75, which the county tacked on .25 of. I can buy milk and bread cheaper as well as most staple items even paper ones at Kroger’s. We have earned up to $1 off per gal of gas in a month, sometimes $2, you can only use $1 at a time up to 35 gals of gas. Base gas is also HIGHER and still CITGO. Base beats them on cleaning products, but heck the $ tree store has bleach and dishwasher soap for a BUCK. Base is about $2.50 for bleach, about $6 on dishwasher name brand stuff.

Did my Christmas shopping at a time they were running gift cards at 4 times the points, took all of 10 mins to pick up cards for 7 grands and 4 GGrands, and both of us to use on Amazon Prime free shipping, no mall drive of 1 hr, no crowds. No anti-Christian garbage to put up with. And earned $2 off gas for a 60 day period.

Exchange is geared for the Brass’s pockets not the lower ranks. Only thing they get there is uniform stuff.