Posted on 10/18/2011 2:12:49 PM PDT by katiedidit1
The national commander of the country's largest and oldest major combat veterans organization is asking his 2 million members and all their friends and families to urge their elected officials to not break faith with the nation's military and veterans' communities.
"We and our families who have and continue to serve and sacrifice the most need to raise our voices loudly and clearly before the nation's debt is placed squarely on the shoulders of our military families and veterans," said Richard L. DeNoyer, a retired Marine and Vietnam combat veteran who leads the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.
"It is critical that our voices not be lost in the ongoing budget debate that seems to now equate national service and sacrifice with the size of healthcare premiums," he said. "The 'people programs' inside the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are expensive because it takes people to fight our wars, and with less than one percent of our citizens currently in uniform, any degradation of these hard fought-for programs will break faith with those who sacrifice the most, and will place the continued viability of the all volunteer military in serious jeopardy."
(Excerpt) Read more at vfw.org ...
Approving the cuts are Sen. McCain, Sen Levin, Sen Patty Murray, Sen Jeff Miller, Sen Richard Burr and Sen Bob Filner. Looks like dems and republicans both support the cuts. This is the beginning with more to come
“The individual letters signed by Levin and McCain were far more ominous, because they both agreed with proposals President Obama announced last month to create a commission to examine the current military retirement system, and to alter military TRICARE benefits for those retirees age 65 and older. The president also wants to increase pharmacy copayments for military dependents and retirees of all ages, but both senators suggested the proposal needs further DOD review.
Regarding the military retirement system, Levin wrote the commission should expand its scope to “encompass all aspects of military compensation, including the current system of basic pay, allowances (including the housing allowance), special and incentive pays, and health care, as well as the tax treatment of the various components of military pay.” Levin also agreed with the president’s proposal to institute a $200 annual fee for military retirees age 65 and older who are enrolled in TRICARE for Life, but he would link future fee increases to the percentage amount of a retiree’s annual cost of living adjustment. The president’s proposal has no such linkage, and if approved as is, TRICARE for Life fees would rise from the recommended $200 in 2012 to $295 in 2013. This would be in addition to Medicare Part B payments they must already pay. “
Did he not hear who got elected president back in 2008?
I have been waiting almost 8 months to get a disability to get the VA to treat a service related problem. I would hate to have a serious problem and have to wait and wait not knowing when they would make a decision.
Obama and Panetta are behind this...Panetta has been fighting for years to cut the military and now he is Sec of Defense.
BTTT
Sad state of affairs when the govt kicks our veterans to the curb.
My first reaction to this was:
I wouldn’t mind paying $200 a year to help my nation...
My second reaction was:
That’s what they’ve been doing to the military for years. They just keep whittling and chipping at our benefits until there isn’t anything left.
When my husband joined, there were no fees for veterans’ healthcare. We were promised health insurance for the both of us for life.
Then they said that we had to pay something. Fine. Then a little more... and more... and now more.
But now they’re cutting commissary benefits. The fees for the SBP have gone up so that it’s cost prohibitive for many retired couples.
A hundred here... four hundred there... fifty over there...
Now they’re talking about the medical stuff not kicking in until retirement age. Well that puts us on Medicaid! Why bother?!
They won’t stop!
The president’s proposal has no such linkage, and if approved as is, TRICARE for Life fees would rise from the recommended $200 in 2012 to $295 in 2013. This would be in addition to Medicare Part B payments they must already pay.
200 fee in 2012 and going UP to 295.00 in 2013. Prescriptions UP and COLAS froze...bad news for the older retirees especially
bttt
come on people, stop it!!
I will NOT support any candidate for any office who does not support full veteran and retiree benefits. It could be my own Dad, and I’d given him a thumbs down.
That’s what I mean.
drip... drip... drip...
I don’t think that Washington values their service members at all. They’ll drive their bodies into the ground, use them up, blow them up, destroy their hearing, break their minds and then resent every dime that they owe them.
This is the same reaction I have. My husband and I can afford it for now. My dad is retired military. I worry about him and my mom. My youngest daughter is a Navy spouse, I worry about what is in store for them.
As Michelle Obama is scheduled to attend the World Series opening game and salute our veterans!!!!!!!!!!!! hypocrit that she is...Biden will be her escort. I hope the veterans have posters UP and boo the hell out of her
Nobody is balancing any budgets. period.
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