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 ...
can't cut illegals' benefits.
Can't cut foreign aid.
Can't cut UN dues.
Can't cut the thousand pounds of fat in the govt for every pound of meat.
No, all they can cut is the military and personnel. Disgraceful.
Eventually we're going to get to the point where we'll have to institute a draft 'cause young people are just going to figure, "Why bother?"
Well said
It’s usual to hear the older (near retirement) guys having conversations like this:
“Yeah make sure to get the hearing disability,” “Don’t forget ... disability too”
I was hoping it was a petition. I’m not surprised McCain’s all for it; he’s always been all for anything destructive to our military or harmful to veterans, and uses his service as a shield against criticism the was Obama uses race.
as far as Veterans and the currently serving?
Yes...give them as much economic support for vets and economic and equipment backing for currently serving as they need to do their job...
but lets start thinning down our PRESENCE around the world...
as far as I am concerned we SHOULD leave...both Iraq, and Afganistan...
but do it right...declare victory and leave.
Bin Laden is Dead....KSM is in jail....Anwar al-Awlaki was just killed by drones in yemen.
let these 3rd world, dark age idiots, live and die by there own hands...and ban any future Islamics from moving to the USA.
we are not wanted nor loved in Europe, Japan and Korea....
so pull them out...we have enough nuclear weapons to prevent a major attack...BUT not a stealth attack across our borders
SO...finally take all remaining military and place them along our southern border (and if necessary our northern border and coasts)....
The backs we’re really putting this all on are those of our children, and unborn generations. We’ve blown through all our own credit and are now destroying theirs.
Any discussion of the debt which starts with a cry about curtailed benefits is a non-starter IMHO. We need to stop robbing those who have no say in the matter just so we can prop up an illusion of prosperity.
“No taxation without representation!” was a rallying cry at the founding of this nation. We’re taxing future generations. Who is representing them?
Good ole Patty Murray of Socialist WA State. Her EXPERT on military affairs is her father. Ole dad was a PRIVATE FIRST CLASS in the military. A real George Patton ole PRIVATE Murray was. Expert on everything military. Yup, that is who I want advising me on military affairs. A TWO year private. Yup.
I think we should stop using the phrase, “balancing the budget on the backs of . . . “
that is something that president messiah says constantly. that’s reason enough to strike it from the conservative lexicon.
Cuts are inevitable. No one wants to see them, least of all veterans, but they are inevitable. Across the board. On EvERYBODY’s backs.
I KNOW, THAT’s true.
Remember when she was watching the flag ceremony at Arlington, and she leaned over to that man and said “all this over a flag” and then rolled her eyes. It was caught on video.
Early in my husband’s career, I tried to finish college.
We’d move. I’d spend three months getting our house settled and trying to find good, affordable daycare for our children.
Then I’d sign up for classes, only to find that my new college didn’t accept some of the credits from the last school and that I’d have to retake classes. Either that or they’d have different requirements and now I fell short.
Three colleges. 75 credits passed. 60 applied toward a degree. No associates.
I’ve lost three WONDERFUL jobs - one that offered upward mobility within the corporation. My boss begged me not to move and offered me a massive promotion if I’d stay. Double the pay. An additional position as a trainer within the company. (more money) The company would pay for my training and that would transfer to other companies and opportunities - I’d even qualify for a good federal job in just two years. My boss promised me that if I gave him just three more years, he’d personally help me get a great job in the industry anywhere I wanted to go.
Had I gone that route, I’d be making more than my husband does in the army now and getting better benefits.
Nope. The army had already moved my husband and I had to keep my family united.
My husband insists on hanging up my awards and certificates because he’s proud of me. I don’t like them. They just remind me of what I *could’ve* done if I’d had the opportunity.
I’m proud of my husband’s accomplishments. Every time he’s promoted, he give a speech and he tells the planet that he wouldn’t be where he was if he didn’t have my support.
But in the end, they’re *his* accomplishments. Not mine.
***
In the end, my body broke down and I know now that I couldn’t have followed through with all of my dreams anyway. But there are tens of thousands of woman in my position. Women who sacrifice their personal career goals to support their husband and the US army.
To cheat them out of what was promised is criminal and diminishes their sacrifice.
The army recruits soldiers. The reenlist wives and families. Gut the spouses’ benefits and retention will go to hell. We won’t have a choice.
Who else has been cut? unions? who? who was cut the most and cut first? veterans and military! not only cuts but taking away their insurance in some cases and trying to force others off tricare for life or pay UP...hits the elderly veterans and the young. Has congress been cut? has Obama been cut? who has faced the biggest hit?
Well, Democrats do hate the military, after all. They are now able to display that hatred via cuts again. This happens every time a Dem is in the WH.
The military represents younger generations too. Who is representing them? look at Wall Street. You do understand that some of the younger retirees may lose all of their insurance? something they worked for? and please tell me what other groups have been cut? illegals? unions? congress? bailouts for greenies and on and on? who is being cut other than the military by the feds?
Thank you for your many sacrifices. It’s nice to hear a military spouse talk honestly about what you have given up. My hubby is currently deployed. The other day he was telling me about the awards he is going to get before he comes home. I was having a particularly bad day on the home front with our (6) kids. I had to sit down and be honest with myself that, dangit—I was mad because I’m doing a heck of a lot over here. I’m giving up a lot. Where are my awards? Well.. it was a bad day and I got over it. I’m so proud of him and his accomplishments.
WELL PUT!!! couldn’t have said it better myself
I completely agree with you that not one cent of taxpayers’ money should go to support a single thing on your list. And your list is just a start. Our government needs to be massively scaled back.
However, when it comes to balancing the budget, we are so far out of whack that we cannot exempt ANYONE when it comes to making sacrifices. That includes veterans. Yes, I know veterans have already made sacrifices for their country. I am grateful. But we simply cannot allow any special interest group to claim a “special” exempt status when it comes to making cuts. Sorry, but if the money isn’t there it just isn’t there. That means you, me, our neighbors, everybody. If you are going to rein in the government, people are going to get hurt. That’s the hard truth that we must have the political will to accept.
Flame away if you will, but we have to cut government and cut spending, and cut it everywhere. No exemptions.
How bout we balanced the budget on the backs of all the government pencil pushers and bureaucrats instead?!!
I want to see the unionized government workers in the unemployment line for a change!
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