WRONG, my friend. One of the ABSOLUTES of what we career military persons were "promised" (they were never called promises until the government started cutting everything they "promised"!!), was the FREE medical care for life. THAT was a major player for me and everyone I have ever spoken too in making the military a career.
During my time, the 1970-80-early 90s years, we were told that we got 1/2 of our base pay for life, at retirement, along with FREE medical AND DENTAL care FOR LIFE, use of all military base activities, PX, Commissary (the second major player in my humble opinion after medical), the gyms, movie theaters, bowling, gas stations (where the price is usually 20-30 cents lower than off base (and is here where I live right now 25 cents lower), golf course, etc. ALL these things were included that IF we would do our 20 or more years, THIS is what you got. Our pay in those days was always much lower than civilian life. The promises of what we were to get for our careers was the promises of those things to come to us after we retired.
If people don't like it that we could retire, at say 38 years old after a 20 year career and starting getting our pay and all these others items, well all I can say is tough, you could have done it also. But in 20+ years in the military, my family lived in 22 different homes, and my son was in 15 different schools because we had to move from say Ft Campbell, KY to Germany. I could not take my family immediately with me, so I pulled my son out of school at Campbell, left my family at our home in Alabama, went to Germany, got settled, brought them over and my son moved into his 3d school in that year. So, we went through that a lot.
Those types of thing are what we put up with, and our families put up with for the promises that the government made to us. Well, the FREE is gone from medical care. I pay out of my retired check every month a payment to cover my "insurance" by the military. No more dental. Unless you live near a base, no PX, Commissary, no other agencies. They closed Fort McClellan, AL near where I live and that left thousands of retired people, who retired here for the base, life style, etc, out in the cold. All gone. Too old to move. Taking away the promises, what could we do about it??? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! Too late to make a career change, you are already retired.
So, it ain't just unions doing this. It is the very government you work for. My nephew is an Alabama State Trooper. He is near his 25 year retired mark. He told me a couple of weeks ago that the State of Alabama had slashed the Trooper's retirement by EIGHTY PERCENT! 80%!!! He is 2 years from retirement. What does he do now with losing that which he had planned for 23 years for? It ain't just unions. NOBODY, NOBODY keeps their word any more.
Most people don’t understand that folks are making some up front concessions for increased benefits later at retirement. And they simply don’t care when the company, government, etc. simply says, “Yeah, that’s a shame” and pulls the rug out. Like I said, if it’s happening to somebody else, no problem.
Retired.... I served 4 years in the USAF 1951-1955. I remember that RIF’s took place after the truce was signed in Korea and officers became enlisted ranks overnight.
I remember all the promises if you did your “20”.
Now we have the @zzwhole-in-chief sending pink slips to troops still in combat areas.
I wouldn’t recommend any young person to enlist in the military today.
Sure You Can Trust Government, Just Ask Any Indian