Military Heroes Will Never Demand Charity

War has always been portrayed as hell, and now is also financially unfair to the survivors of the gallant fallen – at least to those who consider the disparity between what a 9-11 survivor can expect as compensation for the loss of a family member and what the survivors of a GI killed during operations in the Afghanistan theater rate as a matter of law.

Kenneth Feinberg, the 9-11 fund administrator, announced this month that the average award would grow to about $1.85 million, about $200,000 more than calculated in December. He also guaranteed a minimum payout of $250,000. Additionally, the award for each surviving spouse and child of the 9-11 attack has doubled to $100,000, and families will get money for the lost earning potential of victims.

In stark contrast, the amount of money due to the survivors of our heroes in Afghanistan (or in the future, the Philippines and elsewhere) who are killed in the far-ranging war on terrorism is a $6,000 direct death benefit -- half of which is taxable. Additionally, $1,750 is allotted for burial costs. If you are the surviving spouse, you get $833 a month until you remarry. And there’s a payment of $211 per month for each child -- until the age of 18.

A review of pending legislation before Congress reveals a number of bills concerning military survivor benefits, but all basically address tax relief and the removal of offsets. None offer any outright increases in entitlement to survivors of military men and women killed in action or by accident.

ABC’s Sam Donaldson recently asked Afghan War commander Gen. Tommy Franks about the disparity.

"[F]or more than 200 years, the U.S. has done a great job of taking care of -- of her men and women in uniform,” said Franks. "I think -- I think the way our people and their families are cared for is something that -- that every service member is aware of, and, in fact proud of.

"I suspect that -- that anytime there is seen to be some -- some discrepancy, such as the one that you described, that -- that this nation will take a look at it, and if it makes sense to change it, I suspect that it’ll be changed.

"As you know, I’m a -- I’m a tactical commander, and I’m involved with the forces who are out here on this battlefield, and I have great confidence in the leadership that we have in Washington to review issues like this, and -- and so it would probably be wrong of me to try to comment on it.”

In all fairness, supplementing the military death gratuity entitlements listed above, the beneficiaries of those GIs who have been killed by accident or hostile fire are also eligible to be paid up to $250,000 -- assuming the fallen troops purchased the maximum amount of insurance the military offers. It’s called Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance or SGLI.

SGLI, available to all members of the uniformed services, is a group life insurance policy purchased by the government from a commercial life insurance company. Members on active duty or inactive duty for training and members of the ready reserve are eligible to purchase the insurance in $10,000 increments, up to a maximum of $250,000.

The Military Survivors’ Bill signed into law by President Bush in June 2001, extended life insurance coverage to spouses and dependent children of members insured under the SGLI program, effective November 1, 2001. Each dependent child (under the age of 18 or 23 if enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning) is automatically insured for $10,000, at no cost to the member.

In the meantime, as our soldiers and their families have remained characteristically stoic about the disparity, some of the victims from the Oklahoma City bombing are campaigning for the same deal that the September 11th families are getting.

In addition, as pointed out recently by Rush Limbaugh on his program, some of the families of those bombed in the embassies are now asking for compensation as well.

Howard Kavale, for instance, who lost his 46-year-old wife, Prabhi, a veteran State Department employee in al-Qaeda’s 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, is glad families who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks will get help, but he’s angry that his own family wasn’t treated the same way. Neither he nor his two daughters received special help.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., recently told USA TODAY that the revolution in expectations was generated by the airline bailout, which is what gave birth to the 9-11 fund in the first place. Said Reid, [But for the bailout] ‘‘we probably wouldn’t have this program for the victims.’’ He added that future attacks with weapons of mass destruction, for instance, could leave so many victims that high-level compensation would be impossible.

Tom Segel of Military E’ Sprit.Net went even further in his analysis of the revolution in expectations, bringing up the plight of those who lost family members or suffered injury in the first World Trade Center attack in 1993 and the families who lost loved ones when the USS Cole was attacked. He added potentially: the tower bombing in Saudi Arabia, the murders in Somalia, the attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the bombing attacks on airliners ... "You can pick from a long list of atrocities,” he concluded.

And how about the still suffering and needy survivors of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War? Segal asked, playing devil's advocate.

With all the permutations, it’s no wonder that Gen. Franks has been vague and Congress relatively silent.

let me be the first to say i dont see where the families of 911 get off receiving one red cent from the american taxpayer. this is brutally unfair and unnecessary. i feel for them for their loss as much as anyone could, but the taxpayers do not owe them a thing. some of them even want more than 2 million bucks! id be embarrassed and ashamed to take the money. but i will say, i wish there was a fund for the surviving relatives of the true heroes, our men and women who get killed in combat. it disgusts me to no end to see mr spann's wonderful widow with her kids, and a step child, getting peanuts from the government, in comparison to what somebody gets from 9/11. how can she feel when some of the widows from 911 claim 2 million bucks isnt enough? where is the outrage? mr spann is the real hero, his family should get 2 million bucks from the taxpayers, not the folks in the world trade center, or the other two planes.

With all the permutations, it’s no wonder that Gen. Franks has been vague and Congress relatively silent.

Don't blame General Franks. He's a soldier - not a Congressman. He can't change any laws or statutes. He can't even speak up about it in public.

Congress, on the other hand, can be blamed for it. They allow themselves automatic payraises, give themselves excellent medical care, great retirement packages, and all the perks. If anyone is to blame, it's them.

""[F]or more than 200 years, the U.S. has done a great job of taking care of -- of her men and women in uniform,” said Franks. "I think -- I think the way our people and their families are cared for is something that -- that every service member is aware of, and, in fact proud of."

This is nonsense. Military spouses have always needed more assistance than the US Government gives. Just ask Chapmans wife who is going through hell right now. The Warrior's Foundation is one of the groups that provides the necessary assistance that the Government does not give.

General Franks should be ashamed of himself.

i think franks should have opted for "no comment." he was put in a pretty tough spot by the question. as for the rest of the article from newsmax, the okc relatives want money now too! grrrreat!! everyone gets paid except our brave servicemen and women who VOLUNTARILY leave the country to step in front of bullets in harm's way. we need to get past this damned entitlement mentality... 50 years ago if this had happened, none of the families would be looking for money, and surely absolutely none would have said 2 million wasnt enough. this generation has a much different set of attitudes and values, and dont worry, im not an 80 year old crusty buzzard who doesnt like america today. im very young. i do know, however, if it happened to my grandparents 50 years ago, they and their friends NEVER would have accepted the money.

I agree that the military death benefits are shockingly low and needs a review. I understand that the survivors of 9/11 got $25,000 cash almost immediately when they applied. Our GI's survivors should get no less, and make it tax exempt. Instead, a GI's family gets $6,000 of which 1/2 ($3,000) is tax free.

Sam asked Gen Franks the question and the General was diplomatic, but he did remind Sam that the 2 rules of a military commander was "do you mission" and "support your troops". It seemed to me that he was saying to President Bush as Commander-In-Chief that he needed to look into this problem.

The GI's have an insurance program called SGLI that they pay for at the rate of 90 cents per $10,000. It is limited to $200,000 and is available to all GI's. I just did a price quote on the Internet for a 20 year old, in healthy condition, and that cost is comparable to what is available in the civilian community.

Surviving dependents get $833 a month until they remarry. In addition, each dependent child get $233/month until age 18.The $833 monthly compensation and the $211 per child compensation is roughly equivalent to another insurance policy for $250,000. (assume 5% return and 2 children living of the interest income). That expense is borne by the government, however, I do not know what branch, VA I suspect.

There are other benefits to a GI's survivor. For example, the survivor gets 6 months free housing or housing pay equivalent. That amount varies according to the service members rank, but I'm guessing $4,000 on average.

The WTC survivors are being "bought off" to keep them from suing all concerned, from NYC to airlines, to WTC insurers to security. It probably is a good idea, but I am shocked at the apparent greediness of the people involved.

Please do not get me wrong, I firmly believe that GI's need to get the "death benefit" raised, but not to the WTC level.

The Army Emergency Relief organization (the other services have similar organizations) is the primary help giver to the GI. I urge you to research them on the Internet. This organization is for the enlisted person and their family. I have seen young men get notified of a family emergency, and AER had them on a plane going home within hours. The volunteers of AER are dedicated folks and the organization is worthy of consideration for donations.

This whole thing disgusts me. Why should anybody be paid for being in the wrong place at the wrong time with tax payer dollars? Let's not stop at terroist attacks:
What about hurricanes? tornadoes? floods? auto accidents? lighting hits? drive-by shootings? falling in the bathtub?
This is insane.

The only people I believe who deserve this kind of compensation are those who put their lives on the line for others: LEO's, firemen/EMT/rescue units, and military in potential combat situations.

let me be the first to say i dont see where the families of 911 get off receiving one red cent from the american taxpayer.

It's because they are from that cesspool know of as NYC,"the greatest city in the world" (gag,puke!). It's the heartland of the left,the Mecca of the useless. The elites in this country all have a base there one way or the other,so they took this personally. If it had been anywhere else (with the possible exceptions of San Francisco or LA)the media and the elites wouldn't give a damn.

Personally,I don't even consider it to be a legimitate part of America.

Congress, on the other hand, can be blamed for it.

Let's not forget the state legislatures,either. When I got out of the army in 1970,all I had was a 10% service-connected disability. Agent Orange illnesses weren't recogonized then. Anyway,this 10% only amounted to $47 per month,and this TOTALLY cut me off from receiving ANY state money,including the $90 per week in unemployment benefits I WOULD have been able to have received if I had not put in for the VA disability. Keep in mind that I didn't even get the $47 per month for the first 6 months as it took that long for my case to be processed. None the less,since I had put in for it,the state of NC refused to even allow me to draw unemployment compensation.The have a law that says they don't pay out unemployment benefits to anyone receiving any type of disability pay,regardless of the source or the amount.None the less,they have never been hesitant to take taxes out of my pay for unemployment benefits I will never receive.

I had joined the army on my 17th birthday,and 7 years later I was out on the street with no civilian job skills and no income.I couldn't even get back in the army because I couldn't pass the physical. I lost everything I owned. As far as I know,this laws STILL applies to any young military members who will be getting discharged with illnesses and/or injuries related to the current conflict. Despite all the flag-waving and speeches. This needs to be changed.

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