Posted on 03/24/2002 4:41:54 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
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 theres 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.
The media, however, has been trumpeting the issue.
ABCs 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 itll be changed.
"As you know, Im a -- Im a tactical commander, and Im 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.
GI Life Insurance
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. Its called Servicemens 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.
Getting on the Gravy Train
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-Qaedas 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, is glad families who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks will get help, but hes angry that his own family wasnt 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 wouldnt 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, its 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.
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.
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.
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.
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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