At 51,000-feet, generals live the high life

St. Petersburg Times ^ | 4/13/03

[Exit148]

The journalists couldn't get to the Generals during the daily briefings, so now Ms. Lush is trying to do it by print?

I, for one want my Generals well-fed and well-rested. I don't want them cramped up and tired. I want them in top form when they direct procedures that effect me.

[nanny]

You made some good points.

A private plane when necessary is one thing. Personally, I don't like the idea of royalty, either for politicians or military, but it seems there are some Americans who feel the need for a ruling class - never saw the need for one myself.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Yep, now the war is really over. The press has moved on to the "The Military Is Such A Bloated, Hierarchical Instituion" stories.

[gcruse]

Here are some other thoughts.

1. We don't want them flying commerical airline on military business for obvious reasons.

2. There have to be times when the generals need to get somewhere on military business. Do you want them ordering up flight in warcraft? An F-16 burns up a whole lot more fuel per hour than a Lear, and really doesn't have room for more than one passenger.

3. So the military should set aside aircraft for this purpose. Well, dammit, that's what they did.

[buccaneer81]

Soldiers have to pay for the food they eat at their bases???

Not sure about the other services, but on our naval vessels, officers pay for their meals. They are provided free to the enlisted sailors.

[AndyJackson]

Soldiers have to pay for the food they eat at their bases???

Officers pay their mess bill. Enlisted soldiers do not. Officers are also paid a mess allowance which generally covers the cost of this. It is a time honored tradition.

[IronJack]

I'm sure Jesse Jackson travels with the baggage.

[Old Professer]

. I want them in top form when they direct procedures that effect me.

The procedure that effected you was performed by your mother and father.

[tiki]

Are we supposed to feel envious? Good for them.

[TopQuark]

In a typical newpaperman's fashion, this article is designed to entice envy.

If you ever held a highly resonsible and stressful position, you'd know that this airplane is not a perk: it's a necessity; this is what it takes the job done.

[GRRRRR]

lush@sptimes.com

Drop the little woman a nice--"SO WHAT?!"---

These top Generals are responsible for making sure we WIN when we go into battle! I want them RESTED and READY...without any worries except one...how to kill the enemy!

[livius]

Kewl indeed!

This was, as another Freeper pointed out, a hit-piece. We're getting our money's worth out of these generals, and when that stops happening, then we can consider pulling their perks. But they're earning the perks at the moment.

[Lokibob]

Officers, NCO's and married personnel living off base are paid seperate rations pay. When they eat at the mess hall, they pay a portion of that pay back to the U.S. Government. When a married person is deployed, he loses the seperate rations and is fed by the government.

Although the MRE's are fairly good, I'm not sure a month of eating them is worth the loss of pay for seperate rations.

When a soldier goes on TDY, he is paid for the meals at a flat rate according to the cost of living of that area, but ALWAYS, the seperate rations is deducted from his pay. They don't want to pay double for the same meal.

So,you can look at it a couple of different ways, but the bottom line is a reembursment to the government for meals provided by the government is done.

[cynicom]

Need for a ruling class... How true

Also, I sort of suspicion that if this had been written during clintons time, the responces might well have been different.

Same old story, your dog has fleas but my dog does not. I find the enablers comments quite reminiscent of the dems apologizing for slick and his generals.

[freepersup]

Category Monthly Allowance

Officers (Commissioned & Warrant) $167.20

Enlisted $242.81

Enlisted (When rations-in-kind are not available) $262.50

Enlisted (When living in government quarters with no cooking facilities, and government meals are not available) $485.62

[Slainte]

Well I know I'd feel a whole lot safer if they were flying coach.

Just think of the money we could save if we sold the ENTIRE air fleet to private contractors, and then leased space on commercial carriers when we needed it. Boy, that would save a ton of cash! After all, we spend far too much time flying all of our armed forces around when there are other, more economical means of transportation. They could all go Amtrack, or Greyhound.

And if the General's were forced to fly commercial when air travel was determined to be an absolute necessity, they wouldn't have to be out of touch with their commands, they could use the phone in the seat back to keep in touch while they're in the air.

Makes perfect sense...

[Thebaddog]

If you don't think that the generals have as big a role in a successful campaign like Iraq, yer outa yer farkin gourd. These guys make the big balls decisions that get this show rolling and our guys on the ground know it. Give them the jets.

[nanny]

Same old story, your dog has fleas but my dog does not. I find the enablers comments quite reminiscent of the dems apologizing for slick and his generals

Isn't that just the strangest thing!!! The rhetoric is the same - only the names have changed.

[Centurion2000]

Soldiers have to pay for the food they eat at their bases???
Officers do.

[CIB-173RDABN]

That doesn't seem right...

If I remember correctly, those that live off base get an extra food allowance. Thus, when they eat on base, they need to pay for the food.

It has been a (very) long time since I was in the Army, so anyone with current information please jump in.

I have no problem with a General having more perks then I had as a common GI. It is not much different then the CEO of the company I work for having more perks then I have.