Is this $430 in addition to some other pay? Plus free medical care? Or just $430 flat rate with no other benefits. I guess I'm not following what the problem is or the proposed solution since I know nothing about how military pay works.
In addition to other pay and allowances.
Reservists are one group who can really suffer when they are recovering from a combat wound.
Locally, one police officer who is active duty with a reserve unit was wounded. While he was in Iraq, the combination of duty pay and combat pay was comparable to what he received as a police officer, but once he was wounded, the combat pay ended and his family was going to hit hard times.
Luckily for him, the city is allowing him to take 20 hours a week salary out of current and future sick pay, so he will be financially OK.
One solution would be to allow the continuation of combat pay for the time a wounded soldier's unit is eligible. Or perhaps continue a wounded soldier's pay at the highest level allowed until he is cleared to return to duty or released on a medical discharge.
I don't like the idea of a lump sum benefit since all wounds are different as are recovery times. The focus should be on making sure that the soldier's family doesn't suffer any more than necessary under the circumstances.