THE DILEMMA FOR RETIRED AND RETIRING MILITARY PERSONNEL

THE DILEMMA FOR RETIRED AND RETIRING MILITARY PERSONNEL

(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jim Myers. Military.com)

(Joint Chief of Staff, Chief of Navy Operations, Commandant of Marines)

(Army/Air Force Chief of Staff, Commander of Unified or Combatant Military, Frazer Chronicle)

“We’ve been screwed.” At least that’s what 23 year Army veteran Steve Dykes is saying about a bipartisan budget co-written by U.S. Representative, Republican Paul Ryan and Democratic Senator Patty Murray. Absolutely, whenever anything is co-devised in today’s political world…..you can pretty well bet the baby’s milk money that it’ll pass right through the Senate and Congress on its way to the president’s desk for his signature.

I’d like to get one thing straight and crystal clear right here, military men and women don’t serve their country out of a sense of patriotic duty, they have chosen a career in the military, and are rewarded handsomely at the pay window, with the benefits that they receive, and a rock solid retirement plan that’s as good as anyplace else in the United States.

Anybody that reads my blogs understands that I detest war, there’s nowhere in the world where it, war, decides any debates, misunderstandings or shoddy treatment. People make war because they want something, usually what isn’t theirs, and if they can’t get whatever through diplomatic sources, they’ll resort to war and aggression.

Every country of any consequence needs a standing military presence for all different kinds of reasons, natural disasters, border debates, and as a deterrent to aggressive attitudes. This military force needs to be paid for the jobs that they do, and the services that they provide.

Does paychecks on the first and fifteenth of the month for $708.50 gross sound pretty decent for a first year private first class? Included with the paycheck is three square meals a day, a place to live, issued clothes to wear, and modern medical care that is second to none in the world.

 Adding this all up, “oh ya, you also get cable television,” it comes out to around $2,567 a month, or $30,804 a year gross…..not bad for a high school drop-out, or a young person who doesn’t know what he’ll be doing with his life.

And there are incentives in the pay area, a three year veteran who has achieved a rank of an E-5 Sergeant can expect $1,220 twice a month, with all of the above amenities, or a gross pay of around $45,640 a year…..not bad for a professional soldier.

Living off base, or in the economy as they call it, there’s a whole slew of additional benefits, a cost of living benefit, or COLA, home ownership, military life insurance, family support services transitional health care program, or TAMP, and off base benefits at the military’s country store.

The housing allowances program for military members and their families can be as much as $1,913.70 per month for a Sergeant Major, or $511.50 for a (buck-private.) There’s also a clothing allowance for enlisted members only which ranges from initially $1,850.14 to $1,490.92, and a replacement allowance from $349.20 to as much as $604.80. Civilian family members can receive as much as $989.28 for a clothing allowance, and $329.76 to replace clothes…..I’m assuming lost, stolen or damaged attire during duty station changes.

WHERE DOES THIS MONEY COME FROM

The short answer is me…..while the long answer is also me, the taxpayers of the country. I gotta tell you I never figured that the pay to be a career military person could be so lucrative. This pay scale information is easily accessible; it’s all over the internet, I just wonder how many people actually look it up?

An E-9 sergeant with 16 years of service can make $5,247 a month, or more than $62 grand a year, when you factor in the additional benefits involved, this guy can be making close to $85 thousand dollars a year…..now that’s a decent amount of cash.

We now have a critical argument going on within the military, and like Steve Dykes says, “We’re getting screwed,” well hello Mr. Dykes, welcome to the real world, everybody gets a bit of a ramming every day…..in every way.

I’m 70 years old, just had open heart bi-pass surgery and will be paying into the wee hours of my life…..and I’ve got insurance. Wonder how much Steve Dykes would pay for the same procedure at one of the VA facilities around the country?

We have an up front budget of over $500 billion dollars for our military…..and now this joker (Dykes) is complaining about getting screwed by the same government that he served so faithfully, kind of like a dog. I’m really sorry Mr. Dykes…..(NOT) but you chose your profession, and without discontent…..you’d have been doing some of the same work that most of us have done…..and you’d have to worry about where you’d live, how you’d make your monthly bills…..and when you got married, you’d be worried about your kids health.

I’m sorry Steve Dykes, but I can’t find any feelings of sadness for you, and you’re getting a screwing by the same government that you worked for, for 23 years of your life. At the end of the road…..when you retire, you’ll still make out better than well over 50% of retirees…..now chomp on that one for a while Stevie, and then count your lucky stars.

HAVE A NICE DAY!