THIS DOESN'T COME AS ANY SURPRISE, THESE GENERALS ON ACTIVE DUTY ARE SO BUSY KISSING SOMEONE'S ASS FOR THAT NEXT STAR, THEY COULD CARE LESS FOR THE MILITARY RETIREE. I CANNOT BELIEVE PEOPLE LIKE DONALD RUMSFELD WOULD STANDBY AND PROMOTE SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN TO US RETIREES. AFTER ALL THESE SAME PEOPLE THAT HE IS SENDING OFF TO WAR ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT IS JUSTIFYING HIS JOB, ALONG WITH THE GENERALS THAT SIT BEHIND HIM. ALTHOUGH AFTER SAYING THIS I DON'T BELIEVE THOSE RETIRED GENERALS HAVE THE RIGHT TO BAD MOUTH OUR GOVERNMENT. THEY ARE DRAWING A RETIRED PAY THE SAME AS I AM.  MOST GENERALS I MET IN THE US ARMY (20 years) COULDN'T TIE THEIR OWN BOOTS IF THERE WASN'T A GOOD SGM STANDING CLOSE TO HIM> THIS IS MY TWO CENTS WORTH    THANK YOU BLJ  USARMY RETIRED

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I currently am on active with 20 years in service. I am on my 4^th tour to Iraq . I am going to retire in 1 more year. In that time frame I hope to convince every man and women in the military to rethink why they are serving our country when you consistently take important benefits away from the people who keep you safe.  Thank you!!!! It is good to know we have your undivided support for the mission we provide…. What’s next? David B. McCutcheon (M)Sgt, USAF

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Perhaps the following point should be firmly kept in mind when the balancing of defense needs on the backs of warriors and families is made, when the Military Coalition testified to Congress not long ago:

"If the Administration or the Defense Department is concerned about budget shortfalls or trade-offs in any area, the Coalition strongly believes that any such trade-offs reflect the Administration's own choices.  They are not the fault of the retirees, survivors, or Guard and Reserve members who needed and deserved compensation corrections, and they are not the fault of the Congress that rightly enacted those corrections. If the Department will only lay out the current defense requirements that need to be met, the Coalition believes firmly that the Subcommittee and Congress will find an appropriate way to meet those needs."  (Full statement available via http://www.retire55.tk ).

Mike Mitchell, SFC, USAR-Retired

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I am a WWII veteran who has seen and heard about every argument ever put forth on the subject of proper compensation for veterans and in particular, WWII and Korea veterans who were promised perpetual health care.

 

The fact of the matter is that the politicians just don't give a damn, particularly where retirees are concerned.  They know that just as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow there will always be a standing military force to fight our country's battles on land and sea and in the air.  These people will do it because it is their country and no matter what a bunch of old vets say about getting 'screwed' by the pols, they will continue to serve.  And strangely, in spite of all the negative information on how the government treats retirees, many of them will serve until they are eligible to retire.

 

It's a never ending fact Colonel.  This will continue no matter what the Congress or administration does to negate any privileges to the retirees.  Unless it is spelled out in bold letters in the military contracts with their personnel, it will NOT be honored. Period.  End of discussion. 

 

In short, the pols don't care because no matter what anyone says or does, they will always be able to field a standing military force to fight our country's enemies.  And there is no way in hell you will ever be able to convince a young teenager that he or she will get screwed by the government if they stay in long enough to retire.  Because, as you see, that's all they care about... the retirement with the retirement check.  And until the government starts messing with the retirement checks, soldiers, sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and airmen will continue to serve their 20 years and draw their checks.

 

Politicians and government personnel of all political parties know this and they really don't care about the military because they know there will always be people who will want to serve their country.  Talk about 'broken promises' , unkept promises or any sort of discussion just rolls off the end of table into the swill buckets and drowns without importance.  They will never, NEVER, make good on empty promises as it will cost their military branches funds they can use to promote their current promises.

 

I dislike being a pessimist, but I have been listening and reading and watching these discussions for decades and we're no farther ahead today than where we were in 1956 when the broken promises first started. 

 

In other words Colonel Riley, this is the Golden Anniversary of such discussions = FIFTY LOUSY YEARS of bitching and complaining, and we're no farther ahead now than we were then.  Gentlemen like Colonel Bud Day have sacrificed most of their lives trying to get just due for the retirees, but total traitorous a-holes like John (3 scratches) Kerry and John (I'm just confused) McCain will always be around to dilute any gains true heroes like Bud Day happen to achieve.

 

Sorry to start the New Year with this pessimistic note, but I've started so many years this way that after fifty of them, I've had it.  I will always support efforts to get satisfaction for retiree veterans, but I will always doubt its possibilities.  It is said that Marines never run away from a good fight; but I'm not really running away, and this is not a good fight.  It is totally stacked in favor of the guys who could make the changes possible and won't; so it's not even a fight.  We're all like the prisoners that Bud Day was, always hoping to escape the negativity of our captors (pols) but always losing in the end.  We can make noise but not change.

 

Jerry McConnell

former MSgt USMC

WWII combat vet.

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