Warning: Furious post inside!

[April]

Taken from the August 21 issue of Air Force Times:

WHAT'S UP
Pentagon officials worry that lawmakers are going too far in proposing to make youth groups and charitable organizations eligible for military air transport. "The department is in no position to offer point-to-point airlift to thousands of civilians," defense officials said. The transport system "is not equipped or designed to run like a commercial airline." In a memorandum to Congress, they asked that the House-passed proposal be excluded from the final version of the 2001 defense authorization bill.

WHAT'S NEXT
The provision would grant up to 525,000 organizations the right to space-available military transportation within the United States, travel denied to the spouses and children of active-duty members and disabled veterans, which is certan to hurt morale. Though the provision does not order flights to be provided, defense officals think they would suffer a black eye whenever they said no to a charity requesting congressionally authorized air service.

I'll give a quick run-down on what Space-A is for those who don't know. The Air Force has planes flying all over the world, taking cargo to different places. When one of these planes has some extra room, and it is deemed safe, they can take on passengers. Military members have this perk throughout the world. Family members are allowed to use this only overseas, not stateside. There are more details, but they are unrelated to the story.

So what Congress is telling me is that I don't matter enough to anybody to use Space-A, but some silly little organization, with no affiliation to the military can go anywhere in the U.S. they fucking want? I have endured the insanity of the military system, helped my husband write many EPR's (progress reports), endured the lonely days and nights of TDY's, sometimes uncertain where in the world he is, waited patiently for him to return from a 2-month school while I had no transportation 'cause the cars broke, the lousy hours, lousy pay, disrespect to him and myself, not to mention getting stuck in an assignment which by all regulations wasn't supposed to FUCKING HAPPEN!!!!

I'm tired of being treated as a second class citizen by the military! I want decent treatment, and I want it for all military family members! This kind of shit has gone on long enough. It's time we ALL did something about it. If you feel this is stupid or unfair or both, write your Congressman. E-mail them if you want. The erosion of military benefits has got to stop! Homeless veterans, military families on welfare, the denial of medical care to retirees, it's all a blight on this country! It's an embarrasment, and a shame, and it's got to stop!!

 

[Merelan]

I do not know what to say. I am sorry this is happening. Our men and women and their entire families have given their all to help the world be a better place, and we shit on them.
It won't change until the civilians who write the laws and make the rules actually are forced to live them.
I am proud to "know" you, proud that your husband is one of the hardest working forces on this planet. No, don't respond to this if you are going to say they are slackers and living off the government. Don't even dare!!
If you haven't lived the life they do, for more then a year, then you have no right to complain.
These families are all serving us. The wives and husbands who often don't know quite where their spouse is. The kids who wake in the night crying for their Dad or Mommy and don't get an answer because they are off halfway across the world protecting a small village no one heard of.
The father and mother who celebrate their son or daughter's birthday by an empty gravesite because they raised their child to believe in the American way of life, and they died to protect it.
The system we have now, to pay and protect these men and women, and their families, stinks. It demeans us all by continuing.
Please, please accept my sincerest apologies for the way we treat you.

 

[Sonora]

Thank you

Two very good posts. I agree with you that it seems like we shit on the ones that do the most. And politicians are the biggest shitters. Is there some way to circumvent the 'rules' (politicians love loop-holes) and get families of military personnel declared 'charities'. I know that they would want the respect that is due them, but sometimes you just have the play the dirty game.

I know that I'm one that is guilty of not thinking of, or thanking, our military men and women enough. April, please give your hubby an extra hug and kiss for me.

 

[Cheri]

April, you have my sympathy. No matter how mad I get at my husband's employer, I haven't enduring anything that amounts to the things you and your family have. And they wonder why military enlistment is so low...
I will happily drop good old Tony Hall an email. Besides I love it when I get that official US Senate letter back thanking me for bitching at him!

 

[Silverlily]

I was active duty Air Force when Clinton came into office. While I do not wish to start a political debate, I know from first-hand experience life for military personel and their families began to decline rapidly. Dental benefits were the first to go, then medical care was reduced for dependants. The year after he took was was the lowest cost-of-living allowance we had recieved in a long time, 3.2%, more of an insult than a raise.

My father retired from the Army after 24 years. Despite the fact he was guaranteed medical coverage, the VA actually tried to make him pay premiums that were higher than most civilian health plans.

I think the problem is most politicians have no clue what military life is like. It isn't just a job, it is a complete way of life. I was seriously expected to sign a letter of intent stating I would mobilize in one hour whether or not my children had someone to take care of them. I never missed a day of duty, but I never signed that letter. If the government does not stop lowering the quality of life for military personnel, is going to become harder to maintain the fighting force needed to keep our way of life secure.

What's the saying? You get what you pay for?

 

[April]

Thank you, everyone for your replies. I've had the weekend to cool off about this issue, but my opinion still stands. The only reason the politicians get away with this crap is that the people let them. I'm definitely including myself in this category. It is so much easier to simply take care of your own life, and not worry about others. I think most of you will find your own issue some day. Maybe this is mine! LOL

Well, I'll just give y'all a nice little link and then shut up and go away. LOL

http://www.senate.gov/

P.S. E-mail your senator.

 

[Cg1369]

April: I know what you mean. I spent almost 27 yrs in the Navy. Saw the "free medical care for life if you retire" go to well, we have no room for you at the inn. I'm retired now, have been for 14 yrs. And I continue to see what was promised us retirees being taken away. When I retired, I was awarded a 40 percent disability from the VA. Sounds good huh? Problem is, you have to give up, dollar for dollar, that award from your retirement pay. No other gov't employee that I know of has to do that if they're awarded disability. I don't regret, for one minute, the time I devoted to the military. Would I do it again? Hell no. I'd never spend 6 to 9 months at a time away from my family again. I'd never miss the chance to see my (then) 6 yr old daughter in her first beauty contest, never again miss the Christmass's and birthdays, and anniversaries that I did "way back then".
Would I encourage a young person now to make the military a career? Again hell no. Unless they want to be treated as second class citizens for the rest of their life. Unless they're willing to take a part time job in order to support their family. Unless (in the case of the Navy) they're willing to let their loved ones not know where they are, what they're doing, get no communication from you for weeks on end because you're in the middle of the ocean somewhere and mail is not available.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not bitter at the military. I'm bitter at the politicians that keep taking away promised benefits.
Enough. Sorry all. This subject is just one of my "button pushers".

Budman

 

[Thor's Hammer]

thanks to our service men and women

I do write congress occasionally, and thank you, April, for the post. I have a son who wears a blue suit (19 years service, M/SGT) so I can relate to the erosion that military and their families have experienced. Its sad, but congress thinks cut, cut...until there is an emergency. Then they push each other out of the way for the photo ops.

I will add my electronic two cents worth to the congressional pile.