Tricare for life under attack

[shvlhead.45]

A couple of points for TM7 and those that think that military retirees with Tricare for Life are getting over on the American Taxpayer:

1.  I don't think I've seen anyone retiring with 20+ years military service retire with less than 30% disability.  And that was before OEF and OIF. 

2.  Most of us are not insurable due to preexisting conditions if we have to start over getting health and life insureance in the civilian sector after retirement.

3.  I was 29 when I joined the military and it was one of the smartest things I ever did, no regrets but till you have lived it and see the impact Soldiers at all levels have you will never understand, kind of like riding a Harley.

4.  Not all veterans get Tricare for Life upon leaving the military; only retirees, those that are medically retired and with service connected disabilities...

Happy New Year and an extra measure of God's blessings for those down range or getting ready to go.

Regards,
Shvlhead.45

[schutzen]

TM7,

I think we both have the same complaint; we just look at it from different directions.

I too question some of the missions our military is ordered to undertake and I also question some of the rules of engagement they are forced to operate under.  The difference is I firmly believe our military forces are controlled by and answer to our political leaders.  As a solider, sailor, airmen, marine, or coastie; you go were you are ordered to go and do your job to the best of your ability. Our political leaders from both parties are failing to do their job to the best of their abilities. It is our political leaders who should be held accountable for the adventurous mis-adventures and the failure to fund the contractual obligations they entered into with our servicemen/women.

I understand the need to "adjust contract terms"; my Dad had his ear drums "adjusted" in a B-17, I had my knee "adjusted" in the jungles of Central America, my Son had his hearing "adjusted" in Fallujah.  Now for the kicker, We were the lucky ones . We all came home and can lead normal lives.  Our LES’s were all “adjusted” to compensate us for injuries in the line of duty.  It was part of the job; you got the same pay as the guy next to you regardless of who drew the short stick.

We need to adjust our priorities.  We need to reduce or eliminate non-productive, vote buying social programs used to re-elect career politicians and spend our tax dollars more wisely.  

        1) Political Term Limits - no more than 2 terms per individual per lifetime
        2) Terminate all legislative pensions and benefits
        3) Place all bureaucratic and military pensions on a pay-as-you-accrue basis (leave no unfunded obligation for our grandchildren)
        4) Make a true Workfare vs. Welfare System, craft a system that rewards success vs. one that rewards failure
        5) Ban Judicial Legislation, allow the courts to strike down laws, but not to dictate what will have to be done and allow the Legislature to override Judicial Strike Downs

Any number of things can be done, but currently we have a political system that has run amok.  It exists primarily to support itself and not to support the people of the United States. We need to work within that system to realign our priorities so we can leave a better system for our grandchildren.

[alsaqr]

Mr. and Mrs. America:   Wars cost money, an awful lot of money.  Innocent folks get killed in wars and all kinds of stuff gets blown up.  Dead GIs come home in boxes called coffins, if they come home at all.  Many are left to rot on the battlefields.  More GIs come home shot up, diseased and mentally defective.  

Mr. and Mrs. America:  If you cannot afford to take care of the widows and orphans of those killed in war, if you are cannot afford military retirement benefits for those brave soldiers who serve in war, if you are opposed to taking care of those who are wounded in war; then do not support your political puke when he wants to start a war.

Yep, all kinds of folks talk all kind of cheap stuff when it comes to war.  The keyboard chickenhawks who never served get on message boards and demand that some country be invaded because that country dared to diss the mighty US.  These are the same gutless guys would let a female go into harms way in his stead.  

They claim to support the troops but their claims ring really hollow.  They support draft dodging political pukes who rattle sabers.  They say that the troops are volunteers who should accrue no benefits for serving in the US military.  So you just keep on spouting your empty made up far out conspiracy theories and keep on supporting the radical Muslim maniacs who want to destroy this great country.  Just keep on bad mouthing those fine Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Army troops when the Islamic extremist government that they are fighting to protect makes outrageous claims of atrocities.  

If you determine that you cannot afford a war:  The next time the DC political criminal from the political party that you support wants to go to war; call the puke and tell him that in no uncertain terms that his vote to go to war will cost him his job.  If you support your partys political puke when he shills for war then get yourself down to the recruiting office and sign up for that splendid little war.  

Retired US Army
EOD       M/Sgt.  

[rockbilly]

I think this sums it up, these words still ring true today.  For all those wimp butts that disagree I urge you to done a uniform and join our fighting forces, I’m sure your attitude would change after a short period.

“It is impossible for the Nation to compensate for the services of a fighting man.  There is no pay scale that is high enough to buy the services of a single soldier during even a few minutes of the agony of combat, the physical miseries of the campaign, or of the extreme personal inconvenience of leaving his home to go out to the most unpleasant and dangerous spots on earth to serve his Nation.”
General George C. Marshall, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, 1939-2945

[rio grande]

I think this sums it up, these words still ring true today.  For all those wimp butts that disagree I urge you to done a uniform and join our fighting forces, I’m sure your attitude would change after a short period.

“It is impossible for the Nation to compensate for the services of a fighting man.  There is no pay scale that is high enough to buy the services of a single soldier during even a few minutes of the agony of combat, the physical miseries of the campaign, or of the extreme personal inconvenience of leaving his home to go out to the most unpleasant and dangerous spots on earth to serve his Nation.”
General George C. Marshall, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, 1939-2945

There is a question as to whether going to fight wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. is 'serving our nation". These wars may indeed be unnecessary and fought to serve other interests than those of the American people.
As far as putting on a uniform and going off on unnecessary and bloody adventures, I have to decline.  I'm too busy working in manufacturing and paying for the salaries, healthcare, retirement, and various other benefits of police, politicians, judges, jailers, and soldiers.

[alsaqr]

Lincoln summed it pretty well at the end of the Civil War:
 

“To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan,” President Lincoln affirmed the government’s obligation to care for those injured during the war and to provide for the families of those who perished on the battlefield.

[Badnews Bob]

TM I really got to say this this time, You are flat out full of it and don't have a clue what you are talking about.

I am not in a special class. I have earned my retirement just like anyone else earns a retirement, I worked for it. I pay my taxes too so don't throw that nonsence at me.
I also go to work every day as a civilian because my retirement isn't enough to live on, You are calling me a socialist and telling me I don't deserve what I earned. Well sir you are just plain wrong.

And rio grande your are right there with him.

I have been shot at for you morons so leave the military guys alone.

[rio grande]

TM I really got to say this this time, You are flat out full of it and don't have a clue what you are talking about.

I am not in a special class. I have earned my retirement just like anyone else earns a retirement, I worked for it. I pay my taxes too so don't throw that nonsence at me.
I also go to work every day as a civilian because my retirement isn't enough to live on, You are calling me a socialist and telling me I don't deserve what I earned. Well sir you are just plain wrong.

And rio grande your are right there with him.

I have been shot at for you morons so leave the military guys alone.

It can be honorable, necessary and good to be a soldier.  But to unthinkingly fight for misguided policies isn't. 
I didn't ask you to go to Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan to be shot at, so you can't say you did it for me.
However, it's certainly true my taxes pay for your benefits.  I don't mind.
And I agree if you were promised the benefits, you should get them. 

[Badnews Bob]

Once again TM and Rio You are Wrong.

[rio grande]

Once again TM and Rio You are Wrong.

Well, I reckon they don't call you Badnews for nothing!
Come back in ten years and tell us what good came from these useless wars.

[Cabin4]

And useless wars they are. Nothing more than an excuse to take away our civil liberties, create a political "football" for the politicians to argue over and keep those that gain wealth at funding a war apparatus rich.

While good men go to war for this country all the time, not all the reasons they go are as our politicians say. We will be less safe and will have fewer civil liberties because of all these M.E. foreign actions and our horrible over arching policy. Going to war to protect the homeland is one thing, going to war and it resulting in the taking away of our rights and making us less safe is not what men should be getting killed for.

There are no parallels to WW2 here. Bush, Obama and both political parties are sending us further into the abyss.

[navylawdog]

I have to say this has made for some interesting reading. There really isn't much to say except that in nine more years I will be getting a "retirement" check for my service. I may or may not have a health care plan to help me out but at least I will still be getting some money coming in. Then I know that my service wasn't entirely for nothing. If there is anyone who feels that their tax money shouldn't go towards paying my pension for the time I gave up.... Well I will be thinking of you when I am spending YOUR money to feed my family. Just like I am spending some of my own tax money to feed my family now. We still have to pay taxes in the military just like everyone else. So we are essentially paying a part of our own paychecks. Do we care no! So why do you?

Navylawdog