Pentagon: Troops Overpaid

[bearishgurl]

Thanks for your direction, Ricechex. I don’t know what all these installations are called now in these (now heavily remodeled and upgraded) military housing projects.

Back in 1988, I volunteered a few hours a week in a “Navy Relief” office reviewing applications for emergency travel funds and utility shutoff funds, etc. In almost every case, we had to refer the stateside spouse to a mandatory financial management course given by Navy Relief, as a condition of receiving a loan which was to be garnished from the member’s pay. Many spouses did not even possess a GED, could not balance a checkbook and were “clueless” about household budgets, esp. since they didn’t have any living bills in housing except optional cable and phone. Every payday was like a “cash windfall” to them.

[CA renter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.[/quote]

bearishgurl,

Neither SDR nor I ever said anything about financial distress. In the situation I was referring to, it was the emotional stress that was so bad. The kids are crying and acting up every day, all day long. The mother was not whining; I could just see what was going on. I’m doing the whining for her. She’s the wife of a career Marine, and she says she knew what she was getting into.

Still, getting married to an enlisted person when you are young and childless — and when there are NO WARS — is very different from having kids and having your spouse go off to a war zone.

The benefits should have always been good. However, I’m sure they’re better now because of the protracted wars our illustrious politicians have forced us into.

Personally, I don’t think the fact that benefits were worse when your spouse was serving justifies them not having better benefits now. We owe our military personnel the very best we can give them, especially in times of war.

BTW, 15 years ago, housing prices were about 50% lower than they are now, and rents were quite a bit lower, too; so the difference you noted in housing allowances isn’t nearly as great as it might first seem.

[CA renter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.[/quote]

bearishgurl,

Neither SDR nor I ever said anything about financial distress. In the situation I was referring to, it was the emotional stress that was so bad. The kids are crying and acting up every day, all day long. The mother was not whining; I could just see what was going on. I’m doing the whining for her. She’s the wife of a career Marine, and she says she knew what she was getting into.

Still, getting married to an enlisted person when you are young and childless — and when there are NO WARS — is very different from having kids and having your spouse go off to a war zone.

The benefits should have always been good. However, I’m sure they’re better now because of the protracted wars our illustrious politicians have forced us into.

Personally, I don’t think the fact that benefits were worse when your spouse was serving justifies them not having better benefits now. We owe our military personnel the very best we can give them, especially in times of war.

BTW, 15 years ago, housing prices were about 50% lower than they are now, and rents were quite a bit lower, too; so the difference you noted in housing allowances isn’t nearly as great as it might first seem.

[CA renter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.[/quote]

bearishgurl,

Neither SDR nor I ever said anything about financial distress. In the situation I was referring to, it was the emotional stress that was so bad. The kids are crying and acting up every day, all day long. The mother was not whining; I could just see what was going on. I’m doing the whining for her. She’s the wife of a career Marine, and she says she knew what she was getting into.

Still, getting married to an enlisted person when you are young and childless — and when there are NO WARS — is very different from having kids and having your spouse go off to a war zone.

The benefits should have always been good. However, I’m sure they’re better now because of the protracted wars our illustrious politicians have forced us into.

Personally, I don’t think the fact that benefits were worse when your spouse was serving justifies them not having better benefits now. We owe our military personnel the very best we can give them, especially in times of war.

BTW, 15 years ago, housing prices were about 50% lower than they are now, and rents were quite a bit lower, too; so the difference you noted in housing allowances isn’t nearly as great as it might first seem.

[CA renter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.[/quote]

bearishgurl,

Neither SDR nor I ever said anything about financial distress. In the situation I was referring to, it was the emotional stress that was so bad. The kids are crying and acting up every day, all day long. The mother was not whining; I could just see what was going on. I’m doing the whining for her. She’s the wife of a career Marine, and she says she knew what she was getting into.

Still, getting married to an enlisted person when you are young and childless — and when there are NO WARS — is very different from having kids and having your spouse go off to a war zone.

The benefits should have always been good. However, I’m sure they’re better now because of the protracted wars our illustrious politicians have forced us into.

Personally, I don’t think the fact that benefits were worse when your spouse was serving justifies them not having better benefits now. We owe our military personnel the very best we can give them, especially in times of war.

BTW, 15 years ago, housing prices were about 50% lower than they are now, and rents were quite a bit lower, too; so the difference you noted in housing allowances isn’t nearly as great as it might first seem.

[CA renter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.[/quote]

bearishgurl,

Neither SDR nor I ever said anything about financial distress. In the situation I was referring to, it was the emotional stress that was so bad. The kids are crying and acting up every day, all day long. The mother was not whining; I could just see what was going on. I’m doing the whining for her. She’s the wife of a career Marine, and she says she knew what she was getting into.

Still, getting married to an enlisted person when you are young and childless — and when there are NO WARS — is very different from having kids and having your spouse go off to a war zone.

The benefits should have always been good. However, I’m sure they’re better now because of the protracted wars our illustrious politicians have forced us into.

Personally, I don’t think the fact that benefits were worse when your spouse was serving justifies them not having better benefits now. We owe our military personnel the very best we can give them, especially in times of war.

BTW, 15 years ago, housing prices were about 50% lower than they are now, and rents were quite a bit lower, too; so the difference you noted in housing allowances isn’t nearly as great as it might first seem.

[bearishgurl]

CAR, perhaps your friend’s anguish of her Marine spouse leaving AGAIN for a war-zone is rubbing off on her young kids. She and all her eligible family members can use Tricare and/or Tricare Prime for low cost counseling, each with their own psychologist. Some practitioners will even counsel the parent and child(ren) together. She needs to get involved in the network of help available to her.

My ex-spouse joined in 1974, during the end of the Vietnam war. He was assigned to several ships which toured the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf frequently and visited foreign war zones on the ground for humanitarian purposes, where disease was rampant, such as Mogadishu in Somalia. No, we did not have the back-to-back conficts like today (Afghanistan and Iraq) but nevertheless, he was deployed without access to e-mail, video or a pay phone. GONE IS GONE. It took 3 wks. to 3 mos. to get a letter from him and a Morse Code message to the ship was answered by the command within a week, ONLY if important. These messages had to be sent from an office in downtown SD (meter pkg.) and the sender had to prepare it first and be present to send it by first waiting in a long line.

Yes, CAR, you are correct that housing prices were 50% lower 15 years ago, but interest rates were higher and I stand by my assertion that military families today in SD receive THREE TIMES the housing allowance we did, for the same rank. We have truly come a long way in the care of military families and IMO, they are very well provided for.

[bearishgurl]

CAR, perhaps your friend’s anguish of her Marine spouse leaving AGAIN for a war-zone is rubbing off on her young kids. She and all her eligible family members can use Tricare and/or Tricare Prime for low cost counseling, each with their own psychologist. Some practitioners will even counsel the parent and child(ren) together. She needs to get involved in the network of help available to her.

My ex-spouse joined in 1974, during the end of the Vietnam war. He was assigned to several ships which toured the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf frequently and visited foreign war zones on the ground for humanitarian purposes, where disease was rampant, such as Mogadishu in Somalia. No, we did not have the back-to-back conficts like today (Afghanistan and Iraq) but nevertheless, he was deployed without access to e-mail, video or a pay phone. GONE IS GONE. It took 3 wks. to 3 mos. to get a letter from him and a Morse Code message to the ship was answered by the command within a week, ONLY if important. These messages had to be sent from an office in downtown SD (meter pkg.) and the sender had to prepare it first and be present to send it by first waiting in a long line.

Yes, CAR, you are correct that housing prices were 50% lower 15 years ago, but interest rates were higher and I stand by my assertion that military families today in SD receive THREE TIMES the housing allowance we did, for the same rank. We have truly come a long way in the care of military families and IMO, they are very well provided for.

[bearishgurl]

CAR, perhaps your friend’s anguish of her Marine spouse leaving AGAIN for a war-zone is rubbing off on her young kids. She and all her eligible family members can use Tricare and/or Tricare Prime for low cost counseling, each with their own psychologist. Some practitioners will even counsel the parent and child(ren) together. She needs to get involved in the network of help available to her.

My ex-spouse joined in 1974, during the end of the Vietnam war. He was assigned to several ships which toured the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf frequently and visited foreign war zones on the ground for humanitarian purposes, where disease was rampant, such as Mogadishu in Somalia. No, we did not have the back-to-back conficts like today (Afghanistan and Iraq) but nevertheless, he was deployed without access to e-mail, video or a pay phone. GONE IS GONE. It took 3 wks. to 3 mos. to get a letter from him and a Morse Code message to the ship was answered by the command within a week, ONLY if important. These messages had to be sent from an office in downtown SD (meter pkg.) and the sender had to prepare it first and be present to send it by first waiting in a long line.

Yes, CAR, you are correct that housing prices were 50% lower 15 years ago, but interest rates were higher and I stand by my assertion that military families today in SD receive THREE TIMES the housing allowance we did, for the same rank. We have truly come a long way in the care of military families and IMO, they are very well provided for.

[bearishgurl]

CAR, perhaps your friend’s anguish of her Marine spouse leaving AGAIN for a war-zone is rubbing off on her young kids. She and all her eligible family members can use Tricare and/or Tricare Prime for low cost counseling, each with their own psychologist. Some practitioners will even counsel the parent and child(ren) together. She needs to get involved in the network of help available to her.

My ex-spouse joined in 1974, during the end of the Vietnam war. He was assigned to several ships which toured the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf frequently and visited foreign war zones on the ground for humanitarian purposes, where disease was rampant, such as Mogadishu in Somalia. No, we did not have the back-to-back conficts like today (Afghanistan and Iraq) but nevertheless, he was deployed without access to e-mail, video or a pay phone. GONE IS GONE. It took 3 wks. to 3 mos. to get a letter from him and a Morse Code message to the ship was answered by the command within a week, ONLY if important. These messages had to be sent from an office in downtown SD (meter pkg.) and the sender had to prepare it first and be present to send it by first waiting in a long line.

Yes, CAR, you are correct that housing prices were 50% lower 15 years ago, but interest rates were higher and I stand by my assertion that military families today in SD receive THREE TIMES the housing allowance we did, for the same rank. We have truly come a long way in the care of military families and IMO, they are very well provided for.

[bearishgurl]

CAR, perhaps your friend’s anguish of her Marine spouse leaving AGAIN for a war-zone is rubbing off on her young kids. She and all her eligible family members can use Tricare and/or Tricare Prime for low cost counseling, each with their own psychologist. Some practitioners will even counsel the parent and child(ren) together. She needs to get involved in the network of help available to her.

My ex-spouse joined in 1974, during the end of the Vietnam war. He was assigned to several ships which toured the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf frequently and visited foreign war zones on the ground for humanitarian purposes, where disease was rampant, such as Mogadishu in Somalia. No, we did not have the back-to-back conficts like today (Afghanistan and Iraq) but nevertheless, he was deployed without access to e-mail, video or a pay phone. GONE IS GONE. It took 3 wks. to 3 mos. to get a letter from him and a Morse Code message to the ship was answered by the command within a week, ONLY if important. These messages had to be sent from an office in downtown SD (meter pkg.) and the sender had to prepare it first and be present to send it by first waiting in a long line.

Yes, CAR, you are correct that housing prices were 50% lower 15 years ago, but interest rates were higher and I stand by my assertion that military families today in SD receive THREE TIMES the housing allowance we did, for the same rank. We have truly come a long way in the care of military families and IMO, they are very well provided for.

[bearishgurl]

CAR, I forgot to add that I wasn’t “childless” during deployments. I’ve done the “stroller-on- the-pier-thing” for hours in 90-degree heat many times, that is, when I was able to take a whole day off WORK to meet him.

[bearishgurl]

CAR, I forgot to add that I wasn’t “childless” during deployments. I’ve done the “stroller-on- the-pier-thing” for hours in 90-degree heat many times, that is, when I was able to take a whole day off WORK to meet him.

[bearishgurl]

CAR, I forgot to add that I wasn’t “childless” during deployments. I’ve done the “stroller-on- the-pier-thing” for hours in 90-degree heat many times, that is, when I was able to take a whole day off WORK to meet him.

[bearishgurl]

CAR, I forgot to add that I wasn’t “childless” during deployments. I’ve done the “stroller-on- the-pier-thing” for hours in 90-degree heat many times, that is, when I was able to take a whole day off WORK to meet him.

[Author]

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