Pentagon: Troops Overpaid

[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.

[SD Realtor]

Bearish I understand what you are saying completely. Yours is a story of strength and perserverance and success. It is directly attributable to your personal makeup. Many people do not posess that.

CAR I understand what you are saying as well with respect to people who perform everyday tasks here at home to protect our public from healthcare workers to police to firemen to teachers.. The list goes on. Their contribution is not lost on me.

However, I think it is a simple math equation that doesn’t work at present. There is not enough revenue to pay all of the services right? Throw in pension funds and well… here we are, California in a mess… I don’t want to go down that road though.

Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds. I have seen a couple people come back from deployments pretty messed up both physically and mentally. You have pointed out the myriad of resources for them to draw upon… I just think there are so many other public service jobs that pale in comparison. Post office jobs, IRS jobs, DMV jobs… the list goes on of the monsterous beauracracy that comsumes billions and billions of dollars. Yes the military complex is loaded with waste, graft, etc…

I don’t have a good answer, just an overwhelming respect and gratitude for those that serve and have served in any of the armed forces.

[SD Realtor]

Bearish I understand what you are saying completely. Yours is a story of strength and perserverance and success. It is directly attributable to your personal makeup. Many people do not posess that.

CAR I understand what you are saying as well with respect to people who perform everyday tasks here at home to protect our public from healthcare workers to police to firemen to teachers.. The list goes on. Their contribution is not lost on me.

However, I think it is a simple math equation that doesn’t work at present. There is not enough revenue to pay all of the services right? Throw in pension funds and well… here we are, California in a mess… I don’t want to go down that road though.

Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds. I have seen a couple people come back from deployments pretty messed up both physically and mentally. You have pointed out the myriad of resources for them to draw upon… I just think there are so many other public service jobs that pale in comparison. Post office jobs, IRS jobs, DMV jobs… the list goes on of the monsterous beauracracy that comsumes billions and billions of dollars. Yes the military complex is loaded with waste, graft, etc…

I don’t have a good answer, just an overwhelming respect and gratitude for those that serve and have served in any of the armed forces.

[SD Realtor]

Bearish I understand what you are saying completely. Yours is a story of strength and perserverance and success. It is directly attributable to your personal makeup. Many people do not posess that.

CAR I understand what you are saying as well with respect to people who perform everyday tasks here at home to protect our public from healthcare workers to police to firemen to teachers.. The list goes on. Their contribution is not lost on me.

However, I think it is a simple math equation that doesn’t work at present. There is not enough revenue to pay all of the services right? Throw in pension funds and well… here we are, California in a mess… I don’t want to go down that road though.

Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds. I have seen a couple people come back from deployments pretty messed up both physically and mentally. You have pointed out the myriad of resources for them to draw upon… I just think there are so many other public service jobs that pale in comparison. Post office jobs, IRS jobs, DMV jobs… the list goes on of the monsterous beauracracy that comsumes billions and billions of dollars. Yes the military complex is loaded with waste, graft, etc…

I don’t have a good answer, just an overwhelming respect and gratitude for those that serve and have served in any of the armed forces.

[SD Realtor]

Bearish I understand what you are saying completely. Yours is a story of strength and perserverance and success. It is directly attributable to your personal makeup. Many people do not posess that.

CAR I understand what you are saying as well with respect to people who perform everyday tasks here at home to protect our public from healthcare workers to police to firemen to teachers.. The list goes on. Their contribution is not lost on me.

However, I think it is a simple math equation that doesn’t work at present. There is not enough revenue to pay all of the services right? Throw in pension funds and well… here we are, California in a mess… I don’t want to go down that road though.

Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds. I have seen a couple people come back from deployments pretty messed up both physically and mentally. You have pointed out the myriad of resources for them to draw upon… I just think there are so many other public service jobs that pale in comparison. Post office jobs, IRS jobs, DMV jobs… the list goes on of the monsterous beauracracy that comsumes billions and billions of dollars. Yes the military complex is loaded with waste, graft, etc…

I don’t have a good answer, just an overwhelming respect and gratitude for those that serve and have served in any of the armed forces.

[SD Realtor]

Bearish I understand what you are saying completely. Yours is a story of strength and perserverance and success. It is directly attributable to your personal makeup. Many people do not posess that.

CAR I understand what you are saying as well with respect to people who perform everyday tasks here at home to protect our public from healthcare workers to police to firemen to teachers.. The list goes on. Their contribution is not lost on me.

However, I think it is a simple math equation that doesn’t work at present. There is not enough revenue to pay all of the services right? Throw in pension funds and well… here we are, California in a mess… I don’t want to go down that road though.

Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds. I have seen a couple people come back from deployments pretty messed up both physically and mentally. You have pointed out the myriad of resources for them to draw upon… I just think there are so many other public service jobs that pale in comparison. Post office jobs, IRS jobs, DMV jobs… the list goes on of the monsterous beauracracy that comsumes billions and billions of dollars. Yes the military complex is loaded with waste, graft, etc…

I don’t have a good answer, just an overwhelming respect and gratitude for those that serve and have served in any of the armed forces.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=briansd1]I know a guy who joined to go fight in Iraq because he wanted to sponsor his mother who is old and sick.[/quote]

briansd1, your post is telling. This type of fraud is/was rampant in the military. I know of a military “sponsor” who somehow managed to bring over twenty-one (21) “dependents” up to the age of 77, listed on his “Page 13,” all from one particular Asian country. Each of those “dependents” no doubt recieved their own military dependent I.D. card.

Typically, if an American citizen or legal resident “promises” to support a “sponsored” individual in order to bring them here and then the sponsor or sponsored individual later has issues (financial/medical problems?) which make it impossible for the sponsor to continue to support them months/years after they legally enter the US, then that new “legal” immigrant may be eligible for SSI due to age and disability. By virtue of being eligible for SSI, they are automatically eligible for Medi-Cal. If you don’t believe me, check the rules.

[quote=SDRealtor]Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds.[/quote]

SDRealtor, IMHO, a service member who has served twenty years in ANY era DESERVES EVERY PENNY of their military retirement. They have EARNED IT, in SPADES. If the retirement wasn’t there as an incentive, no enlistee would stay in past the four years needed to earn some educational assistance. Yes, about half of military retirees are successful in their careers after retirement. Most of the ones who are successful (due to having an advanced education) were officers in the military. A few enlisted personnel are successful as well, such as my ex-spouse. For retired enlistees without a college degree, it takes a lot of perseverence, guts and the right contacts to be successful, all of which he possessed.

I am completely against the government conferring benefits upon “dependents” outside of a member’s immediate family.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=briansd1]I know a guy who joined to go fight in Iraq because he wanted to sponsor his mother who is old and sick.[/quote]

briansd1, your post is telling. This type of fraud is/was rampant in the military. I know of a military “sponsor” who somehow managed to bring over twenty-one (21) “dependents” up to the age of 77, listed on his “Page 13,” all from one particular Asian country. Each of those “dependents” no doubt recieved their own military dependent I.D. card.

Typically, if an American citizen or legal resident “promises” to support a “sponsored” individual in order to bring them here and then the sponsor or sponsored individual later has issues (financial/medical problems?) which make it impossible for the sponsor to continue to support them months/years after they legally enter the US, then that new “legal” immigrant may be eligible for SSI due to age and disability. By virtue of being eligible for SSI, they are automatically eligible for Medi-Cal. If you don’t believe me, check the rules.

[quote=SDRealtor]Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds.[/quote]

SDRealtor, IMHO, a service member who has served twenty years in ANY era DESERVES EVERY PENNY of their military retirement. They have EARNED IT, in SPADES. If the retirement wasn’t there as an incentive, no enlistee would stay in past the four years needed to earn some educational assistance. Yes, about half of military retirees are successful in their careers after retirement. Most of the ones who are successful (due to having an advanced education) were officers in the military. A few enlisted personnel are successful as well, such as my ex-spouse. For retired enlistees without a college degree, it takes a lot of perseverence, guts and the right contacts to be successful, all of which he possessed.

I am completely against the government conferring benefits upon “dependents” outside of a member’s immediate family.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=briansd1]I know a guy who joined to go fight in Iraq because he wanted to sponsor his mother who is old and sick.[/quote]

briansd1, your post is telling. This type of fraud is/was rampant in the military. I know of a military “sponsor” who somehow managed to bring over twenty-one (21) “dependents” up to the age of 77, listed on his “Page 13,” all from one particular Asian country. Each of those “dependents” no doubt recieved their own military dependent I.D. card.

Typically, if an American citizen or legal resident “promises” to support a “sponsored” individual in order to bring them here and then the sponsor or sponsored individual later has issues (financial/medical problems?) which make it impossible for the sponsor to continue to support them months/years after they legally enter the US, then that new “legal” immigrant may be eligible for SSI due to age and disability. By virtue of being eligible for SSI, they are automatically eligible for Medi-Cal. If you don’t believe me, check the rules.

[quote=SDRealtor]Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds.[/quote]

SDRealtor, IMHO, a service member who has served twenty years in ANY era DESERVES EVERY PENNY of their military retirement. They have EARNED IT, in SPADES. If the retirement wasn’t there as an incentive, no enlistee would stay in past the four years needed to earn some educational assistance. Yes, about half of military retirees are successful in their careers after retirement. Most of the ones who are successful (due to having an advanced education) were officers in the military. A few enlisted personnel are successful as well, such as my ex-spouse. For retired enlistees without a college degree, it takes a lot of perseverence, guts and the right contacts to be successful, all of which he possessed.

I am completely against the government conferring benefits upon “dependents” outside of a member’s immediate family.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=briansd1]I know a guy who joined to go fight in Iraq because he wanted to sponsor his mother who is old and sick.[/quote]

briansd1, your post is telling. This type of fraud is/was rampant in the military. I know of a military “sponsor” who somehow managed to bring over twenty-one (21) “dependents” up to the age of 77, listed on his “Page 13,” all from one particular Asian country. Each of those “dependents” no doubt recieved their own military dependent I.D. card.

Typically, if an American citizen or legal resident “promises” to support a “sponsored” individual in order to bring them here and then the sponsor or sponsored individual later has issues (financial/medical problems?) which make it impossible for the sponsor to continue to support them months/years after they legally enter the US, then that new “legal” immigrant may be eligible for SSI due to age and disability. By virtue of being eligible for SSI, they are automatically eligible for Medi-Cal. If you don’t believe me, check the rules.

[quote=SDRealtor]Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds.[/quote]

SDRealtor, IMHO, a service member who has served twenty years in ANY era DESERVES EVERY PENNY of their military retirement. They have EARNED IT, in SPADES. If the retirement wasn’t there as an incentive, no enlistee would stay in past the four years needed to earn some educational assistance. Yes, about half of military retirees are successful in their careers after retirement. Most of the ones who are successful (due to having an advanced education) were officers in the military. A few enlisted personnel are successful as well, such as my ex-spouse. For retired enlistees without a college degree, it takes a lot of perseverence, guts and the right contacts to be successful, all of which he possessed.

I am completely against the government conferring benefits upon “dependents” outside of a member’s immediate family.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=briansd1]I know a guy who joined to go fight in Iraq because he wanted to sponsor his mother who is old and sick.[/quote]

briansd1, your post is telling. This type of fraud is/was rampant in the military. I know of a military “sponsor” who somehow managed to bring over twenty-one (21) “dependents” up to the age of 77, listed on his “Page 13,” all from one particular Asian country. Each of those “dependents” no doubt recieved their own military dependent I.D. card.

Typically, if an American citizen or legal resident “promises” to support a “sponsored” individual in order to bring them here and then the sponsor or sponsored individual later has issues (financial/medical problems?) which make it impossible for the sponsor to continue to support them months/years after they legally enter the US, then that new “legal” immigrant may be eligible for SSI due to age and disability. By virtue of being eligible for SSI, they are automatically eligible for Medi-Cal. If you don’t believe me, check the rules.

[quote=SDRealtor]Bearish I guess as I said I have seen both sides of the service blade. I know plenty of 20 year retirees who live on good pensions and now accel in the private sector. So yes they are eating up valuable funds.[/quote]

SDRealtor, IMHO, a service member who has served twenty years in ANY era DESERVES EVERY PENNY of their military retirement. They have EARNED IT, in SPADES. If the retirement wasn’t there as an incentive, no enlistee would stay in past the four years needed to earn some educational assistance. Yes, about half of military retirees are successful in their careers after retirement. Most of the ones who are successful (due to having an advanced education) were officers in the military. A few enlisted personnel are successful as well, such as my ex-spouse. For retired enlistees without a college degree, it takes a lot of perseverence, guts and the right contacts to be successful, all of which he possessed.

I am completely against the government conferring benefits upon “dependents” outside of a member’s immediate family.

[jimmyle]

I don’t know about military members but my friend who is a civilian employee for the Navy makes $100K+ a year with his Mechanical Engineer degree and about 10 years of experience. I and other friends who all graduated in 1999 in the private industries make about 10 to 15% less. My pension is also tiny compared to his. Most other friends in private industries jobs don’t have pension at all.

[jimmyle]

I don’t know about military members but my friend who is a civilian employee for the Navy makes $100K+ a year with his Mechanical Engineer degree and about 10 years of experience. I and other friends who all graduated in 1999 in the private industries make about 10 to 15% less. My pension is also tiny compared to his. Most other friends in private industries jobs don’t have pension at all.

[jimmyle]

I don’t know about military members but my friend who is a civilian employee for the Navy makes $100K+ a year with his Mechanical Engineer degree and about 10 years of experience. I and other friends who all graduated in 1999 in the private industries make about 10 to 15% less. My pension is also tiny compared to his. Most other friends in private industries jobs don’t have pension at all.

[jimmyle]

I don’t know about military members but my friend who is a civilian employee for the Navy makes $100K+ a year with his Mechanical Engineer degree and about 10 years of experience. I and other friends who all graduated in 1999 in the private industries make about 10 to 15% less. My pension is also tiny compared to his. Most other friends in private industries jobs don’t have pension at all.

[Author]

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