Bush Speech Supports the Troops

[rayboyusmc]

Unfortunately, his actions don't. Get the credit on national television and then just fluff it off. The strength of the military family is the foundation of the strength of our military.

Thank you again, Lt. Gets In The Guard Ahead of Others and then gets out early to work in a political campaign. You have shared the rigors of military service -- NOT!

President Bush drew great applause during his State of the Union address last month when he called on Congress to allow U.S. troops to transfer their unused education benefits to family members. If my wife and kids had not been able to live in the military environment, I would not have stayed the full time.

"Our military families serve our nation, they inspire our nation, and tonight our nation honors them," he said.

A week later, however, when Bush submitted his $3.1 trillion federal budget to Congress, he included no funding for such an initiative, which government analysts calculate could cost $1 billion to $2 billion annually.

Bush's proposal was added to the speech late in the process, administration officials said, after the president decided that he wanted to announce a program that would favor military families. That left little time to vet the idea, develop formal cost estimates or gauge how many people might take advantage of such a program. Some administration officials said the proposal surprised them, and they voiced concerns about funding.

Some critics in Congress cite the episode as a case study of what they consider the slapdash way Bush has put together the legislative program for his final year in office. Still, the idea is generating bipartisan interest from members of Congress who want to assist military families coping with long-term absences of loved ones sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.

It will be intersting to see if any of the Dems have the balls/balletes to push this issue.

http://tinyurl.com/ysffd3

 

[nibor]

Unfortunately, his actions don't. Get the credit on national television and then just fluff it off. The strength of the military family is the foundation of the strength of our military.

Thank you again, Lt. Gets In The Guard Ahead of Others and then gets out early to work in a political campaign. You have shared the rigors of military service -- NOT!



It will be intersting to see if any of the Dems have the balls/balletes to push this issue.

http://tinyurl.com/ysffd3

What a piece of lip service, I hope he doesn't get too much on his dress............

 

[Gunny]

Unfortunately, his actions don't. Get the credit on national television and then just fluff it off. The strength of the military family is the foundation of the strength of our military.

Thank you again, Lt. Gets In The Guard Ahead of Others and then gets out early to work in a political campaign. You have shared the rigors of military service -- NOT!



It will be intersting to see if any of the Dems have the balls/balletes to push this issue.

http://tinyurl.com/ysffd3

TO push WHAT issue? Seems Dems along with Kerry tried to do just THAT and y'all STILL haven't gotten the egg off your faces.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

SO the first question is of course... Where you EVER in the National Guard? I was. I was a personnel clerk in one of the highest headquarters in the State of Washington at the time. I maintained and controlled the personnel files of ANY member in school, on temporary duty or not with his parent unit.

It was and as far as I know still IS standard practice for ANY member to ask for early separation , especially if their MOS is being phased out and they do not plan to reup. It was and as far as I know still is, common practice to allow serving members to transfer to other commands if the losing unit and the gaining unit agreed, this can be for almost any reason. More importantly if a member has completed all the required hours up to that point such requests were almost always honored. This included buck privates to the highest ranking officer that might wish to leave service.

Add to that the fact that Bush flew one of the most DANGEROUS aircraft in the US military and FLEW more hours then required calling him anything other than what the National Guard called him when they discharged him with an HONORABLE Discharge is a disservice to every National Guardsman anywhere.

 

[nibor]

SO the first question is of course... Where you EVER in the National Guard? I was. I was a personnel clerk in one of the highest headquarters in the State of Washington at the time. I maintained and controlled the personnel files of ANY member in school, on temporary duty or not with his parent unit.

It was and as far as I know still IS standard practice for ANY member to ask for early separation , especially if their MOS is being phased out and they do not plan to reup. It was and as far as I know still is, common practice to allow serving members to transfer to other commands if the losing unit and the gaining unit agreed, this can be for almost any reason. More importantly if a member has completed all the required hours up to that point such requests were almost always honored. This included buck privates to the highest ranking officer that might wish to leave service.

Add to that the fact that Bush flew one of the most DANGEROUS aircraft in the US military and FLEW more hours then required calling him anything other than what the National Guard called him when they discharged him with an HONORABLE Discharge is a disservice to every National Guardsman anywhere.

I don't think the Guard's in question.....................as much as tweedle dum's commitment TO MY KID'S FAMILY AND THE REST OF THE MILITARY FAMILIES ON FREAKIN' FOOD STAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CSM]

I don't think the Guard's in question.....................as much as tweedle dum's commitment TO MY KID'S FAMILY AND THE REST OF THE MILITARY FAMILIES ON FREAKIN' FOOD STAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got any idea how many military families are on food stamps? Any idea what military pay and benefits are? Any idea who determines that?

I didn't think so.

 

[nibor]

Got any idea how many military families are on food stamps? Any idea what military pay and benefits are? Any idea who determines that?

I didn't think so.

THE FACT THAT ANY OF THEM ARE NO MATTER HOW MANY IS A FUCKING DISGRACE>>>>>>>>>>>!

 

[CSM]

THE FACT THAT ANY OF THEM ARE NO MATTER HOW MANY IS A FUCKING DISGRACE>>>>>>>>>>>!

I ask again...where do you get the numbers? Where are the "facts" that ANY military member is on food stamps????

By the way, your caps lock is stuck in the "on" position.

 

[nibor]

I ask again...where do you get the numbers? Where are the "facts" that ANY military member is on food stamps????

By the way, your caps lock is stuck in the "on" position.

http://www.alternet.org/story/18313

http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2006/10/supporting-troops.html

http://www.fas.org/news/usa/1999/12/991207-mccain.htm

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,82088,00.html

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/05/military_foodstamps_070508w/

UM so I'm halucinating..................again???????

 

[CSM]

http://www.alternet.org/story/18313

http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2006/10/supporting-troops.html

http://www.fas.org/news/usa/1999/12/991207-mccain.htm

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,82088,00.html

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/05/military_foodstamps_070508w/

UM so I'm halucinating..................again???????

yup....must be the drugs you are taking.

All the articles you cite refer to data from the late 1990's.

Are there military members on food stamps ....yes there are. Significantly less than (percentage wise) than there are in an equivalent civilian population, particularly since the military is now using a different calculations for determining what counts as "income".

Interestingly enough, the largest number of personnel on food stamps are in the National Guard and Reserves ... not the active duty. Many of our reservists are living from paycheck to paycheck in their civilian life and then get deployed which places additional financial hardship. That is mostly because they are young with larger families. The point here is they were on the edge anyway (whether or not they were military) and their call to duty pushed them over the edge.

Here is another news flash for you. NOBODY joins the military to get rich.

By the way, your last link with the story of the bill in 2007 submitted to alleviate some of the problem .... you are of course going to credit "the administration" for addressing the problem....aren't you???

 

[nibor]

yup....must be the drugs you are taking.

All the articles you cite refer to data from the late 1990's.

Are there military members on food stamps ....yes there are. Significantly less than (percentage wise) than there are in an equivalent civilian population, particularly since the military is now using a different calculations for determining what counts as "income".

Interestingly enough, the largest number of personnel on food stamps are in the National Guard and Reserves ... not the active duty. Many of our reservists are living from paycheck to paycheck in their civilian life and then get deployed which places additional financial hardship. That is mostly because they are young with larger families. The point here is they were on the edge anyway (whether or not they were military) and their call to duty pushed them over the edge.

Here is another news flash for you. NOBODY joins the military to get rich.

By the way, your last link with the story of the bill in 2007 submitted to alleviate some of the problem .... you are of course going to credit "the administration" for addressing the problem....aren't you???

Excuse meeee.................................credit uh yeah that's what my kid's family has run out of...................He's at Ramstein AFB

 

[CSM]

Excuse meeee.................................credit uh yeah that's what my kid's family has run out of...................He's at Ramstein AFB

Got it...I take it he is not a General. Bet he is a young man with a growing family...been there and done that too.

 

[nibor]

Got it...I take it he is not a General. Bet he is a young man with a growing family...been there and done that too.

No he's a sargent and his wife and two daughters are back here in the states...........

 

[CSM]

No he's a sargent and his wife and two daughters are back here in the states...........

Makes it even toughter that way. He has to support himself (yep, it costs money to live even in the military) and support the family in the states. As I said, been there and done that.

 

[CSM]

No he's a sargent and his wife and two daughters are back here in the states...........

As a sargent, (presumably E-5) his monthly basic pay (2008 rates) is about 2k a month. Probably collects separate rations and other stuff like housing allowance so I am betting he is not eligible for food stamps, particularly if his wife works. Whether they should be elligible is a whole different debate. Hard to tell without knowing exact details, but generally E-5s are not elligible unless they have a slew of kids (not sure what the exact number for "slew" is but its more than 2). If he is on food stamps, then there are circumstances outside the norm involved.

 

[nibor]

As a sargent, (presumably E-5) his monthly basic pay (2008 rates) is about 2k a month. Probably collects separate rations and other stuff like housing allowance so I am betting he is not eligible for food stamps, particularly if his wife works. Whether they should be elligible is a whole different debate. Hard to tell without knowing exact details, but generally E-5s are not elligible unless they have a slew of kids (not sure what the exact number for "slew" is but its more than 2). If he is on food stamps, then there are circumstances outside the norm involved.

I'm not sure of that stuff, I know when his last daughter was born (7 yrs) they were on wick, and food stamps they were out at Travis AFB, IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE, then he was in Korea, then he was at Andrews, then they sent him back to Korea and he got promoted, and now he's in Germany.................next????????

But it's been really tuff at times.....................He's some kinda spook I think because he isn't allowed to be anything but vague..............

 

[CSM]

I'm not sure of that stuff, I know when his last daughter was born (7 yrs) they were on wick, and food stamps they were out at Travis AFB, IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE, then he was in Korea, then he was at Andrews, then they sent him back to Korea and he got promoted, and now he's in Germany.................next????????

But it's been really tuff at times.....................He's some kinda spook I think because he isn't allowed to be anything but vague..............

Understood. It was even worse back then. Some legislation was passed in 2001 that changed the way income was calculated for military personnel and that helped a bit. Still isn't easy; then again, being in the military never was and never will be. As i said, no one joins the military to get rich.

Anyway, the point is that, yes, there are some military personnel on food stamps and, yes, the military doesn't pay as well as the civilian sector BUT there are far fewer military personnel on 'welfare' than an equivalent population in the civilian sector. Those statistics and links you provided show that approximately .5 % (that is one half of one percent for those less educated than you and I) of the military were on food stamps in the late 90s as opposed to about 8% of an equivalent civilian population. the vast majority of that .5% are lower enlisted (E-4 and below) with families and geographically separated and most of those are reserves on deployment. The numbers are even lower now.

If and when the citizens of this country decide that military service is as valuable to them as the latest sports team, then maybe the problem will go away. As long as this country believes that military service is less than a desirable career, discourages family members from even considering the military as a career and looks down on military personnel as knuckle dragging, brainwashed, baby killers then there will always be some who serve and need assistance.

 

[nibor]

Understood. It was even worse back then. Some legislation was passed in 2001 that changed the way income was calculated for military personnel and that helped a bit. Still isn't easy; then again, being in the military never was and never will be. As i said, no one joins the military to get rich.

Anyway, the point is that, yes, there are some military personnel on food stamps and, yes, the military doesn't pay as well as the civilian sector BUT there are far fewer military personnel on 'welfare' than an equivalent population in the civilian sector. Those statistics and links you provided show that approximately .5 % (that is one half of one percent for those less educated than you and I) of the military were on food stamps in the late 90s as opposed to about 8% of an equivalent civilian population. the vast majority of that .5% are lower enlisted (E-4 and below) with families and geographically separated and most of those are reserves on deployment. The numbers are even lower now.

If and when the citizens of this country decide that military service is as valuable to them as the latest sports team, then maybe the problem will go away. As long as this country believes that military service is less than a desirable career, discourages family members from even considering the military as a career and looks down on military personnel as knuckle dragging, brainwashed, baby killers then there will always be some who serve and need assistance.

I'll tell YOU WHAT, the fact that privatized profiteering is taking place, at the expense and in spite of our kids in the military is a VERY troublesome vocalized subject and should be rectified........................it's a morale killer...............