"Welfare Soldiers"

[andy753]

I'm kind of in the middle of a debate. This thread might piss people off, but I'm just telling a couple sides. My father and uncle both served in Vietnam, both are mid 60's in age, both retired, and both hardcore military till the end. I also know of 2 guys, both were only in the military for a short period. Here goes...

My uncle and father consider these guys "leeches" to the system. One was discharged after 2 or 3 years (I think) due to medical conditions he had growing up that didn't surface till later (seizures). The other was injured in Kuwait, but he was in less than a year. They say these guys shouldn't receive the same benefits they do because the didn't go thru the same stuff they did. I think they are just pissed off grumpy old men.

My uncle saw combat for a short period, and has some good scars on his left arm/shoulder, and recieves $3000 a month and free medical care. He hasn't has a job in 25 years. My father has a bum knee but only retired from security last year. They both act like every "civilian" in the world in a piece of shit . And they will tell you that to your face. At every family dinner in fact.

What do you think are the qualifications of lifetime benefits and pay after service? 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? 1 combat mission? 5? 20?

 

[Grace]

Sounds like your relatives have issues still. Nam did things not just to the body. Things they saw. Things they witnessed. Their "homecoming", which is a far cry from what our soldiers now receive. Perhaps your dad and uncle are still angry at the system and how it affected them..and the people here who thought of them as "baby killers". Not counting the actual combat they were in. Were you there? No.

I know many Nam vets that refuse to talk about their experiences. And probably for damn good reason, Im guessing.

Concerning your question about how long one must be in the service to get lifetime benefits. In my opinion, if they were sent to any hell hole, they should get benefits.

I know a leech or two. They suck off the system, but they never put their lives on the line. They just suck up the welfare check, have another kid or two, go to the food bank, steal sugar packets from table tops when they PAY for dinner, take ashtrays and towels from motel rooms and collect foodstamps every month. But they drive nice cars, go out to dinner often, and never are short of money when it comes to a new DVD that just came out or a playstation game.

 

[Mad Scientist]

"All gave some, some gave all".

 

[AllieBaba]

They served and were injured; we take care of them. That's the way you maintain a military. You have to give them some incentive for risking death.

 

[daveman]

We owe it to our veterans to take care of their service-connected disabilities, especially if the disabilities were caused in combat.

I think there's some confusion here. A retiree (someone who serves 20 years or more in uniform) earns a pension for the rest of his life. A veteran who has served less time but has a VA disability rating of 50% or more will draw a monthly check based on the percentage of disability. Under 50% there is no check; the percentage is given as a tax credit.

Did your father and uncle retire from the military after 20 or more years?

 

[Mini 14]

For me, if you emerge from basic as a serviceman, I owe you.

All of them served me.

I owe all of them.

And I proudly write that check.

 

[AllieBaba]

The one thing I've learned determining eligibility for DHS...never take anyone's word on income, lol. Not that people necessarily deliberately lie; they just don't know. The $3000 these guys take home, if it is $3000, may represent money coming from a variety of different pots. There may be social security, SSD, a pension, AND VA disability.

 

[editec]

They served, they were released for medical conditions, their contract gives them bennnies.

What's the problem?

 

[Two Thumbs]

I'm kind of in the middle of a debate. This thread might piss people off, but I'm just telling a couple sides. My father and uncle both served in Vietnam, both are mid 60's in age, both retired, and both hardcore military till the end. I also know of 2 guys, both were only in the military for a short period. Here goes...

My uncle and father consider these guys "leeches" to the system. One was discharged after 2 or 3 years (I think) due to medical conditions he had growing up that didn't surface till later (seizures). The other was injured in Kuwait, but he was in less than a year. They say these guys shouldn't receive the same benefits they do because the didn't go thru the same stuff they did. I think they are just pissed off grumpy old men.

My uncle saw combat for a short period, and has some good scars on his left arm/shoulder, and recieves $3000 a month and free medical care. He hasn't has a job in 25 years. My father has a bum knee but only retired from security last year. They both act like every "civilian" in the world in a piece of shit . And they will tell you that to your face. At every family dinner in fact.

What do you think are the qualifications of lifetime benefits and pay after service? 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? 1 combat mission? 5? 20?

If you got the balls to raise your right hand and swear to up-hold the Constitution even if it means your life...

I don't care if you tripped down the steps at bootcamp and damaged your knee so bad you can't serve, you get the bennies.

Unless your freinds are totally messed up, they more than likely are not getting the same as retired Vets.

 

[Two Thumbs]

"All gave some, some gave all".

 

[Two Thumbs]

They served and were injured; we take care of them. That's the way you maintain a military. You have to give them some incentive for risking death.

That was never a consideation for anyone that I served with.

 

[Trajan]

We owe it to our veterans to take care of their service-connected disabilities, especially if the disabilities were caused in combat.

I think there's some confusion here. A retiree (someone who serves 20 years or more in uniform) earns a pension for the rest of his life. A veteran who has served less time but has a VA disability rating of 50% or more will draw a monthly check based on the percentage of disability. Under 50% there is no check; the percentage is given as a tax credit.

Did your father and uncle retire from the military after 20 or more years?

yes and they also go through "re-classifications" .......:where in you are examined and a determination is made to see if your reward is still viable, in other words if they can vaporize ( or think they can) or they think you are over your pain and suffering they will and your compensation right along with it.

they re-classified me right back to "health"...

 

[daveman]

We owe it to our veterans to take care of their service-connected disabilities, especially if the disabilities were caused in combat.

I think there's some confusion here. A retiree (someone who serves 20 years or more in uniform) earns a pension for the rest of his life. A veteran who has served less time but has a VA disability rating of 50% or more will draw a monthly check based on the percentage of disability. Under 50% there is no check; the percentage is given as a tax credit.

Did your father and uncle retire from the military after 20 or more years?

yes and they also go through "re-classifications" .......:where in you are examined and a determination is made to see if your reward is still viable, in other words if they can vaporize ( or think they can) or they think you are over your pain and suffering they will and your compensation right along with it.

they re-classified me right back to "health"...

While some veterans do improve with time and treatment, I have no doubt others are re-classified downward to save money.

This is what government-run healthcare looks like.

 

[Trajan]

We owe it to our veterans to take care of their service-connected disabilities, especially if the disabilities were caused in combat.

I think there's some confusion here. A retiree (someone who serves 20 years or more in uniform) earns a pension for the rest of his life. A veteran who has served less time but has a VA disability rating of 50% or more will draw a monthly check based on the percentage of disability. Under 50% there is no check; the percentage is given as a tax credit.

Did your father and uncle retire from the military after 20 or more years?

yes and they also go through "re-classifications" .......:where in you are examined and a determination is made to see if your reward is still viable, in other words if they can vaporize ( or think they can) or they think you are over your pain and suffering they will and your compensation right along with it.

they re-classified me right back to "health"...

While some veterans do improve with time and treatment, I have no doubt others are re-classified downward to save money.

This is what government-run healthcare looks like.

Doubt is in the eye of the beholder…...my shin splints and stress fractures miraculously become a signature of age, yup though, its only in my left Tibia.... …hum, any correlation between my getting shot in the left tibia and having it split like a matchstick vertically?
Nope its age,as I was reclassified 6 years ago by some Commander in Palo Alto….… I laughed so hard when they told me, frankly I was half expecting it, I did the Eddie Murphy shtick right there in their office , remember Eddie, his I am healed gig in the beginning of Trading Places where the cops lift him off the piece of wood with wheels on it, like he had lost his legs……I can walk!!! Wow I can see too !! Praise jesus…


Then they reclassified my ulcer too. My 6th year in, we spent 300….thats right 300 days in the field, in fact every year was close to that except my first and last, we ate MFing C-Rats every day for like 280 of them, dug a hole in my stomach….hey but I am fine now!!! Yup, $78 a month vaporized, or that is the equivalent after the closed Moffat field down. I buy my own Prevacid on line and I have primo health ins./care so screw’em and hell, theres guys way worse than me out there…….….don’t get me started on my student loans though, they never paid them, now that pisses me off.

 

[The Infidel]

For me, if you emerge from basic as a serviceman, I owe you.

All of them served me.

I owe all of them.

And I proudly write that check.

Yep... they were willing to put themselves in the line of fire for me and my family, so we owe them.

 

[daveman]

Doubt is in the eye of the beholder…...my shin splints and stress fractures miraculously become a signature of age, yup though, its only in my left Tibia.... …hum, any correlation between my getting shot in the left tibia and having it split like a matchstick vertically?
Nope its age,as I was reclassified 6 years ago by some Commander in Palo Alto….… I laughed so hard when they told me, frankly I was half expecting it, I did the Eddie Murphy shtick right there in their office , remember Eddie, his I am healed gig in the beginning of Trading Places where the cops lift him off the piece of wood with wheels on it, like he had lost his legs……I can walk!!! Wow I can see too !! Praise jesus…


Then they reclassified my ulcer too. My 6th year in, we spent 300….thats right 300 days in the field, in fact every year was close to that except my first and last, we ate MFing C-Rats every day for like 280 of them, dug a hole in my stomach….hey but I am fine now!!! Yup, $78 a month vaporized, or that is the equivalent after the closed Moffat field down. I buy my own Prevacid on line and I have primo health ins./care so screw’em and hell, theres guys way worse than me out there…….….don’t get me started on my student loans though, they never paid them, now that pisses me off.

Yup. Really, folks, this is what government-run healthcare looks like.

And some people want it for everybody. Mind-boggling.