My brother will be glad to know that since he's served, he is exempt from paying rent for the rest of his life. He didn't remember seeing that listed as a benefit when he signed up.
Thank you for the article.. I read the entire thing and I am in agreement with you about how crappy our govt is providing for our vets. I already was aware of the disparity in pay regarding what I earned in the military vs. what the 'real world' pays.. it's a serious insult to the people who have served in time of 'war' as well peacetime. I was lucky in that I only had the 'culture' shock of returning from serving 3years in Germany and not knowing how to deal with school and the shock of having so many friends and support while IN the army vs. when you get out. They really don't do enough IMHO to let you know what is available to you as far as work and educational benefits nor the idea that your college fund is something they reimburse you with.. then again it never ocured to me at the time to ask "So am I supposed to have like 20k saved up already and then you pay me back?" I think I would have had been more responsible with the little bit I earned back in the 80s and not have been in the same dire finances as many of the folks returning from active duty status. Fortunately for me I was fulltime college student and didn't have the family and work disparity burdon (although I still had books, rent, tuition & bills to pay). Also I did not leave a lucrative job to join the Army but was 'fresh out of high school' and a minimum wage job of 3.35hr at McDonalds. I can't see how anyone working and supporting their family on 30k+ a year would even consider the pay cut the military pays to serve their country other than obligation to serve & protect and get back to making what they made & more in their old job.
The fact remains that everywhere the cost of living increases and it's not just California where the minimum wage and cost of living is not in agreement. New Orleans was an easy place to go (for me in the 90s) and find myself at home.. but even there the cost of living is skyrocketing.. and with this "war on terror" going on now for what seems forever, what company is going to hold an employees place indefinitely while their Reservist/ National Guard employees are serving back to back tours??
When more and more is being revealed about the lies and the cost to our country and respect of our own place in the world, I don't see how anyone with nothing other than desperation would leave their job to serve in this SURGE of force that BushCo. is intending. Other than implementing a draft, I seriously doubt that would even get their numbers. This has to end yesterday, and we need to be putting our war machine funds into medical support and health care & infrastructure, not creating more injured vets and broken promises.
When our service members come home finally I hope we will have gotten something together that welcomes them better than a ticker tape parade of "mission accomplished" and here, have a meal voucher. All our Service folks deserve much more than that.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2007-01-30 09:59 pm (UTC)thank you
Date: 2007-01-31 01:25 am (UTC)The fact remains that everywhere the cost of living increases and it's not just California where the minimum wage and cost of living is not in agreement. New Orleans was an easy place to go (for me in the 90s) and find myself at home.. but even there the cost of living is skyrocketing.. and with this "war on terror" going on now for what seems forever, what company is going to hold an employees place indefinitely while their Reservist/ National Guard employees are serving back to back tours??
When more and more is being revealed about the lies and the cost to our country and respect of our own place in the world, I don't see how anyone with nothing other than desperation would leave their job to serve in this SURGE of force that BushCo. is intending. Other than implementing a draft, I seriously doubt that would even get their numbers. This has to end yesterday, and we need to be putting our war machine funds into medical support and health care & infrastructure, not creating more injured vets and broken promises.
When our service members come home finally I hope we will have gotten something together that welcomes them better than a ticker tape parade of "mission accomplished" and here, have a meal voucher. All our Service folks deserve much more than that.