Veterans groups are upset about the cut to military pensions in the proposed budget deal. They see it as a broken promise and a sign that veterans are considered politically expendable.
I mean how can we ask a fully fit and capable person to spend 25 or more years still able to work and earn six or more figures using the experience, training and educations paid for by the taxpayer and not get EVERY GODDAMNED PENNY OF FULL PENSION FOR EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES?
I say if you leave at 20 years, they you get a 20% pension until you reach “retirement” age then 100%. Especially if you make six figures flying for a major airline or working for MarAd or Lockheed Martin or master of a drillship! The military retirement system is a MULTIHEADED HYDRA that no mortal man can kill but several if its heads need to be lopped off and what the Congress just did wasn’t even giving it a nosebleed but how the military is howling like they have been impaled by this!
If injured in combat then 100% pension but only those who “gave” their blood to the country should be so rewarded!
Why all the contempt for the military? Yeah, they have problems (you point them all out vey well on this forum). Anyone who sticks it out for 20 years, does a good job, doesn’t get involved with any scandals and retires with a pension is ok with me. Do I think they are entitled to a 6 figure job after getting out? No. The real government pension bullshit lies with those who are screwing you, me and our military. Read this;
Whatever deal the government made with servicemen must be honored.
But this needs to change going forward. Go in at 17 and retire 20 years later with a defined benefit pension and free medical starting at age 37? This is insane and unsustainable. Likely live to 87. Work 20 years, and then collect a pension for 50 years? This is insane and unsustainable.
[QUOTE=c.captain;128479]no…my hard on is for the officers who retire as O5 at 42 years old and take home $70k year for life even as they go on to work $300k jobs![/QUOTE]
Want to really see some waste? Look at NOAA Corps officers. They get full military benefits and there are ONLY officers, heavy at the top ranks and no enlisted at all. Everything they do could be done by civilians at normal gov. pay, benefits and pension. They and the uniformed US Public Health Service are ripoffs of the first order.
I agree with honoring the contract that was agreed upon at enlistment. To change the benefits after a person has completed their contractual agreement is just plain wrong. Money could be saved by trashing the child credit for illegal migrants at a tune to 2 Billion a year, or dropping the welfare programs that are abused by abled bodied people who could work. The fact that Colorado has just approved the ability to utilize EBT cards in marijuana shops is ludicrous! So much more money can be save in other areas.
Absolutely right. NOAA Corps employ 4 admirals for 300 officers and 0 enlisted. That equals 1 admiral for every 75 officers! The navy has ~250 admirals for ~300,000 personnel. That’s ~1200 per admiral. The NOAA Corps serves no other purpose than to serve itself. The fact that they collect the same military benefits as our guys on the front lines is repulsive.
[QUOTE=Bloodyshitcakes;128496]Absolutely right. NOAA Corps employ 4 admirals for 300 offices and 0 enlisted. That equals 1 admiral for every 75 officers! The navy has ~250 admirals for ~300,000 personnel. That’s ~1200 per admiral.
The NOAA Corps serves no other purpose than to serve itself. The fact that they collect the same military benefits as our guys on the front lines is repulsive.[/QUOTE]
They hire and the qualifications aren’t that high. Got a biology degree? You can be an officer in charge of professional USCG licensed mariners and you don’t even have to hold a license to be in command of your own ship! The basic training is about what a maritime student gets in their first month at school and you never have to worry about being in harms way except that of your own making.
During the Clinton administration Al Gore tried to do away with this boondoggle and turn all the jobs over to professional mariners but was defeated in his efforts though they did temporarily reduce the number of admirals from 5 to 2. The number of captains, commanders and lt commanders is still beyond the pale. Those who want US mariners more gainfully employed and reduce spending might want to look at this waste of money.
Whenever I see talk of “reform” but no talk of eliminating crap like NOAA Corps,no talk of prosecuting those who stole BILLIONS during the Iraq and Afgan wars I am reminded that reform is just another form wealth redistribution from the bottom to the top.
The military and quasi-military organizations are what make other 3rd world nations such wonderful places. Hang in there, we will very soon be among that group where a uniform is golden.
I only wonder where the cash to keep them living in style will come from when the rest of us are reduced to peasant status. Exports of resources and energy I suppose, sort of like African kleptocracies.