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They deserve no special respect. Being in the armed forces is a job. They sign a contract for a period of time and they get many perks even after they get out. More than any other job that I know. That alone should be sufficient.
Even those who have been in combat? You would probably make an exception for them right? But, you need to consider the fact that a combat unit cannot do the job without someone providing them with supplies. They can't just go where they want and fight. Someone has to make the decisions as to where they need to go and when they need to be there. Someone needs to communicate these orders to the troops as well. Back in WWII, the clerks had to type out the orders, which were posted. My Dad was such a clerk in New Guinea during the war. He spent a total of two years overseas.
He never wanted to talk about his war experience. I think it was probably because he felt he didn't do enough, since he wasn't in direct combat. I recently got a copy of his discharge paperwork, what we call a DD214 today. He received, in those two years, an Asian/Pacific Theater Ribbon with 2 Bronze Stars, a Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 Bronze star, a Distinguished Unit Badge, a Meritorious Unit Award, over and above the Good Conduct and WWII Victory Medal that I assume everybody got.
Yeah, he was "just a clerk typist" which is what he always said when I asked. Does anyone ever really think there are people the military has on board that are just there to slack off? Everyone serves or served a purpose.
I joined the AF in 1972, while Viet Nam was happening. After being in for 3 years, I know how my Dad felt. Since then I have come to realize that all the jobs in the military need to be done, in order to allow the people in the front lines to do what they have to do. And most of the time, it is beyond the control of those doing the jobs to decide who does them. The roles could have easily been reversed.
Especially sleazy is the politician who refused to serve because of bone spurs than has the audacity to say he knew more than the generals because he attended a high school military academy for troubled youth.
What annoys me more are veterans that abuse the medical system with exaggerated or false claims of PTSD.
The damaged Iraq/Afghan vet unable to cope with society has become a tired cliche.
People are claiming PTSD for everything, even if their only tour of duty was safely behind the wire on a FOB in Kuwait for guard duty. These fobbits and fakers make me sick.
While living over in Idaho I came across a number of people who are abusing the system. A few months before returning to Wyoming I found out that a woman I knew who served in Vietnam as an MP is receiving a pension for a knee injury supposedly incurred while serving in that conflict. She actually hurt her knee while playing softball in high school long before joining the military.
The loser-druggie-cousin of my husband receives a small pension (and has since the 60s) for injuring his ankle. He hurt it while in basic training. He's never had a real job in his entire, sorry life.
And I know a guy (chronic drunk) who has been lying at least since we met him about what he did and what his rank was while in the military (same era). He recently drove drunk (again), crashed and was seriously injured. Life flighted, a month in the hospital, supposed to do rehab but he doesn't (but he's on some damn good drugs right now). He dried out in the hospital, but is now mixing prescription drugs and alcohol (while getting his friends to do everything for him and while he's not doing his physical therapy). The VA (ie. taxpayers) ate the bill for most of the expenses incurred during that mess.
As the wife of a Vietnam-era combat veteran and the mother of a son who did 2 tours in Iraq - and as a woman who greatly supports the military - these kinds of people are a waste of oxygen. There's plenty of veterans out there who are useless. But there's MORE veterans out there who served honorably, who live their civilian lives with dignity, and who are not looking for anything that they did not earn and or anything that was not promised to them by their country. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to THIS 1%.
Location: Born & Raised DC > Carolinas > Seattle > Denver
9,338 posts, read 7,109,569 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TreeBeard
Especially sleazy is the politician who refused to serve because of bone spurs than has the audacity to say he knew more than the generals because he attended a high school military academy for troubled youth.
Exactly.
Trump claimed to be a "star athlete" in high school, yet less than 10 years later, he suddenly has bone spurs that kept him from serving his country.
Real simple. If you joined the military and served your time and got out with an Honorable Discharge then you are a veteran. It doesn't matter for what reason you went in that makes no sense. My father pushed me into the military when I was 17 and even though I didn't like it at the time I still did my time. The draft was going on at the time (Viet Nam) and many ran away to Canada. I don't care what anyone says I am a veteran.
In 2010, COB estimated the average active duty soldier recieved an average of $99,000/ year in comp and benefits, salary, special pay, housing, food, clothing, medical/ dental care and tax advantages. This does not include the cost of training or GI benefits or for those qualified, pensions.
Not all branches of the military have equal exposures and not all serve in combat zones.
The majority of military suicides never saw combat.
People enlist for a variety of reasons. It's not all about patriotism.
Those figures are a joke, to be honest. I remember something estimating that my compensation was about $60,000, when I was a private earning $744/mo. The few times I used the healthcare (flu, ankle sprains, etc), I was seen not by a nurse or a doctor, but by medic who received 14 weeks of training and was reading off of a flowchart. They also value barracks housing at an astronomical rate. I think the estimated my house and benefit at $1300 a month, in Central Texas in the 90s. This was for essentially a two-man dorm room
Even those who have been in combat? You would probably make an exception for them right? But, you need to consider the fact that a combat unit cannot do the job without someone providing them with supplies. They can't just go where they want and fight. Someone has to make the decisions as to where they need to go and when they need to be there. Someone needs to communicate these orders to the troops as well. Back in WWII, the clerks had to type out the orders, which were posted. My Dad was such a clerk in New Guinea during the war. He spent a total of two years overseas.
He never wanted to talk about his war experience. I think it was probably because he felt he didn't do enough, since he wasn't in direct combat. I recently got a copy of his discharge paperwork, what we call a DD214 today. He received, in those two years, an Asian/Pacific Theater Ribbon with 2 Bronze Stars, a Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 Bronze star, a Distinguished Unit Badge, a Meritorious Unit Award, over and above the Good Conduct and WWII Victory Medal that I assume everybody got.
Yeah, he was "just a clerk typist" which is what he always said when I asked. Does anyone ever really think there are people the military has on board that are just there to slack off? Everyone serves or served a purpose.
I joined the AF in 1972, while Viet Nam was happening. After being in for 3 years, I know how my Dad felt. Since then I have come to realize that all the jobs in the military need to be done, in order to allow the people in the front lines to do what they have to do. And most of the time, it is beyond the control of those doing the jobs to decide who does them. The roles could have easily been reversed.
My dad went over as a Troop Sergeant in the Canadian Army in 1940 and didn't return until late 44 after seeing battle in N. Africa, the Liri Valley Italy, France, the liberation of Holland, Belgium, and lastly Germany. Wounded twice by shrapnel while in the turret of his Sherman, his wife got the dreaded telegrams:.. "We regret to inform you, your husband etc., etc., to then wait three weeks for the follow-up telegrams informing her he'd recovered and was back in action. HE was a "veteran"!
He would not talk about the war experience at all until both his sons had reached an age and had served ourselves. The stories were mind boggling in what he'd seen and done over there to then return and perform the routine and mundane job of raising a family while fitting back into normal society without seemingly needing any special attention or recognition at all. The only time he claimed ownership of having performed military service and wore his medals was when taking part in Nov. 11, Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Both my older brother and I served in the RCN for a time and although entitled, would in no way shape or fashion consider ourselves "veterans" with the nice car tags and window stickers.
I'm a Vietnam veteran myself. I did go to college on my benefits. Never used the VA. No service related injuries either physical or psychological. Some younger members of my extended family have claimed and were given questionable, at least in my opinion, disability payments.
One relative served in the Marines in the early 90's. Peacetime service. Injured knee in a training exercise and has been receiving disability checks for years. He works for the telephone company climbing telephone poles and cell towers.
Another one is an Iraq war vet. Avionics repair technician. No combat. Involved in a convoy accident in Kuwait with a local being killed. Says he was traumatized and can't think straight since. Filed and received PTSD disability status but only after the Army gave him a discharge for failure to pass several physical fitness tests.
Are there vets that use their status as a vet to their advantage? Of course, but I suspect the numbers are relatively low. I'm a vet myself and know quite a few. I don't know any who is "gaming the system." Is this an issue that deserves closer scrutiny....given all the other issues we face I'd so no, there are bigger fish to fry!
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