A letter

[Janari]

Military pay article
>> >
>> > On 12 Nov, Ms Cindy Williams (from Laverne and
>> > Shirley
>> > TV show) wrote a
>> > piece for the Washington Times, denouncing the pay
>> > raise(s) coming
>> > servicemembers' way this year -- citing that the
>> > stated 13% wage was
>> > more than they deserve.
>> >
>> > A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article
>> > below. He ought to
>> > get a bonus for this!
>> >
>> > "Ms Williams:
>> >
>> > I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our
>> > GIs earn enough"
>> > and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering
>> > where
>> > this vaunted
>> > overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell,
>> > it
>> > disappears every
>> > month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and
>> > Accounting
>> > Service) and my
>> > bank account. Checking my latest leave and earnings
>> > statement
>> > (LES), I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes.
>> > After
>> > taxes, I take
>> > home $874.20. When I run that through Windows'
>> > Calculator, I come up
>> > with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes,
>> > and
>> > $10,490.40 after.
>> >
>> > I work in the Air Force Network Control Center
>> > (AFNCC), where I am part
>> > of the team responsible for the administration of a
>> > 5,000-host computer
>> > network. I am involved with infrastructure segments,
>> > specifically with
>> > Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs
>> > for
>> > Network
>> > Technicians in the Washington, D.C. area reveals a
>> > position in my
>> > career
>> > field, requiring three years experience with my job.
>> > Amazingly, this
>> > job
>> > does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year, nor does it pay less
>> > than this. No,
>> > this
>> > job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per
>> > annum.
>> > I'm sure you can
>> > draw the obvious conclusions.
>> >
>> > Also, you tout increases to Basic Allowance for
>> > Housing and Basic
>> > Allowance for Subsistence (housing and food
>> > allowances, respectively)
>> > as
>> > being a further boon to an already overcompensated
>> > force. Again, I'm
>> > curious as to where this money has gone, as BAH and
>> > BAS were both
>> > slashed 15% in the Hill AFB area effective in
>> > January
>> > 00.
>> >
>> > Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that
>> > you have NEVER had
>> > the pleasure of serving your country in her armed
>> > forces. Before you
>> > take it upon yourself to once more castigate
>> > congressional and DOD
>> > leadership for attempting to get the families in the
>> > military's lowest
>> > pay brackets off AFDC, WIC, and food stamps, I
>> > suggest
>> > that you join a
>> > group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN,
>> > I
>> > leave the choice
>> > of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you
>> > make,
>> > though, opt for
>> > the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the
>> > longest possible time
>> > away from your family and friends, thus giving you
>> > full "deployment
>> > experience."
>> >
>> > As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure
>> > to note the
>> > spouses
>> > and children who are saying good-bye to their loved
>> > ones. Also take
>> > care
>> > to note that several families are still unsure of
>> > how
>> > they'll be able
>> > to
>> > make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone
>> > -- obviously
>> > they've been squandering the vast piles of cash the
>> > DOD has been giving
>> > them.
>> >
>> > Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and
>> > Thanksgiving are
>> > perennial favorites.
>> >
>> > And when you're actually over there, sitting in a
>> > DFP
>> > (Defensive Fire
>> > Position, the modern-day foxhole), shivering against
>> > the cold desert
>> > night; and the flight sergeant tells you that there
>> > aren't enough
>> > people
>> > on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this:
>> > trade
>> > whatever MRE
>> > (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna
>> > noodle casserole or
>> > cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything.
>> > This
>> > gives some
>> > flavor.
>> >
>> > Talk to your loved ones as often as you are
>> > permitted;
>> > it won't nearly
>> > be long enough or often enough, but take what you
>> > can
>> > get and be
>> > thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact
>> > that I disagree
>> > with
>> > most of the points you present in your op-ed piece.
>> >
>> > But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will defend to the death
>> > your right to say
>> > it. You see, I am an American fighting man, a
>> > guarantor of your First
>> > Amendment rights and every other right you cherish.
>> > On
>> > a daily basis,
>> > my
>> > brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that
>> > you
>> > and people like
>> > you can thumb your collective nose at us, all on a
>> > salary that is
>> > nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that
>> > would make most
>> > people cringe.
>> >
>> > We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the
>> > private
>> > sector because we
>> > can't offer the stability and pay of civilian
>> > companies. And you, Ms
>> > Williams, have the gall to say that we make more
>> > than
>> > we deserve?
>> >
>> > Rubbish!
>> >
>> > A1C Michael Bragg, Hill AFB AFNCC"

[FeriosNoncedo]

That is why I think every able-bodied person in america should have two mandatory years of some branch of the armed forces. Even Elvis took a paycut to join the military for a little bit. You wouldnt see one pay raise defeated, or stupid articles from ignorant people that have never been shot at. I think, at the very least, that anyone not willing to a) get shot at b)have biological/chemical agents dropped on you c) work 154 hr weeks sometimes-( I've done it, it's not pretty) d) kill other human beings to defend the rights and interests of america, should realize that they are not capable of doing the job and leave the people that are the F*$K alone. Personally, I think military should get a 200% raise, paid by anti-military persons who feel the need to talk sh*t.:chomp:

[Tavrn]

You know I don't think that in my navy career I have ever been shot at or spent 154 hours at work ( as long as you don't count the 6 month deployments) or have chemical/biological agents dropped on me, I know that I have never had to kill any one ( even though have thought about it a few times). I still do not get how people cannot see that if you take away the money that we get for housing and food ( which btw is usually not enough especially if you have a family) the militaru personnel recieve enough pay for even have the BS they have to put up with I mean if you think about what we do/ put up with the is more than enough reason to pay us more. I mean I work at a place that is shore duty for me so the number if hours I work are less then I did at a sea going command but there are also civilians that I work with doing the same job that make 6 figures and I have known plenty that have quit and taken a pay cut simply because the trouble/work was not worth the money. To make a long story short I agree Ferios.

[FeriosNoncedo]

Eating those constipating MRE's for 2+ meals a day for 1-6 months. Spending 2 3/4 years out of four years deployed, just for TRAINING ( during which you don't get paid food allowance, btw. The military doesnt pay for your family to eat- only you. A few hundred dollars is snatched from your pay because you are getting fed those 7 year old MRE's out in the field). Anthrax shots, standing around in a room full of tear gas, 24 hour ops, surprise range detail on the weekend, post detail where you have to stay at a barraks on post instead of with your family just because, 2 a.m. urinalisis tests, alerts, on alert for 6+ months ( can't drink, can't go more than 20 miles away from post, must be able to be contacted within 5 minutes and make it to headquarters in < hour), doing situps in a mud puddle/ 2 inches of water.....military people get paid enough? Man, I have to quit looking at this post before I write a book.

[Spanmaster]

That is why I think every able-bodied person in america should have two mandatory years of some branch of the armed forces
Is your book titled Mein Kampf ?

[FeriosNoncedo]

I don't have a book. It's an opinion. Everyone has them. That one is mine.