You get what you signed up for and thats it. What have you earned by putting the Nation in TRILLIONS of DOLLARS in Debt losing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Then You gave Syria to Aluadea! You actually made more Terrorists! And, you people want a Raise! HOW ABOUT HITTING THE DECK AND GIVING ME 50!
The real question is do we want to maintain a large all volunteer standing armed force? If yes, those going in need to know they'll be treated relatively well as veterans because they are giving up the years of their life when they could be learning a trade or advancing in a company.
I would support paying current service members (much) more but cutting vet benefits. It's no more dangerous than many other jobs and creating life-long entitlements is just bad fiscal policy.
This is probably a good idea. Life long entitlements can blow up in your face and most people volunteering for the army are going to value more $ upfront vs deferred payment. seems like a win win
The VA budget is $400B a year (~$25k per living vet)
These people (save a few Vietnam vets) willingly volunteered to work for the armed forces and most of em worked a desk/non-combat job for 5-10 years and now get $25k a year from me. Why do they need MORE than that?
No. No we don't.
I doubt it, but maybe it made sense during times of conscription -- as a way to economize on mitigating the damage wars do to a large portion of society.
Not the case now.
While everyone should always be paid up front, perhaps it is doubly true of soldiers whose jobs carry higher risk of injury and death. Risky jobs (ie Blackwater guys) usually require higher up front payment. By some estimates, they make 2-6x what comparable military guys would make.
Lets's not forget that in addition to the VA expense a lot of military guys pull healthy pensions, which used to start being after 30 years of full-time employment and after age 59, but starting in 2037 will begin to be paid after only 20 years of full-time employment.
Since 2017 the BRS pension system is calculated at 2% x years served x retiring base pay. So someone entering after high school and retiring after 20 years as a sergeant ($48k/year) would leave with a $19.2k pension at age 38. Obviously that number would be higher in 2038 since wages used for the calculation will rise in the interim. A captain would be closer to $40k.
The old system (pre 2017) seems to have higher payouts, but strongly incentivized 30 year careers instead of 20. Under that scheme the multiplier was 2.5% and there was an additional $30k bonus at the 15-year mark.
Still makes the private gigs look better. Not only do you get a lot more money, but you get it up front, to use and invest as you please.
100% our government should give more tax dollars to veterans. They earned it and one of the best group of people to spend tax dollars on. Don’t forget they pay taxes too it’s not tax free. And if you think they have it made don’t hate, go join them. Recruiting offices are open and voluntary.
I'm a vet who also worked for the VA. A large portion of the VA budget goes to bureaucrats who never spent a day in service to their country.. Elon can take an axe to these bureaucrats with no reduction in care of the vets. Some of these VA workers have a strong sense of entitlement and need to be eliminated.
You get what you signed up for and thats it. What have you earned by putting the Nation in TRILLIONS of DOLLARS in Debt losing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Then You gave Syria to Aluadea! You actually made more Terrorists! And, you people want a Raise! HOW ABOUT HITTING THE DECK AND GIVING ME 50!
The point of these wars was not to “win”. The US is designed to always be in some war or the other because
1) The military industrial complex companies need the spending to stay profitable and keep doing the R&D to try to stay ahead. All the Ukraine aid for example is just coming back to our MIC, so the “foreign aid” is just a local grant.
2) We need live combat practice for our armed forces so they don’t get too rusty.
The VA budget is $400B a year (~$25k per living vet)
These people (save a few Vietnam vets) willingly volunteered to work for the armed forces and most of em worked a desk/non-combat job for 5-10 years and now get $25k a year from me. Why do they need MORE than that?
Veterans of wars- yes. People who join, serve their regular term and leave- no.
As it is- they are all DEI hires and that will end soon.
Th, VA budget is $400B a year (~$25k per living vet)
These people (save a few Vietnam vets) willingly volunteered to work for the armed forces and most of em worked a desk/non-combat job for 5-10 years and now get $25k a year from me. Why do they need MORE than that?
How about the ones that were in combat? What do you think they are owed? These people risked their lives while you dumb sobs who follow a functionally, illiterate, senile buffoon, have the brass cojones who talk about what the compensation anyone going to war should receive. Anyone who return from any war should have the red carpet rolled out and given a minimum of $100K per year. If any injuries of losing limbs that should be bumped up to $500K per year.
The VA budget is $400B a year (~$25k per living vet)
These people (save a few Vietnam vets) willingly volunteered to work for the armed forces and most of em worked a desk/non-combat job for 5-10 years and now get $25k a year from me. Why do they need MORE than that?
Reminder that this DOES NOT mean each vet gets 25000 in benefits per year, in reality it may only be a 5th of that due to bureaucracy and expensive private health insurers.
You get what you signed up for and thats it. What have you earned by putting the Nation in TRILLIONS of DOLLARS in Debt losing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Then You gave Syria to Aluadea! You actually made more Terrorists! And, you people want a Raise! HOW ABOUT HITTING THE DECK AND GIVING ME 50!
The point of these wars was not to “win”. The US is designed to always be in some war or the other because
1) The military industrial complex companies need the spending to stay profitable and keep doing the R&D to try to stay ahead. All the Ukraine aid for example is just coming back to our MIC, so the “foreign aid” is just a local grant.
2) We need live combat practice for our armed forces so they don’t get too rusty.
The VA budget is $400B a year (~$25k per living vet)
These people (save a few Vietnam vets) willingly volunteered to work for the armed forces and most of em worked a desk/non-combat job for 5-10 years and now get $25k a year from me. Why do they need MORE than that?
The disrespect to veterans is alive and well. First, they don't get 25k from you. Second, a lot of this $25k goes to medical care. Lower the cost of medical care, lower the allocation needed.
Why ask this on a running forum? Seems like you have an Axe to Grind. Having been an All American and Olympic Trials finalist and also a retired Army Officer who gave up 5 years of his life from family for service in Afghanistan and Iraq, voluntarily, and none of us come back the same if you play outside the wire, your question is inane.
First, where do you get your "facts", DOGE data (a joke) and health care, burial benefits, compensation for injuries are all promised made by the federal government for the small percent of Americans who toe the line?
Did you? I suspect not. I suspect deep down inside you are envious. Yep. I said it. We gave up a lot and friends didn't come back and often broken physically or mentally so please do me a favor and look in the mirror and realize your envy of us is weak as I don't dine at the Kings table with my VA/DOD compensation.
Maybe a better question to ask is why do our politicians lie to us to get us involved in IRAQ and the "educated public" just cosigns it without thought. There were no WMD's.
Look in the mirror and pound sand with your dig at service to our country...
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
The VA budget is $400B a year (~$25k per living vet)
These people (save a few Vietnam vets) willingly volunteered to work for the armed forces and most of em worked a desk/non-combat job for 5-10 years and now get $25k a year from me. Why do they need MORE than that?
Our country struggles enough to get people to enlist without removing the benefits of it. Of course its only you cowardly draft dodgers that complain about veterans benefits. Yall need to shut your fvcking mouths before complaining about people who have dont more for their country than you ever will. They have lifelong physical and mental trauma because of what they endured in war.
I'm a vet who also worked for the VA. A large portion of the VA budget goes to bureaucrats who never spent a day in service to their country.. Elon can take an axe to these bureaucrats with no reduction in care of the vets. Some of these VA workers have a strong sense of entitlement and need to be eliminated.
Elon has already cut a CDC fund dedicated to 9/11 first responders. What makes you think he wont gut veterans benefits as well?
Why ask this on a running forum? Seems like you have an Axe to Grind. Having been an All American and Olympic Trials finalist and also a retired Army Officer who gave up 5 years of his life from family for service in Afghanistan and Iraq, voluntarily, and none of us come back the same if you play outside the wire, your question is inane.
First, where do you get your "facts", DOGE data (a joke) and health care, burial benefits, compensation for injuries are all promised made by the federal government for the small percent of Americans who toe the line?
Did you? I suspect not. I suspect deep down inside you are envious. Yep. I said it. We gave up a lot and friends didn't come back and often broken physically or mentally so please do me a favor and look in the mirror and realize your envy of us is weak as I don't dine at the Kings table with my VA/DOD compensation.
Maybe a better question to ask is why do our politicians lie to us to get us involved in IRAQ and the "educated public" just cosigns it without thought. There were no WMD's.
Look in the mirror and pound sand with your dig at service to our country...
All these people bad mouthing veterans and the VA have never given a day of their life in service of their country and it shows.
The VA budget is $400B a year (~$25k per living vet)
These people (save a few Vietnam vets) willingly volunteered to work for the armed forces and most of em worked a desk/non-combat job for 5-10 years and now get $25k a year from me. Why do they need MORE than that?
Our country struggles enough to get people to enlist without removing the benefits of it. Of course its only you cowardly draft dodgers that complain about veterans benefits. Yall need to shut your fvcking mouths before complaining about people who have dont more for their country than you ever will. They have lifelong physical and mental trauma because of what they endured in war.
Actually, recruitment is way up in the last three months since Trump got elected.
My father is a veteran. He's getting about 2500$ a month in disability for a 'supposed' case of something that 'supposedly' happened in Vietnam. (In reality his health problems largely stem mainly from the fact he has never really taken care of himself, always about 10lbs over a healthy weight, not physically active, and ate like crap). Apparently someone in VA thought he should apply. Boom, 2500$ right off top That's more than I make in a month some months busting my a** in a physically demanding manual labor job. He is now reapplying for an additional 1400$ a month which it looks like he may get. That would bring him up to 3900$ a month. I'm not against him getting the money, only that this is money that he never paid in as any kind of supplemental insurance/disability insurance while he was active duty (3+ years) or reserves/national guard (17 years). Did I also mention that he nearly gets 100% insurance from the military retirement plan? That's probably worth another 600-700$ a month bringing it close to 4500$ give or take! I don't think he needs any more. I tell him he's welcome every time he complains about it not being enough because I, his son, the taxpayer, am footing most of that the bill. And he wasn't promised that money up front. Not trying to be negative but it almost seems like vote buying from veterans and to keep their support of increasing overall military spending. And none of the wars he served in were defending the USA from invasion or actual first assault on the homeland. (I've never seen the US military ever defend the southern border!) Another poster mentioned this and got downvoted but he/she was right. Most of these 'veterans' of the last 30-40 years were used to defend international bankers/defense contractors interests, not the country's interest as a people. Going into Iraq, going into Afghanistan, etc...it's just the American military being used as an international monetary police force on the American taxpayers' dime. I admire their bravery and willingness, but not to be used in this way.