"HOW many of our ACTIVE soldiers have to get FOODSTAMPS and HIGH INTEREST loans just to maintain their FAMILIES?"
While I agree that we simply can't pay our military people what they're worth to the safety of the nation, I suspect you don't know many GIs. Take a look at the current pay scale:
militaryfactory.com
Then you can add in the other allowances. Housing allowance, for example, for an E-4 in Los Angeles is an additional $2000/mo (approx).
defensetravel.dod.mil
So, to answer your question, very few junior GIs have serious problems with money, unless those problems are brought on themselves.
"How many of our wounded soldiers had to come back to CRAPPY VA hospitals?? "
Again, I suspect you don't know what you're talking about. While I agree that our returning heroes should be afforded the very best in whatever amount they can use, VA hospitals are excellent, much better than most civilian hospitals. The medical staff is outstanding. Admittedly, the bureaucracy to get into the VA system can be intimidating and frustrating, but once in the system, it is excellent. You are taking the one example of a dorm at Walter Reed in DC as the model for VA facilities everywhere, and it simply isn't the case. Walter Reed is one of the oldest, if not THE oldest VA medical center in the system. That, coupled with the location (Washington DC), allowed that particular dorm to go without maintenance for far too long. But, it isn't the standard.
All that said, I agree that we can't give enough to our Military and Vets. |
