If Iraq could stabilize, govern justly, secure its own region from terrorist groups the pay-back would dwarf the the gains in LEGAL FEES.

What small minds…

Of course if you factor that some would want us to lose…

And, once again, the republicans will most likely squander it.

Gutless RINOs.

When I was enlisted I worked side-by-side with GS-13s, in a few cases I trained them. I was an E-5. I made a little more than half what they made, taking into consideration my tax benefits (no tax on housing and food allowances). But now, it’s almost criminal what I get paid.

But I liked my enlisted job. I still miss it. I had been enlisted for 13 1/2 years. I really thought the move from E to O long and hard. I did not go Zero for the money. If I had, I would have gone officer years before. (I had my degree done five years before I ever went to OTS.) I went to OTS because 1) better promotions (I was a crap tester and knew I would barely make E-7 if even that), 2) better assignments (my enlisted career field only offered me 3 locations), and 3) better education (I could get a slot at getting my masters, but there are more officer slots than enlisted).

And sure enough, in the 8 years I’ve been an O, I haven’t had to test for rank (1), I’ve had 5 great assignments (2), and I’m now getting my second masters courtesy of the military (3).

I will never try and explain this to the left. Most of the left still thinks only the stupid and those with no job prospects join the military. No matter what you tell them, they’ll never understand that the military (no matter what rank) is filled with some of the brightest people you’d ever meet.

Enjoy your retirement and congrats, BTW, on E-9. For our civilian friends out there, just so you know, by law only 1% (yes, one percent) of our active duty military personnel can hold the rank of E-9.

I am a retired (25 years) sweat (E9) who had enough college prior to enty to become a 0 (zero). The reason I chose to sweat it out was accomplishing a task (mission) was more rewarding than taking the Kudo’s for it.

Remember when the civilian sector says you’re paid too much remind them without your clothing allowance you could not tell us (a G.I. or civilian) apart.

Yeah, a rich G.I., drawing a full clothing allowance, that puts me in the 38% bracket.

upinak: Don’t worry about our future lieutenant (ensign?). He’ll get plenty of basic pay. The only pay for an officer that is lower than enlisted pay is Basic Allowance for Subsistence, or BAS. BAS is pay for food. Enlisted folks (not authorized a meal card) get $294.43/month and officers get $202.76. Assuming he’s at least an E-6 after 10 enlisted years, his basic pay will raise from $2916.30/month to $3672.60, a raise of $756.30 per month. Thus after about a year he’ll earn that $10K he was promised.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, I’m with him on Congress getting their crap together. It is possible that the bonus he was promised played an important part of his deciding to earn a commission. (And I want all of you w/o military experience to be clear: an enlisted person must earn a commission.)

The military has long ago stopped being a good career with respect to serving your 20 then retiring to fish for the rest of your life. No longer does a person get 50% of their final pay after serving 20. You’ll never hear that, but it’s true. You get 50% of the average monthly pay for your final 36 months of service. Additionally, it’s not 50% of your final pay, but 50% of your basic pay. Depending upon where you’re stationed, your basic pay could be as little as 60% of your total pay. For example, I am stationed in an expensive area of CA. My housing pay is $2600/month. That and my BAS total 33% of my pay. Put more simply: 50% of my entire pay is $4350. But 50% of my base pay is $2950.

Congress has authorized bonuses for various things over the years (flight pay, medical pay, jump pay, re-enlistments, etc.). BONUSES ARE CHEAPER because they don’t end up in the base pay, for which Congress would have to pay for life should the individual decide to stay in til retirement.

If thomashton and all the other guys out there were promised a bonus, then Congress needs to pay them. (But what do you expect from a Congress that long ago did away with medical care for life for retirees?!)

With respect, it seems ignored that the military is having to use ‘bonuses’ as incentives for people to join in the first place. Perhaps that sits fine with some people, but..hmm.. I’d like to think people don’t sign up because ‘the money’s good’. Bad enough hearing certain other people out there ragging on people who join up ‘because they need the money’ (cue the View), after all.

Reaps on January 12, 2008 at 11:33 AM

No you are ignorant. This is a volunteer military after all and with a war going on a lot of young people need an extra incentive to join. Having served in the Navy for almost 20 years now, I didn’t once receive an enlistment or reenlistment bonus. Sure I would have liked to get one, many others I have served with received thousands of dollars to stay in. It’s easier to recruit people when we are in peacetime and when the job market is bad. When that happens most of the incentives that are being offered now go away because the military doesn’t need them to get people to join.

Oscar Wilde reminds us “Work is the curse of the drinking classes.” Do not become part of the drinking class, read the facts and make your own decision.

Democratic aides said they have not ruled out any legislative options, including dropping the language on lawsuits against Iraq and sending the rest of the bill back to Bush.

What the he!! is that language doing in a defense spending bill anyway?

Traitorous surrendercrats, always looking out for their trial lawyer donors.

Disgusting.

The sponsor of the contested provision, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said the provision would allow “American victims of terror to hold perpetrators accountable — plain and simple.”

A war against you which ends in your hanging isn’t being held accountable enough?

- The Cat

Feeling proud of yourselves now that you got exactly what you asked for, cut-and-run republicans/independants?

Now initially Bush was going to sign it, but you can imagine what kind of pork Congress could hide in a 3,000 page bill worth hundreds of billions of dollars, so I think that it took a while to read through it when they found this provision.

According to what I read, (I read a few different articles on this, not just the MSNBC article provided) his objection with the provision allowing American victims of terror pursuing compensation is that it would bog down the Iraqi courts which are already bogged down trying to re-establish rule of law and put on trial the terrorist suspects being held in Iraqi prisons.

It would also allow Americans to freeze up Iraqi government funds in court, which would have to be paid out for lawsuits if the Americans won, funds which are suppose to be used to re-build ummm their whole country.

I feel for the recruits and for anyone losing money due to Congress’ ineptitude, this bill was suppose to be passed months ago. It’s not Bush’s fault as much as people want to place the blame on him for it. It’s Congress’, yes that includes you Senator Clinton, Obama and McCain

I hope you generate a LOT of HEAT on Congress by doing this.

Our Government often asks our boys (and girls) to risk their lives — and too often court martials them for doing what they need to do to survive.

It seems we could at least keep our deal with them for a measley 25K….

Even for us retirees.

Thank-you for pointing out that this bill was seriously flawed and needs to be fixed asap…Many people were quick to jump on the POTUS for vetoing the bill. I was glad he did. We should be demanding that this bill be first on the schedule. We should be demanding that this bill, and every bill that is written thereafter, be done properly..

I’ve got 10 years enlisted and NCO experience and in June I start OCS to become an officer. Once I finish I am entitled to a bonus of around $10,000 or more. They better get this thing cleared up by then or I’ll be pissed off.

thomashton on January 11, 2008 at 5:00 PM

Better make sure before you decide to go OCS. You may want to stay a NCO if they are going to screw everyone over, not just the PFC’s.

He should be concentrating more on trying to keep one of NJ’s bases IN NJ, rather than it go down the rabbit hole of payoffs, kickbacks, number fudging on the BRAC committee that led to it being slated to move to MD.. (It’s already costing twice as much as they first thought and nothing’s even been built in MD yet.)

Oh yeah, I’m sure he still supports the troops though….