Allow me the luxury of cut & paste here of an email sent to me...
Subject: ONE CAN NEVER PUT A PRICE ON FREEDOM
Here's more great government policy from the political geniuses and
pundits in Hollywood whose money and
stardom, of course, make them experts in everything. For those of us
who have spent those long hours, days
and months away from home, this is especially close to our hearts.
Here, here for this young man.
On November 12, Ms Cindy Williams (of the Laverne and Shirley TV show)
wrote a piece for the Washington
Times, denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this
year -- citing that the stated 13% wage
increase 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 (BAH) and
Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS -
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 it 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
whatever is on your mind. 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
IF YOU AGREE, PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN FIGHTING MEN AND WOMEN. THANK YOU.
THIS LETTER SHOULD BE APPLAUDED BY ANYONE WHO'S EVER SERVED OR HAD A
FAMILY MEMBER SERVE IN THE ARMED FORCES! THIS YOUNG MAN DESERVES A
MEDAL!
