America's #1 Online Cigar Auction
first, best, biggest!

What are your thoughts Rick? Good? Bad? Indiferent?
Should retired military members recieve both disibility and retirement pay for the same service? I'm all for them getting whatever they can. But as it stands. Logicaly I would have to say its either one or the other. Not both. That was the deal when they sighned the dotted line. Let them choose. But still take care of them medicaly either way.

Even as recently as when I joined the Army in 1982, I was told by my recruiter that if you stay for 20, you get retirement. AND if you get hurt you can get disability. He didn't say OR you can get disability, he said "AND". All the vets are trying to get is what they were promised when they joined. They aren't trying to get anything MORE. The only one's who are raising the ruckus are the vets who were disabled while in the performance of their duties while on active duty. They served, promises were made, they were disabled as a direct result of their service and when they retired, they got screwed by the pennie pinchers who have no problem giving themselves a pay raise.

I only served 10 1/2 years. I have a hearing loss as a result of all those years of shooting things but it isn't enough to get disability at all and I don't need it or want it. The vets I know who are trying to get this change are only trying to get what they were promised when they signed up and they really need it.

Draffe - If that's the case then I agree, they should get what they're entitled to, tehy've definitely earned it!

Congress hires accountants to figure this stuff out. Here's an actual scenerio: When I retired, I made over $40K a year. Great! But about half of that was made up of various "allowances" not counted for retirement. So I get about $13K a year. Pretty good. But could you live on it? Okay. I am also eligible for a 10% disability. Extra money right? Nope. My disability pay cancels out an equal amount of retired pay. But disabilty pay isn't taxed you say! True enough. I come out $10 ahead. Okay, free medical. Wellllll it's not really free. Premiums must be paid. They are lower than yours, for sure. No gripe there. But when I'm 65, I go on Medicare. And, I could wind up at a VA hospital. Hey! Some of them are nice you say! Yeah but some aren't. I'd rather be sick than go to the one in Memphis. You still have medical though, you say. True enough. My point is this: The retirement benefits are not all that Congress would have you believe. Whenever Congress gives something to the Military, they take something as well. A 10% pay raise? Great! Except that housing allowance is being cut by an equal amount. One gets publicity, the other doesn't. I still get $13K a month though. And THE NAVY CAME OUT WAY AHEAD! Trust me on this. Still beats doing 40 years in a Wisconsin factory. Go Navy!! I'd recommend it to any young person.

Also the pay rates between the two are way out of line. A 100% disabled vet receives $2,193 per month While a retired MSgt receives about $1500 per month before taxes. The compensation for disability is a lot more than the compensation for retirement. They are intended to compensate for two completely different things.