Reposted from another. Grab your hanky.. :'(
"To whom this may concern,
My name is Jon H******. I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan, and have previously deployed to Iraq before and during the surge back in 06-08. I keep reading about congress, the senate, and whoever else constantly talking about how the military is now paid too much. They base this judgment off the monetary and non-monetary benefits (i.e. health care, the px and commissary, which aren't actually beneficial with the extra costs tied to them anymore, and the non-taxable pay areas). Does it not come into the argument that service-members deal with many MANY more hardships than your average civilians? I can't remember the last time any of my civilian friends that have been working at their jobs for 4 years (note the age and job experience reference) spent 16 months away from their families and were told it was ok because they tossed an extra $1000 a month my way for the extra 4 months. And to add to that, I've also never heard of any of my civilian friends having to lead multiple other men in combat, furthermore heard any of them having to deal with one of those men dying while doing what you say. But, that's right, we volunteered for it, right? So that makes it ok to constantly abuse the people that volunteered to stand up and fight for our country and it's beliefs? Since we volunteered for it, that makes it OK for our paychecks to just even out with the civilian who has done nothing more than live day by day for themselves and no one else?
If anyone finds that offensive....well, quite frankly I stopped caring what is found offensive by those who haven't stepped foot on foreign soil to do what's needed for someone other than themselves. It's sad, really, to see all these people in some position of power, that seem like they flat out don't care about the people serving their country. If it doesn't apply to you while you read it, then pay no mind, but if it does, then please take in every consonant and vowel and REALLY think about this. When was the last time you spent weeks away from your family? Or days, for that matter? Now compound that feeling, at least 12 fold, and imagine the hardships that the service members go through. If you've never done it, then I'll make it easy for you, STOP TRYING TO IMAGINE IT, because you can't possibly fathom it. And that experience you can't relate to goes 10 fold for the folks that have experienced actual combat and lost friends over here. I find it absolutely disgusting that the people running our country constantly diminish the value of the sacrifices that it's service members make. Before I go any further, this needs to be made clear, I am NOT complaining about how much I am paid. I am, however, complaining about how much these "experts" seem to think they can justify service members getting paid too much without even touching on the fact that we work MUCH longer hours than MOST civilians, and we tend to be working these hours in foreign countries were large groups of people want nothing more than to watch me and my brothers (and sisters) in arms be killed in any way possible. Can anyone reading calculate that equation? What would the figures be? "Basic pay + lost 11 friends in one month = too much money and benefits"? Oddly enough, I can't seem to put a price tag on anyone who's servings life. Maybe those so called experts can, and if they can, I'd really appreciate knowing what they think my lifetime of nightmares, jumpiness, slight paranoia, brain damage, and horrible flashbacks are worth. And once they put a price tag on it, I'd put it on ebay and make as much money off it as I can, because I guarantee you none of us that serve want those things.
So this writing is my call to action of a certain few people mentioned in a newsletter I got: Sen. James Webb (D-Va.),Brenda S. Farrell (the Government Accountability Office's director), Carla Tighe Murray ( a senior analyst for the Congressional Budget Office), and countless others who fall into this category of experts and analysts that are so great at crunching numbers. Try to get me the figures of what all that I have mentioned, and will mention, a service member takes away from their time SERVING is worth. Then please, plug that into your calculator and let me know if I'm still making too much compared to that civilian you are comparing me too. To those that I just called to action, all of which I would venture to guess have NEVER stepped foot in a COMBAT zone. Make sure you understand COMBAT zone, not war zone. You can land at BIAP and KAF all day and say you've seen what it's like. But try patrolling the streets of Ameriyah district in West Baghdad in May of 2007, or try walking through the Korengal Valley anytime in the past 5 years, the streets of Fallujah in November of 04, or any Southern province in Afghanistan from 2009-2010. Watch your friends get killed, carry their lifeless body to a waiting helicopter or HMMWV, pick up the pieces that got blown off of them, stick it in your pocket or a plastic bag, then turn around only to be met with a hail of small arms fire and RPG's. After all that, come back and tell me, tell US, we get paid too much or our benefits are too good compared to that of the person who hasn't missed a day of their child's life, or missed an anniversary, or holiday, or birthday, all in the name of doing what's good for the greater good. Doing what their country has asked to have done.
Oh wait, I forgot.....I volunteered for it, that means I don't really have a say, right?"
My name is Jon H******. I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan, and have previously deployed to Iraq before and during the surge back in 06-08. I keep reading about congress, the senate, and whoever else constantly talking about how the military is now paid too much. They base this judgment off the monetary and non-monetary benefits (i.e. health care, the px and commissary, which aren't actually beneficial with the extra costs tied to them anymore, and the non-taxable pay areas). Does it not come into the argument that service-members deal with many MANY more hardships than your average civilians? I can't remember the last time any of my civilian friends that have been working at their jobs for 4 years (note the age and job experience reference) spent 16 months away from their families and were told it was ok because they tossed an extra $1000 a month my way for the extra 4 months. And to add to that, I've also never heard of any of my civilian friends having to lead multiple other men in combat, furthermore heard any of them having to deal with one of those men dying while doing what you say. But, that's right, we volunteered for it, right? So that makes it ok to constantly abuse the people that volunteered to stand up and fight for our country and it's beliefs? Since we volunteered for it, that makes it OK for our paychecks to just even out with the civilian who has done nothing more than live day by day for themselves and no one else?
If anyone finds that offensive....well, quite frankly I stopped caring what is found offensive by those who haven't stepped foot on foreign soil to do what's needed for someone other than themselves. It's sad, really, to see all these people in some position of power, that seem like they flat out don't care about the people serving their country. If it doesn't apply to you while you read it, then pay no mind, but if it does, then please take in every consonant and vowel and REALLY think about this. When was the last time you spent weeks away from your family? Or days, for that matter? Now compound that feeling, at least 12 fold, and imagine the hardships that the service members go through. If you've never done it, then I'll make it easy for you, STOP TRYING TO IMAGINE IT, because you can't possibly fathom it. And that experience you can't relate to goes 10 fold for the folks that have experienced actual combat and lost friends over here. I find it absolutely disgusting that the people running our country constantly diminish the value of the sacrifices that it's service members make. Before I go any further, this needs to be made clear, I am NOT complaining about how much I am paid. I am, however, complaining about how much these "experts" seem to think they can justify service members getting paid too much without even touching on the fact that we work MUCH longer hours than MOST civilians, and we tend to be working these hours in foreign countries were large groups of people want nothing more than to watch me and my brothers (and sisters) in arms be killed in any way possible. Can anyone reading calculate that equation? What would the figures be? "Basic pay + lost 11 friends in one month = too much money and benefits"? Oddly enough, I can't seem to put a price tag on anyone who's servings life. Maybe those so called experts can, and if they can, I'd really appreciate knowing what they think my lifetime of nightmares, jumpiness, slight paranoia, brain damage, and horrible flashbacks are worth. And once they put a price tag on it, I'd put it on ebay and make as much money off it as I can, because I guarantee you none of us that serve want those things.
So this writing is my call to action of a certain few people mentioned in a newsletter I got: Sen. James Webb (D-Va.),Brenda S. Farrell (the Government Accountability Office's director), Carla Tighe Murray ( a senior analyst for the Congressional Budget Office), and countless others who fall into this category of experts and analysts that are so great at crunching numbers. Try to get me the figures of what all that I have mentioned, and will mention, a service member takes away from their time SERVING is worth. Then please, plug that into your calculator and let me know if I'm still making too much compared to that civilian you are comparing me too. To those that I just called to action, all of which I would venture to guess have NEVER stepped foot in a COMBAT zone. Make sure you understand COMBAT zone, not war zone. You can land at BIAP and KAF all day and say you've seen what it's like. But try patrolling the streets of Ameriyah district in West Baghdad in May of 2007, or try walking through the Korengal Valley anytime in the past 5 years, the streets of Fallujah in November of 04, or any Southern province in Afghanistan from 2009-2010. Watch your friends get killed, carry their lifeless body to a waiting helicopter or HMMWV, pick up the pieces that got blown off of them, stick it in your pocket or a plastic bag, then turn around only to be met with a hail of small arms fire and RPG's. After all that, come back and tell me, tell US, we get paid too much or our benefits are too good compared to that of the person who hasn't missed a day of their child's life, or missed an anniversary, or holiday, or birthday, all in the name of doing what's good for the greater good. Doing what their country has asked to have done.
Oh wait, I forgot.....I volunteered for it, that means I don't really have a say, right?"