Who’s killing Patriotism?
Lewis E. Pugh Jr.
CMSgt (RET) USAF

 

Its been reported that the recruiting goals of our military force is way down. Those military reenlistment goals are also below standards. So who’s killing Patriotism? Can it be Congress who’s broken Promise’s regarding health care for life to those who serve 20 or more years of honorable services to our country? 0r maybe its finding out that the military has the only occupation where by their retired / retainer military pay is off set dollar for dollar in order to receive service connected VA disability compensation. Or maybe it has been created by off setting the survivors benefit plan (SBP) which the career military member paid monthly premiums from their military retire pay to protect their spouse in case of death. Only for the surviving spouse to find out years later that the promised monthly payments would be reduced by social security entitlements. Or maybe patriotism died when Congress passed a federal law that overruled the United States Supreme Court decision that prevented military pay from being classified and divided as a marital property asset in a divorce action. Thus allowing state courts to financial en-slave thousands of our career military personal to a former (often remarried) spouse for life. Or maybe it was the Department of Defense (DOD) who took combat troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and turned them into police patrols while paying a mere $7.50 a day or a measly $225 a month in combat pay.  So what’s the answer Congress, reinstate the draft, or restore earned entitlements.  Maybe its time for Congress and DOD to stop broken promise’s to those who serve and increase military wages for those who place their lives in harms way. After all Patriotism and freedom may also have a price tag and be based on promise’s made.