Here is my support for the military. First, bring them home from wars we cannot even explain. Close the legacy military bases around the world, which accomplish nothing but sucking tax dollars and are really foreign aid. Second, i pay dearly in taxes to do that and they get good salaries and free health care and are all volunteers, many of whom live much better than the general populace. my advice? Do your three or four years, do your best, love your country, get out, use the GI Bill, go to welding school, LPN school or get a GI Bill funded MBA, and STOP with the 'I am a hero' bullshit. That's my suggestion. Otherwise, you wake up in 30 years on an overpriced Harley Davidson that you cannot really afford, on your construction helper minimum wage, and all you have is grey hair, a bandana and some stories you make up about Vietnam -- where you were actually a busted, pothead grunt, dying to get the hell out of the military. The who,e thing is pretty much total bullshit.
Yes. I do think they are paid well, and i think those are the facts, considering their skills, their education and age. An E4 or E5, with FREE medical (I pay $14,000.00 cash a year for the same coverage), 30 days paid vacation (nobody gets that) free military transport to anywhere in the free world to visit, virtually free college when in service, free work clothing, free food, or commuted ration payments-- yes. This will add up, especially if there is hostile fire pay, to a very good salary, compared to the like educated civilian populace. And, it is much more dangerous to work in a Waffle House or convenience store, than in the Green Zone in iraq. As for being "deployed" 6 or 8 times, these are not duration deployments, they are a matter of months, and they are flown back, at government expense, to CONUS for R & R -- let's just be truthful and practical. Being I. The military is simply not that difficult and pays pretty well. A friend of mine, a Masters degreed teacher, told me at dinner that she STILL makes far less than she did as an Air Force Captain, zipping around Europe.
Largely, the veteran is an average person, with a high school education and some minimal marketable skill. They are able to go to vocational, technical or college schools, basically for free, and learn skills or become employable. If they were hurt in service, they should receive First Class medical treatment and rehabilitation. Why is there more to it than that? We are waaaayyy overdoing all this hero shit, for all public service peeps. Police, fire, etc. --these are chosen, good jobs, with good salaries and benefits and retirement. The sappy bullshit needs to stop. Really.
Understand what I am saying. Continuing harangue about them being dejected rejected heroes and fawning over them s not helping anyone. The experience I bring, is from my era, sure-- but me and the USA are even. I got a college and graduate school education. I grew up. Luckily, I was not physically wounded. Time to move on. We are not helping vets be strong, survive and do well, with the ' oh you poor abused, heroic, war-weary guys" BS. Most lived in air conditioned units, drank Starbucks and McDonalds in the Green Zone, got paid very high salaries, given their education and experience and have excellent GI Bill benefits available. Their main enemy was separation and sporadic violence-- and We will do them the MOST good by expecting the best from them. I have no ax to grind about the horrendous stupidity of Vietnam, I just wish we would stop repeating it.
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