By Here is an article in the Stars & Stripes that shows that the Pentagon is moving forward with their effort to steal military retirement benefits from servicemembers:
Pentagon planners may be closer than ever to radically overhauling the military retirement system, threatening an end to the longstanding practice of guaranteed lifetime payouts for retirees with 20 years of service.
Last month, officials from the Defense Business Board outlined their plan for changing the way military retirees are paid, abandoning the 20-year service target in favor of a 401(k) style plan.
That board is expected to issue final recommendations later this month, just a few weeks before a congressional panel begins its own three-month push to find billions in spending cuts (and possibly new taxes) to balance the federal budget. Budget analysts say that puts everything under scrutiny, including military retirement benefits.
“Going back 40 years, this is something that has always been talked about,” said Todd Harrison, a fellow for defense studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. “But it’s getting more serious attention now than it has in the past.
“In the current environment, when you’re looking at major changes to entitlement spending like Social Security and Medicare, that makes it easier to talk about changing military retirement.”
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that no changes in military retirement have been finalized, but he reiterated that they are under consideration. That includes breaking away from the 20-year plan, and possibly reducing the generous payout that future retirees will be eligible for. [Stars & Stripes]
You can read more at the link, but let me point out something wrong said in this article; military retirement is not an entitlement, it is something that is earned. I does appear appear that the retirement changes are coming in order to keep sending money to the defense contractors. The big question is whether it is going to include currently serving servicemembers? If current servicemembers are grandfathered it still doesn’t do anything to stop the biggest issue which is future retention. Without the 20 year retirement a decade from now is when the impacts will be felt when the US military has a hollow force. I am beginning to think that this is in fact what some people in this country want to see happen with this plan.
You can read more over at This Ain’t Hell.
9:19 am on August 18th, 2011 1
BOHICA!
12:09 pm on August 18th, 2011 2
This. Is. Treason. Period.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00002388—-000-.html
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 115 > § 2388
§ 2388. Activities affecting armed forces during war
How Current is This?
(a) Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully makes or conveys false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies; or
Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(b) If two or more persons conspire to violate subsection (a) of this section and one or more such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in said subsection (a).
(c) Whoever harbors or conceals any person who he knows, or has reasonable grounds to believe or suspect, has committed, or is about to commit, an offense under this section, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
(d) This section shall apply within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, and on the high seas, as well as within the United States.
3:09 pm on August 18th, 2011 3
An entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits based on established rights or by legislation. So military retirement benefits, earned by service a service member, are indeed an entitlement.
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
Stealing the benefits of military retirees is deeply reprehensible, but it ain’t treason.
Cutting benefits in today’s economy is very stupid policy. We should take care of our soldiers, our kids, and our old folks. We should build our infrastructure. Foreigners are willing to lend us money at historically low rates. The resulting economic growth will take care of the deficit.
High-income folks, including war profiteers, uh I mean defense contractors, can afford to pay the same tax rate as during the boom years of the 1990s.
5:17 pm on August 18th, 2011 4
So i take from your comment #3 GLANS, that you see Retired Military as equal to “kids” and “old people”.
They need to be cared for, right? I see them as vastly different groups.
“kids” and “old people” did NOT provide a service to the country. Nor did they give up their prim years in defense of said country. Nor did the Feds have a contract with them, as they DO with retired military.
Only a Liberal could possibly get Retired Military so badly confused with the weak and helpless.
I understand that you are not experienced enough to understand the difference. You’re entire post smells of “young & dumb”.
As for your other ignorant name calling of “war profiteers”, it is almost laughable. If it didn’t reveal the sadness of an uneducated life. 80k is “high-income? That’s the starting pay for many of those “war Profiteers”. If they EARN more than that, they DO pay taxes on it. I believe they EARN their pay. Just as I *EARNED* retirement pay, which I pay taxes on also.
You are the reason they should bring back the draft Glans. So the “young & dumb” can get some real experience, before they are able to reveal their ignorance to the world.
But judging by your thoughts, you would find a way to avoid Service to your country.
In sum, what you call an “entitlement” to Retired Military, is actually a Contract for Service Provided.
But you OBVIOUSLY do not have the education to know the difference.
8:11 pm on August 18th, 2011 5
Glans you can parse sentiment and leftist scatology all you want; but I quoted the law…
12:03 am on August 20th, 2011 6
Enemies, foreign and domestic… The foreign ones are fairly obvious – how does one define the domestic ones? Things like this retirement attack make the picture a little clearer…
12:36 pm on August 20th, 2011 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv6tlS5DCfk
This video addresses what is at the core of this issue and the excuse being used to lower military pay and benefits.
3:15 pm on August 20th, 2011 8
Good link Danboone143. Thanks! I posted to FB.