Bad news for Vets

UPDATE: June 6, 2011(D-day anniversary)


Mullen Says Pay, Benefit Cuts 'On the Table'
The Pentagon's top officer said Thursday that service members will likely see cuts in pay and benefits as the military plumbs its budget for nearly half a trillion dollars in savings over the next 12 years.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen warned against taking the "relatively easy" choice of cutting hardware while maintaining the increasing costs of paying and providing ongoing health care to troops and retirees.

"Two of the big places the money is, is in pay and benefits," Mullen told defense reporters at a June 2 breakfast meeting in Washington. "And so when I say all things are on the table, all things are on the table.".....

Healthcare Cuts Loom For 130,000 Vets, doctors and nurses and services pending cuts.

The House Bud­get Com­mit­tee recently announced plans to cut $6 bil­lion from VA Health­care for 1.3 mil­lion vet­er­ans who are in Pri­or­ity Group 7 and 8. Roughly 10 per­cent of these, some 130,000 vet­er­ans, will be forced out of the VA sys­tem with no avail­able alter­na­tives. Vet­er­ans from Group 7 & 8 have either a 0 per­cent service-connection or no service-connected rat­ing. While this does not mean the vet­eran is fit as a fid­dle, it does imply they do not need the amount of care needed for other vets. These vet­er­ans [already] pay co-pay and have incomes over $32,000 and net-worth under $80,000, depend­ing on geog­ra­phy. In other words, they aren’t dirt poor but cer­tainly not wealthy, either.

The Con­gres­sional Bud­get Office believes the U.S. can save $62 bil­lion over the next 10 years by remov­ing ser­vices for these vet­er­ans alto­gether. Accord­ing to the agency, 90 per­cent of the vet­er­ans in ques­tion have access to some form other health­care other than VA funded. How­ever, the CBO does not com­ment on whether the alter­na­tive health­care is afford­able.

Read more at http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2 ... irforce.nl

I bet this doesn't go through. The individual military man is vary popular with the general public right now and the office holder who votes to reduce their benefits will be reminded by his next opponent for office.

Maybe. I do not think I have a problem with doing away with Pri 7&8, and I are one.

I am not in the system and do not know any details of it, but when does being ignorant keep anyone from having an opinion.

I know one vet with a 20% disablility who prefers to use his private insurance over dealing with the VA, a orwellian nightmare in his eyes.

With the way the VA system works, those in the groups 7 and 8 did not get free health care anyway. They were put in those cats due to the finacials they submitted in their paperwork. Those in the cats had to pay just like you do with insurance.

As for the cut in Pay and Benefits. Due to the laws etc, that is something that I believe they will try to apply to those entering service after a certain date. But I also believe that it will have a major impact on recruiting etc. I do not think for a minute that those serving now are paid enough for what they do. I have heard numerous people say that they are paid to much or its a volunteer force and the best one yet, They volunteered for service and those in the military are the bottom of the barrel.

So those that think that can kiss my arse. That just shows thier stupidity. Those serving and those that have served are a special group of people. It takes a special type of person to volunteer knowing under what condition they will serve under. This country should be damn thankful. Now they talk about cutting pay and benefits. Yet do you hear about Congress cutting pay and benefits to all those working up there in DC and around the Globe for the government. They should try downsizing government, lets reduce thier pay and benefits. Lets see where that goes first.

navycpo7 wrote: With the way the VA system works, those in the groups 7 and 8 did not get free health care anyway. They were put in those cats due to the finacials they submitted in their paperwork. Those in the cats had to pay just like you do with insurance.

As for the cut in Pay and Benefits. Due to the laws etc, that is something that I believe they will try to apply to those entering service after a certain date. But I also believe that it will have a major impact on recruiting etc. I do not think for a minute that those serving now are paid enough for what they do. I have heard numerous people say that they are paid to much or its a volunteer force and the best one yet, They volunteered for service and those in the military are the bottom of the barrel.

So those that think that can kiss my arse. That just shows thier stupidity. Those serving and those that have served are a special group of people. It takes a special type of person to volunteer knowing under what condition they will serve under. This country should be damn thankful. Now they talk about cutting pay and benefits. Yet do you hear about Congress cutting pay and benefits to all those working up there in DC and around the Globe for the government. They should try downsizing government, lets reduce thier pay and benefits. Lets see where that goes first.

good post navy....can't disagree with any of that.

I am sure there are some places within the military budget that could be cut....but not pay and benefits for our soldiers both current and retired and especially those wounded, and not equipment that helps them do their job and keeps them safe. This country would survive better without congress critters than it would without our military men and women.

Cut the contractors.

chickaree wrote: Cut the contractors.

I agree with that

:thumbsup: Yeah, they get paid to screw up and continue to get paid to make it right.