SEAL That Took BL Down

Have seen a lot of babble about an interview addressing the SEAL that took BL......and have yet to hear why after 17 years he departed service......ALL career military know fully there are no RETIREMENT benefits unless you stay 20.....nor should there be. Maybe he is hoping Congress will come to his aid....promise that will not happen....NEVER. He now may well need civil police protection......but when you quit you are gone. Otherwias anything else would dishonor those that stuck it out for almost a quarter century and did not quit. SEALS as are submariners and fighter pilots volunteer...nothing special for us in the Navy brotherhood. I miss his point entirely......HE decided to quit as far as I am aware. Maybe someone can shed light on this stuff. Maybe USN will let him return and complete his obligation.......that alone would work....IF he can get back in.

Unless they were offering early retirement, (not the case here), I do not know anyone that would get out at the 17 yr mark, without there being other issues. Thinking we may not be getting the full story here.

navycpo7 wrote: Unless they were offering early retirement, (not the case here), I do not know anyone that would get out at the 17 yr mark, without there being other issues. Thinking we may not be getting the full story here.

Concure. I did not read the article but based on this alone it sounds like the writer got punked.

Every combat veteran, including those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, gets at least five years of health care benefits FREE through the VA. So he should be eligible for healthcare benefits.

Thanks guys....as we all know.....something is missing........much more to follow..........he may not have been the shooter.....and that detail is I am sure is classified..........he had better be very prudent. Got paid for the interview I would bet.

This story really smells. Think he fooled Esquire about who he is?

Something the Dog Said wrote: Every combat veteran, including those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, gets at least five years of health care benefits FREE through the VA. So he should be eligible for healthcare benefits.

StDS, not sure where you read this or got the info on this, (not being rude or anything) but this is something I know a lot about. Veterans are entitled to health care through the VA. When a Veteran registers with the VA, they go through a screening process. That determines if they get health care at a reduced cost or not, or if they get it free. If a Veteran is a disabled Veteran, then the rating they receive, determines what they recieve also in health care. There is no 5 year limit, and there is no automatic free health care through the VA just because we are combat Veterans verus non combat Veterans. The VA puts each Veteran in a catagory. If i remember right it is 1 through 8. They are talking about elimanating 7 and 8, 1 is for those that are rated at 100% unemployable. Then it goes from there depending on the Veterans rating etc. The other part to this. One has to go into the VA and get into the system. It is not automatic. Certain medals that were recieved during ones service can help speed the process also, (ie purple heart, silver star etc.)

So on my Twitter feed this morning, people were saying the Esquire writer needs to run a correction about the medical benefits, but he refuses to do it.

And listening to this story on Hannity last night, it does sound like the shooter did make some stupid choices, supposedly he is beat up mentally and physically but was unwilling to keep serving in a combat or a desk job. And don't Blackwater style companies give big signing bonuses and salaries to former special forces.

What's really sad and screwed up is the fact that some Senator can serve a single term and get lifetime retirement while never having to put an ass on the line for the country. Then a guy who ACTUALLY DID kill Bin Laden after serving four times as long as the Senator , gets left out in the cold. Something is very wrong with this.

The Key word is.......SERVICE.....pols have no idea.