How we treat our heroes......disgusting

[GregW]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

greg, dont give me BS about "complaining", you dont know me and I never complained to you. I sucked up a 1.5 hr one way drive for over a year and made an educated and informed decision to move. I guess I could hav ejust quit and then whined I dont have benefits. I didnt complain about my commute, i planned and changed my future to best suit mine and my familys needs. You want to see complaining? go to the main site and look at all the whining about a snowstorm. Gee, it snows in the northeast? dont like it? Move! For this giy - I am sure the miltary would have accomodated a 16 yr veteran if he requested to have a desk job and stay in one place, I guarantee it. I also guarantee there are numerouse companies that would require his skillset and put him to work. Hell, wouldnt video game designers love to have this guy?

Here is another view from the web -

A good deal of the Esquire piece concerns the Shooter's worries about his future now that he has left the military.

"When he leaves after sixteen years in the Navy, his body filled with scar tissue, arthritis, tendonitis, eye damage, and blown disks, here is what he gets from his employer and a grateful nation: Nothing. No pension, no health care, and no protection for himself or his family."

In fact, pretty much any veteran who leaves before 20 years of service is not going to be eligible for a pension.

So should the Shooter be treated any differently? Indeed, should other members of key Special Operations units like SEAL Team 6 or the Army's Delta Force who have been at war almost continuously since the 9/11 attacks be given greater benefits given the inordinate amount of combat they have seen?

It's an idea that may be worth exploring for those who have seen extensive combat, but the fact is that once you start making such exceptions, the floodgates will open. After more than a decade of war, many veterans in conventional military units would also qualify for such preferential treatment.

In a time of budget crisis and large cuts at the Pentagon it is hard to make such a case. After all, what about the thousands of Marines who have also been fighting for many years in tough places like Anbar in western Iraq and Helmand in southern Afghanistan? Should they get a cushy early retirement deal, too?

If the Shooter had wanted to get the full benefits that follow 20 years of service he had a choice: Stay in for another four years to qualify for the pension he clearly deserves.

It's a choice he didn't make.

Jimmy,
I think you are totally misinterpreting my meaning. I never said he deserves any benefits. I am simply saying the shame is he can't find a job - not a handout.
Like I said , we don't know his circumstances. And I was not saying or inferring you were complaining, I was simply pointing out you made a pretty drastic move to spend more time with your kids. From what I am reading, it seems like the fact he was having health issues and wanted to see his children grow up were his main reasons- despite the consequences. I am sure many people thought you should stay on the same path and stay here. That is my comparison - I figured you'd understand more than anyone.
Personally, I think with a work ethic he has he wouldn't mind a 9-5. I see the bigger problem being that veterans who have a drive find it twice as hard to find a job.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by GregW

Jimmy,
I think you are totally misinterpreting my meaning. I never said he deserves any benefits. I am simply saying the shame is he can't find a job - not a handout.
Like I said , we don't know his circumstances. And I was not saying or inferring you were complaining, I was simply pointing out you made a pretty drastic move to spend more time with your kids. From what I am reading, it seems like the fact he was having health issues and wanted to see his children grow up were his main reasons- despite the consequences. I am sure many people thought you should stay on the same path and stay here. That is my comparison - I figured you'd understand more than anyone.
Personally, I think with a work ethic he has he wouldn't mind a 9-5. I see the bigger problem being that veterans who have a drive find it twice as hard to find a job.

I believe the military would accomodate his request to stay closer to home and not be in a combat role. I live in an area where there are lots of ex-career military. They live in big houses and great jobs. I think the military does a good job of caring for its career people and there is a big demand for their skills in the private marketplace. Again, I dont know the guys discussions but going to the media and complaining about his situation seems odd given I am sure there are options within the military for him to spend 3 yrs and retire. I have to believe there are training and strategy roles for someone with his experience.

as far as my move - My wife and I were not happy in the Northeast, we hate winter and like living outdoors. We were tired of the housing situtaion and box colonials, we were tired of the decline in infrastrucrture and schools. The only thing keeping me there was the ocean. That was it. My parents are deceased. My wifes family is in CA. We had been looking to move for years making trips to the south and west checking out new areas. TX was an opportunity that fell on our lap and it was financailly beneficial. Greg - Im not a new england guy, there are other places I plan to live in my life and this is just a stop.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

Again, I dont know the guys discussions but going to the media and complaining about his situation seems odd given I am sure there are options within the military for him to spend 3 yrs and retire.

Actually, we don't even know if he did go to the media complaining.....just cause the article says it, doesn't necessarily means it happened that way.