Thursday, August 16, 2012

Military Pay


Subject: Military Pay
Date: August 13, 2012 4:45:55 AM EDT



 

Military Pay 
 
If you get this more than once, feel honored that you know more than one person who supports our military and appreciates what they do.

If you don't forward it, you don't deserve their sacrifice.

CINDY WILLIAMS was appointed by Obama as an Assistant Director for NATIONAL SECURITY in the Congressional Budget Office..... 
This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America ..  
Ms. Cindy William  wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve.   
A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this. 
  
"Ms  Williams:

I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117..80 before taxes per month. After taxes, I take home $874.20.  When I run that through the calculator, I come up with  an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40 after.  

I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for "Network Technicians" in the Washington, D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years experience in my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum............. I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.  

Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces.  

Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN; I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience."

As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone. Obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them. 

Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites.. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor.  

Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't be nearly long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your open piece.  

But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will defend to the death your right to say it.  

You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment right and every other right you cherish...On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.   
And you, Ms... Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve? What do you think someone should be paid to defend your life, and the life of your family?

A1C Michael Bragg,  Hill AFB AFNCC

  
IF YOU AGREE,

PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN FIGHTING MEN AND WOMAN

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

...off with her head.

Anonymous said...

Not trying to be ugly, but you signed up Mr Soldier for that pay and when you go to war you are not fighting for freedom. You are fighting for the 1%'s profit. You took an Oath to the Constitution and promised not to except orders that were against the Constitution. While you guys are away fighting for so called freedom, your U.S. Corporate government is busy taking our freedom away here at home and they are taking your pay raises and your brothers are dying for the U.S. Corporate lies. I am pissed that your lives mean so little to this government but they deal in profit and your life and work mean nothing to them aside from your body taking a bullet for their profit and the fact that they are to scared to fight the battles. Your government knows that none of you understand your rights or really what you are fighting for so they tell you our freedoms are at stake when really its corporate profit thats at stake. The excuse of fighting for our rights has gotten all of your fellow Americans placed on lockdown here in America while your government robs all of us, you included. So if your pay is poor its because your government dosent want to pay to much for your life as you do not represent freedom around the world, you represent the robber barons to the world at large and now very soon you will have orders to put your American brothers and sisters down. Will you follow their orders? I'm sure your government will make up some moral justification for you to attack your fellow Americans and at that point you will not be defending our right to say anything because you will be fighting us to shut us up. You've all been fooled and with little pay to boot how does it feel to be on the wrong side for such little pay. Also know that you made the choice to go in the military because thats the only job going since this government has shipped all our jobs and value to other countries. No your pay is not enough to die for and I'm sure that when you get home, if you get home your pay will be no different because there will be nothing left to pay you with. This is what you signed up for. Get educated about the Constitution and your Bill of Rights and then look around here in America and tell me you are fighting for Freedom and Liberty.
I will not be shamed by your misguided understanding of what you are fighting for and while I still have freedom of speech (before you come and take it) I will tell you what I think. Just look at what you have to do to eat, you have to get W.I.C. and foodstamps for your family but the guys you are fighting for especially in the White House get to eat well, dress well and take vacations most only dream about and all this on our/your dime which constitutes you having to be on the various wellfare programs.So I ask you Mr. Soldier what are you fighting for?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Bragg your not fighting for My freedom are for this country. You are a brain washed fool that will do anything your told. As for Mrs. Williams well shes a dumb shit also!!!!!!

Navy Vet said...

^^^You idoit! AC1 Bragg is not figgting for your freedom? Who do you think is going to refuse unlawful orders issued when martial law is declared in the United States? Who do you think is going to refuse to unlawfully detain or kill Americans when told to? Who is going to stand and DEFEND YOU when they WILL face legal challeges for refusing to detain or kill idiots like you(under NDAA) because of their loyality to YOU as a citizen of the United States and our beloved constitution. Servicemen and women like Mr Bragg. Be careful what you say, these "brain washed fool" will be your ONLY last form of defense here on your very own land, when all other foreign troops and civilian operatives could careless to defend your sorry ass.

deacon said...

some things never change I was working with a nuclear reactor in Tonkin for a take "home" of $125 every 2 weeks, tax free and with combat pay and NO we weren't so deluded to think we were fighting for freedom or any such nonsense

Anonymous said...

Ok, here it goes: there is no 'Cindy Williams' appointed by the Obama administration. The article IS real, sadly, but it was written by a Cindy Williams who served in President CLINTON's administration. Note, also that it was written and published in January of 2000 (meaning that the supposedly replying airman would have had to of taken almost 2 years to write his response if his claims of being in Kabul, Afghanistan, were correct, which they aren't since the author of this rebuttal has been changed many times during its incarnations) and it was also written after she left her position at the Congressional Budget Office and was holding a private sector job.

I don't agree with her that military personnel don't deserve pay raises, but trying to somehow tie a nearly 12-year old opinion article by a former low-ranking member of the Clinton administration to Obama is, well, reaching. Let's nail politicians with actual facts, not false attributions and chain letter anecdotes.

Anonymous said...

awesome lol thats what you get for joining a corrupt corporation brain washed idiot as every one else says to the poor go get a real job lol

Anonymous said...

haha your an idiot as well and because of the real soliders fighting for us all over the world we wont have to hope these brain washed fools will help us we ar fine someone will need to help them thats for sure jack ass

Anonymous said...

oh and yea thanks troops for killing over a million unarmed iraqi citizens for us because they wanted to trade there oil for something of value thank you so much god bless u hahaha bafoons

Anonymous said...

She's correct since the wages paid for labor in this country have been too high for decades, leading to inflation. The pay of a soldier should not be relative to the cost of living and what others make. There is a real basis for wages and we have all (soldiers included) exceeded it.

Minimum wage laws are another example of the way politicians have pandered for votes at the expense of equity ownership and real political power that comes from it. Liberty is based on justice and justice is based on equity.

The military should ask for equity ownership or ownership of real property, rather than attempt to justify a wage increase.

And, by the way, the conditions that the soldier describes are simply unjust. They hardly call for more pay; rather they call for serious thought about the way we all treat each other, and particularly the way Washington treats its soldiers.






Anonymous said...

Because he refuses to work, refuses to kill American citizens, he deserves higher pay?

If soldiers "stand up" for us, then we should try and create a better country wherein a person can really own things.

Please, start thinking before you post.




Anonymous said...

I, a civilian, stand with this Navy vet who not only served us in the armed forces but continues to defend our armed forces from people on the web who misguide their criticism of the de facto, fraudulent, CORPORATE GOVERNMENT toward brave and underpaid Men and Women in our armed force.

Please remember that freedom is not free, and freedom of speech is not unlimited. Write and speak in truth but tempered with love.

I encourage all of We THE People to start Lawful First Amendment assemblies in your local counties (parishes for our Louisiana brethren) and keep minutes of such meetings. Take back your power peacefully as we are on Michigan. Direct your energy toward restoring our republican form of government for us and our children's futures.

Thanks from Dan on Michigan

siriusvoid said...

No Paymaster, no political party, no law enforcement agency, no military, no government, no empire, no world order, nor any church can set US free, or keep US free from bondage...
"Who then can be saved?"
"With men this is impossible; but with GOD all things are possible."
~ Matthew 19:25-26

Anonymous said...

Re: 11:02 A.M.
Tell that shit to the people at Waco & Ruby Ridge!!! Those civilians & foreign troops will be taking orders from the same scum your taking orders from right now DAAHH!!! When your an idiot you should watch who you are calling a idiot.
Where are the weapons of mass destruction in Iraqui? You people killed and injured hundreds of thousands there on a lie. etc-etc. You are wrong!!!!!! That's why I know people just like you will try to arrest are kill people just like Me.

Anonymous said...

AMEN.I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER.MATTHEW 19:25-26.GOD BLESS OUT SOLDIERS.

Anonymous said...

I got one question: How here served in the military?
I lost 2 jobs from the government from shipping jobs else where. THe last the place closed and I tried for over 2 years to fine something. This is when I was 58 years of age. No employer will hire you when you past 50. Because you don't have many years left. Now I'm finally going to turn 62 and nothing developed. So I said "BULL" I going to retire for good and maybe if something comes up I'll take it. At least one thing was good I was in military {ARMY} and have 21 years of service so I'm retired now. I think also the young folk just coming out of high school should serve in the military and get the training and discipline they need for later in life it will do them good in the long run.
So I do ask the question one more time:
How here served in the military?

SERGEANT FIRST CLASS {E7}

August 28, 2012 10:05 PM