The Congressional Reduction of Military Pensions and Everything Thread

[pardus]

I saw this and laughed...that grim laugh you make when you don't know how to act when confronted by something stupefying.

http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140113/BENEFITS05/301130026/

Just one more reason why I have disdain for General Officers. It's alright for those pricks with their fat bank accounts and General's retirement money to talk about the poor Enlisted retirees having their precious money cut. There's too many of those pricks in the military, cull them I say.

 

[DA SWO]

I saw this and laughed...that grim laugh you make when you don't know how to act when confronted by something stupefying.

http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140113/BENEFITS05/301130026/

Look at 2nd and 3rd order effects.
Less money for Retirees (excluding GO's apparently) means more money for new gear (from the companies these GO's work for).

 

[pardus]

Look at 2nd and 3rd order effects.
Less money for Retirees (excluding GO's apparently) means more money for new gear (from the companies these GO's work for).

Corrupt scum.

 

[Centermass]

Funny thing to all this talk is that it (The reduction of COLA) had garnered enough support to be overturned, and one of the key members who had enough support to do so, was Levin. So, once Levin is made aware of the fact that in order to give back retirees their 1%, the compensation to pay for it was Sen. Ayotte’s bill, that would repeal the military pension cuts and replace the savings by requiring tax filers to have a Social Security number —- as opposed to just an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number — in order to qualify for the ACTC.

He then flip flopped and withdrew his support. Go figure.....

Americas military gets thrown under the bus, instead for the exemption of illegals? What in the hell is wrong with this picture?

I feel like my head is going to explode any minute right about now.

 

[Brill]

And you guys thought the cut in retiree COLA was an effort to reduce the deficit? Suckers. (spoiler: Fed judges received 5 figure pay increase due to increased COLA.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...hpModule_308f7142-9199-11e2-bdea-e32ad90da239

 

[Centermass]

As of Wednesday, January 22, 2014:

The Senate is poised to consider a massive veterans bill that not only would improve education, health and employment benefits for former troops, it would restore the cost-of-living adjustment reduction for military retirees set by the Bipartisan Budget Act.

The 352-page Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration bill, or S. 1950, encompasses many previously proposed legislative initiatives, from requiring public universities to extend in-state tuition to any veteran using their GI Bill benefit to authorizing fertility services for severely wounded service members.

But it also takes on the most contentious portion of the budget deal forged by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, R-Wash.: the reduction of the cost of living adjustment to military retired pay by 1 percent for retirees under age 62.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., would repeal the provision.

“These service members have paid a very, very high price for their service ... it’s my belief as chairman of the [Senate] Veterans Committee, we have to do everything possible to give back to them and their families,” Sanders said during a telephone conference with reporters Wednesday.

The COLA reduction is expected to save the federal government $6 billion over 10 years. Sanders estimates that his entire bill, including the COLA cut repeal, will cost $30 billion over the next decade.

http://www.navytimes.com/article/20...ould-restore-COLA-reduction-military-retirees

 

[DA SWO]

As of Wednesday, January 22, 2014:

The Senate is poised to consider a massive veterans bill that not only would improve education, health and employment benefits for former troops, it would restore the cost-of-living adjustment reduction for military retirees set by the Bipartisan Budget Act.

The 352-page Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration bill, or S. 1950, encompasses many previously proposed legislative initiatives, from requiring public universities to extend in-state tuition to any veteran using their GI Bill benefit to authorizing fertility services for severely wounded service members.

But it also takes on the most contentious portion of the budget deal forged by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, R-Wash.: the reduction of the cost of living adjustment to military retired pay by 1 percent for retirees under age 62.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., would repeal the provision.

“These service members have paid a very, very high price for their service ... it’s my belief as chairman of the [Senate] Veterans Committee, we have to do everything possible to give back to them and their families,” Sanders said during a telephone conference with reporters Wednesday.

The COLA reduction is expected to save the federal government $6 billion over 10 years. Sanders estimates that his entire bill, including the COLA cut repeal, will cost $30 billion over the next decade.

http://www.navytimes.com/article/20...ould-restore-COLA-reduction-military-retirees

Funny, the Navy times lists Patty Murray as a Republican.
Fail.

 

[pardus]

As of Wednesday, January 22, 2014:

The Senate is poised to consider a massive veterans bill that not only would improve education, health and employment benefits for former troops, it would restore the cost-of-living adjustment reduction for military retirees set by the Bipartisan Budget Act.

The 352-page Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration bill, or S. 1950, encompasses many previously proposed legislative initiatives, from requiring public universities to extend in-state tuition to any veteran using their GI Bill benefit to authorizing fertility services for severely wounded service members.

But it also takes on the most contentious portion of the budget deal forged by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, R-Wash.: the reduction of the cost of living adjustment to military retired pay by 1 percent for retirees under age 62.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., would repeal the provision.

“These service members have paid a very, very high price for their service ... it’s my belief as chairman of the [Senate] Veterans Committee, we have to do everything possible to give back to them and their families,” Sanders said during a telephone conference with reporters Wednesday.

The COLA reduction is expected to save the federal government $6 billion over 10 years. Sanders estimates that his entire bill, including the COLA cut repeal, will cost $30 billion over the next decade.

http://www.navytimes.com/article/20...ould-restore-COLA-reduction-military-retirees

I really hope this goes through. I'm not confident though...

 

[Centermass]

About time. Now we wait and see what the man with the phone and a pen will do....

Shortly after passing a suspension of the limit on federal borrowing Wednesday, the Senate voted 95-3 to pass a bill restoring military retiree benefits that were cut last year, choosing to adopt the House's solution of extending automatic cuts to Medicare to accompany the pension increase.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-wednesday-to-restore-military-cola-benefits/

 

[pardus]

Good news for once!

 

[Centermass]

Done.

Bill signing it back into law, by the President 17 February 2014.

 

[Brill]

Done.

Bill signing it back into law, by the President 17 February 2014.

I read that he authorized a 12-month delay in payment. He has a pen and a phone you know!

 

[Centermass]

I read that he authorized a 12-month delay in payment. He has a pen and a phone you know!

Well, that would coincide with Jan-Feb time frame when we normally see COLA increases, no matter how small.

 

[AWP]

One step forward, two steps back.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...lan-to-cut-personnel-costs/?intcmp=latestnews

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is set Monday to recommend a limit on military pay raises, higher fees for health-care benefits and less generous housing allowances to prune billions of dollars in benefits from the defense budget, setting up an election-year confrontation with veterans groups and lawmakers.
Faced with steadily increasing military personnel costs that threaten to overwhelm an ever-tighter budget, Mr. Hagel is also expected to include a one-year freeze on raises for top military brass—a gesture meant to show that the best-compensated leaders also will make sacrifices.

A one year freeze on pay for GO's is a "sacrifice" for them? Boo freaking hoo....

"Hey, PFC, we're going to cut your housing allowance and make you pay more for medical, but don't worry...we're also halting raises for GO's. See? Everyone hurts."

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

If anyone ever had that wonder in the back of their mind what the elected and appointed shitbags in charge of you really think about you, it should be clear as day now.

Fucking sad.

Cut the already "doesn't cover shit" BAH. Never mind the astronomical inflation, you don't need any raises. Oh they can pay more for medical, no worries... oh and those generals, will cut their raises for a year, but only a year, b/c we all know the Army wouldn't be able to function without "leaders" like Gen Dempsey.

Oh shit we have to cut the budget, well I guess we can pass that on to the Joe's, we wouldn't want to cut our special uniform testing programs... fucking assholes.

I don't know why anyone would serve more than an enlistment these days. I mean really, why?

 

[AWP]

Service chiefs and Secretay Hagel, come on down! You're the next contestants on "What the hell are you thinking?"

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...l-reportedly-shrink-army-to-pre-wwii-numbers/

The New York Times first reported on the proposed cuts. The changes reportedly would leave the military capable of waging war, but unable to carry out protracted occupations of foreign territory, as in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Officials told the Times that Hagel's plan has been endorsed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and protects funding for Special Operations forces and cyberwarfare. It also calls for the Navy to maintain all 11 of its aircraft carriers currently in operation. However, the budget proposal mandates the elimination of the entire fleet of Air Force A-10 attack aircraft, as well as the retiring of the U-2 spy plane, a stalwart of Cold War operations.

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/24/defense-department-to-cut-army-to-pre-ww-ii-size/?hpt=hp_t1

The plan, backed by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, as first reported by The New York Times, positions the military to handle any enemy but will leave the armed forces with much fewer resources to take on lengthy missions abroad. The dwindled budget also reflects the current political climate, with a President who has pledged to pull back from extended and expensive wars abroad in an era of federal funding cutbacks.

Can't do an extended deployment? Don't like us "war profiteers?" Now what?

 

[pardus]

The changes reportedly would leave the military capable of waging war, but unable to carry out protracted occupations of foreign territory, as in Afghanistan and Iraq

The plan, backed by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, as first reported by The New York Times, positions the military to handle any enemy but will leave the armed forces with much fewer resources to take on lengthy missions abroad.

So we'll be able to fight China no problem but not the Taliban...

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

Its all good, if we're attacked by China for defaulting on our debts, we will just get DHS to arrest the Chinese Military, or AQ or whoever. Its all good, we don't need a standing, competent and well compensated military. We should just make sure SOF and Carriers are good to go, between SOF the Navy, Cyberwarriors, and our DHS cops, we should able to handel any conflict that comes our way, just as long as it doesn't take very long...

Sounds like a plan, good luck to all involved!

 

[DA SWO]

Grenada/Panama=GTG
Bosnia/Kosovo/Iraq = So sorry, please call the UN.

Whose policies are isolationist?

 

[AWP]

World: Send lawyers, guns, and money, the shit has hit the fan.
US DoD: We're sorry, but your call cannot be complete as dialed. Please hang up and try again.

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10 years' worth of those budget cuts will mean the only countries we're capable of beating are the likes of Panama and Grenada. I know I'm a pessimist, but many of us saw the military of the 90's and this is going to be worse. Is that really in our nation's best interests?