Sure is dirty under this bus, ain’t it?
cakmakli sends us a link to an Army Times article which tells the story of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey who told Senator Lindsey Graham today that he’d sure like to pay more for his retiree health care than we’re paying now;
In response to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who asked whether he was willing to pay more, Dempsey said: “I am, sir.”
Under the proposed budget, a retired Dempsey would pay an $820 annual fee in fiscal 2013 to enroll his family in Tricare Prime. By 2017, that fee would rise to $2,048.
If Dempsey hung up his uniform tomorrow, his 38 years of service would earn him annual military retirement pay of around $219,000 a year.
Thanks for sticking up for the rest of us who get about 10% of that for our retirement, ya wizened old dildo.
Speaking at a news briefing on the budget Monday at the Pentagon, Air Force Lt. Gen. Larry Spencer, the Joint Staff’s force structure director, said the Joint Chiefs and senior enlisted leaders support the hikes and said the increases would still leave Tricare one of the most “generous” health care plans in the nation.
“In accordance with the principles that guide our budget, they honor our commitment to America’s all-volunteer force and their families,” Spencer said.
Why even fucking try anymore. If these peckerwoods stick up for us any more, we’ll be thoroughly screwed. Do they plan on charging us for our funerals, too? Fucking partisan whores.
Category: Veteran Health Care, Veterans Issues
Regarding your comment about funerals – please don’t give them any more ideas…
OMG……where do these douchbags come from. My utter contempt for these assholes grows with each day. They’re letting Panetta gut the military…..if their fighting behind the scenes…..grab ur stars and resign in protest. The Marines better stand up……the Army brass are cowards.
How about they propose to Gen Dempsey that they cut HIS retirement pay to $20,000 per year; then, if he lives just 10 years past his retirement we would have saved a cool two million bucks. If he really takes care of himself we can save two or three times that.
What a spineless weasel. Obviously, he slept his way to the top.
I’m really pissed. I’m in class right now and I can’t even pay attention to the professor. Fuck this cake eating son of a bitch and all the others too.
The media likes to stereotype the “Angry” Vet. Well right here I am. Like I said in the comments section of the article, make it progressive and see if he’s willing to pay more. That means he will just have to pay $7,183 versus my $820. Screw him and the rest of them that wants to take what little retirement we get.
Top Brass must be liberal like the douches in Congress. They sure seems to feel like they are royalty.
Worthless, lying, scum.
This is just phase II. They’ve already shut down most of the Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) and those that remain are limiting access (or eliminating access) for retirees. The next phase is pushing retirees to the VA for care.
I spent the day at the Washington, DC VA Hospital for one appointment. No parking, the place is a impossible to get to, and the bureacracy is maddening. Oh yeah, and the staff act like customers from Detroit Pawn.
The Flag Aristocracy is always ready to up the ante for the troops, since they’re all moving on to 6-7 figure post retirement incomes where they’ll get executive healthcare at zero or near zero cost.
Rather surprised at this post. Flag Officers above 2 stars are appointed by the President, in this case a Democrat (a very loose approximation, sure, but still), and confirmed by the Senate (lead by, of all things, Democrats). Those FOGO that slip through the political reliability exam, firmly believe in supporting their chain of command. That caveat for Odierno, who is too smart and too competent to be where he is anyway.
Every story I see like this just makes me that much more certain of my decision not to slug it out to retirement.
GEN Dempsey may have stepped in it, but your attacks on his character are ignorant and frankly disappointing. I had the honor of serving in GEN Dempsey’s command in the 3d ACR. He is an absolutely superb officer whom I would follow anywhere.
I would like to see the rest of the exchange. I’ll tell you that GEN Dempsey cares deeply about the soldiers and families and is one hell of a warfighter to boot.
Flame me if you will but you are dead wrong on this man’s character. Ask any soldier who served in his many commands and you’ll get the same story.
But yet our president wants to give free health care to every swinging dick in the country who doesn’t deserve it and plans to continue to screw over veterans.
More evidence that our president is a leader in the pussification of our country. I guess he’s recruiting from the military ranks as well.
Hmmm. Seems that we would all be much better off to assume the identity of some useless parasite and take those bennies for sitting around doing nothing.
Why would we expect any of these clowns to understand the concept of honoring an obligation to vets? They don’t recognize those with our allies either. Or their responsibilities mandated by the US Constitution.
Two comments:
@Elric: I served on his Commander’s personal staff. I do not share your view of Dempsey.
Is there anyone at the “senior staff” level who is (a) still in touch with troop level, and (b) courageous enough to speak in opposition to their boss? Evidently not.
Wow. They went all out to ensure women get free abortifacients and contraceptives with no copay, but a trooper who did eight tours and has a permanent neck ache has to pay more for Tricare.
Makes me wonder what [rhetorical] gun is pointed at Dempsey’s head that he’d go on record saying smack like this. Keeping a MEF? Anti-submarine warfare capability?
One point to consider: Dempsey survived a bout with cancer just prior to taking the CSA job. Under the old rules, that would qualify as a pre-existing condition and he’d be uninsurable in the real world.
Jordan, that’s because they think there are more women who’ll vote for President Present, than there are folks who’ll notice the military is getting screwed, again. Unfortunately, they’re probably right.
I guess all of those yellow “Support the Troops” magnets on cars really don’t mean jack shit when comes to really supporting the troops
DaveO @ 15: I went through the preexisting condition thing with my wife when I got insurance through my employer after retiring. The preexisting condition thing lasted one year before they would pay any claims. In the meantime, I went through a battle royale with Tricare because they kept telling me I had other insurance. Jeez, what a mess that was. Someone at Tricare finally figured it out though but it took over a year.
I had high hopes that Dempsey would at least hold the line. Poor deluded fool I am.
I served in HHC 1AD in Baghdad under Gen Dempsey as a SGT in the Div TOC and the remarks he made are completely out of character with the Gen Dempsey I remember. That Gen Dempsey took a division with piss poor morale and serious leadership issues under the evil emperor (sanchez) and turned it around. I’m disappointed to read this.
$2,000 a year for insurance? Cheese n Rice!? If nothing changes, I’ll retire on about $2,800 a month (city pension, not counting SS, 401, n portfolio) n only have to pay $105 a month insurance! What the hell is wrong with this forkin’ picture?! Our GI’s gotta pay a month’s pay a year to be insured??? So they have to live 12 months on 11 month’s pay…
Most Generals/Admirals if they weren’t already… morph into politicians. They just happen to wear a uniform. That’s how they they get to where they are. As for the Army of today… If George Patton were alive today in today’s Army… he wouldn’t make it past Captain… maybe Major.
Beretverde: agree completely. Few 3 or 4 star GOs today strike me as leaders. Hell, I’m not sure I’d buy a used car from most of the FOs/FOs I’ve seen speak or met in the last 15 or so years (not a huge sample, but not zero, either).
Sorry, that should be GOs/FOs in the last sentence in #23 above.
Let me remind GEN Dempsey of two facts.
1. When I joined the Army I was, like everyone else, promised free health care for life if I made it to retirement.
2. Generals earn a heck of a lot more than us peasants.
I don’t need this weasel to screw me out of my money to pay for something I was told would be free.
Fuck. This. Noise.
Who’s moving on this? Any lists of senators who are accepting this line of bull?
These assholes don’t care about you while you are in so they damn sure ain’t going to give two shits about you when you retire.
Oh, just for the record I posted #4. Don’t know why it went Anonymous
The DoD budget is down 7% from 2008 (incl War Funding), while the Deficit has grown more than 300%.
Today’s Tax revenue is more than double what it was in 1999, while 2012 spending is more than triple what it was..
The 2013 (proposed) deficit is $1.3 Trillion, just as is the 2012 and 2011 and 2010 deficits. So, where is the “saved” money going? The Administration proposes spending it on Green Energy like Solyndra, while transferring DoD Budget money to more Green Energy initiatives, and to the Public School systems. http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2012/02/obama-dod-retirement-cuts-shared-responsibility.html
We have to make “tough choices” to “demonstrate we are serious” about green energy.
Yes, the POTUS has requested that DoD begin payments to the public schools, because the money Troops pay in rent, to cover the property taxes of those apartments and houses, to pay the school system, are “decreasing the RE value and tax base” of the school districts.
@#28, just an add-on regarding spending on places like Solyndra, yesterday United Solar, and Solar Ovonics both filed for bankruptcy. More green energy companies succeeding wildly. Not to mention $1.6 billion in spending on Assurance and the other “free” cell phone give-aways for “low income” people.
This administration has pissed more money away in 3 years than most anyone could imagine, but they can’t even see their way clear to properly fund defense, and maintain what they have.
Dempsey actually has said a few things recently in regards to our conventional forces vs Special Operations forces. He has, if very obliquely or passively agressively, cautioned on the over reliance on the Special Ops/Drone Obama operational tag team of the future. So he does have that going for him.
Despite this stupid comment, I’m willing to give him a little more leeway(relatively speaking) in comparison to his fellow flag officers.
Would someone please explain this crap to me? I told the most beautiful girl in the world with the blue/green eyes we’d get married when I picked up Cpl. Happened too quickly so I convinced her we’d do it when I made Sgt. That happened quickly but when it happened, we got married. She was issued a dependents ID and all she had to do was go to the hospital at main side and everything was taken care of. Granted this was when a Sgt. made $600 a month, $99 a month BAH and again for BAS.