Obama Administration: Troops should sacrifice more

| April 25, 2013

ROS sends us a link from the Army Times which reports on a briefing for National Military Family Association in which the Obama Administration representatives tell the military families that the troops should be proud to sacrifice their pay raises to balance the Federal budget;

White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden, no relation to Michael Hayden, said Obama is committed to “a sacred trust” with military members, but needed to reduce the pay raise, partly to offset congressional refusal to cut spending on “outdated weapons system.”

Elizabeth Robbins, a Pentagon spokeswoman, called the limit on pay increases a “tough decision.” But she said the Defense Department must pay for proper training and support, and “fair compensation that recognizes the sacrifices they (troops) make for our country … while adhering to the budget constraints it is facing.”

Pentagon officials briefing military family representatives framed the 1 percent increase as a trade-off: “They believe servicemembers and families would be willing to give something on the size of pay raises to ensure funding for the mission,” the National Military Family Association explained to members on its website.

As I like to point out as often as I can, Caitlin Hayden used to spam this blog with misinformation when she worked for Karl Eikenberry, That Dick, while he was the ambassador to Afghanistan, so I’m not really surprised that she wouldn’t feel a tinge of guilt when she says the president in committed to the troops. The troops and veterans are shouldering the weight of budget cuts while the rest of the country is relatively untouched – just like they shouldered the burden of our wars while we went about our merry lives. Sacrifice is something that the troops have committed themselves to without complaint for centuries, so when, exactly, does their sacrifice end?

Prices of food and gasoline are steadily rising, shouldn’t their pay raises keep pace with that inflation? I constantly hear about fairness from this administration, why can’t they be fair to the troops and the veterans? Obama has built his legacy around the successes of the troops, isn’t it time that he pay them for their faithful service?

Category: Military issues

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Old Trooper

Scumbags

ChipNASA

* BOHICA *

K.J. Hinton

No lie they won’t tell, no issue they won’t twist.

It’ll take decades to repair Obama’s damage.

rb325th

Time to yank on the flush handle and empty all that human fecal matter back into the swamps DC is built over.

2/17 Air Cav

What’s absolutely nuts is the position that weapons system costs make the paltry increase necessary. First, that’s nothing but a swipe at the Republicans. Just a cheap shot. Second, since when does an employer make an employee pay for the tools needed to do the job? I understand that independent contractors do but employees? ‘Oh, Mike, we’re upgrading our PCs and the copier so forget about your Christamas bonus and your raise.’ This is crap. The military IS different in kind, in spirit, and altogether in sacrifice than civilians. The VFW and AL ought to be all over this.

Grren Thumb

What a clown.

I remember getting pay raises under the Clinton Admin.

This man has made alot of promises to both sides; now we see the true colors.

Ex-PH2

@3 – you left out “or a full-on war”.

pete

obummer should dictate pro-bono!

Ex-PH2

So, does this mean I start a food pantry for the families over at Great Lakes?

Thunderstixx

But don’t even think about touching welfare benefits for illegal aliens… Or one of the other millions of programs the government has…
What an absolute POS this entire administration is…
Thanks to all you conservatives that stayed home in the presidential election… You morons brought this on, I didn’t and I am sick of it…

Just A Vet

@9 That’s an honorable endeavor no matter what the reason. 🙂

A_Proud_Infidel

It would be nice if B. Hussein 0bama & family decided to cut back on their frequent multi-million dollar vacations and perks, LEAD BY EXAMPLE for a change, but why do that when they can spit on us Vets once again, obviously something they enjoy doing.

Ex-PH2

OH, yes – in regard to welfare benefits for illegal aliens, and/or immigrants: the two misguided souls (sarc) who set explosive packages in place at the Boston Marathon both received welfare benefits when they immigrated to the US.

Why are they more important than I am? I was born here. Most of the people I know were born here. We get nothing. Why do we count for less?

Ex-PH2

Gee, it sounds like what the government did to the War Bond vets all over again.

MGySgtRet

This is surprising how?? It is going to take years to fix all that this administration has broken. The readiness of our force has been compromised, promises made have been broken. Every promise that this president makes comes with an expiration date. And that is usually about ten minutes after that promise has no more political value. Our service has no value to liberals. We are just a necessary evil that they will slowly erode through social engineering and neglect.

Old Trooper

@12: That’s just crazy talk. You know that his royal highness can’t be constrained by those pesky cuts! Those are for the little people!

headhuntersix

Screw it lets make squester work for us. I’ll come in at 8, forgo my “Army” lunch and take 1 hour. Take the 2 15 minute breaks the GS employee’s get and roll out exactly at 5. Do not call me on weekends, one minute past 5 or Holidays. Do not expect me to care about anything before or after I clock in or out. I’m not getting wet, cold or hot anymore. I’m not wasting hours doing push-ups. I’d get fat but I’m to vain. Getting shot out is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of the question. If I get yelled at I’ll sue. The minute I feel pain I’m going to a doctor and will refuse to put off any longer the knee surgery i know I need. I’m also going to find out exactly what I did to my shoulder a few months back in Afghanistan. Expect me in a body cast shortly.

I will no longer care if a dude in the unit decides to shoot at swat cops (this just happened in my new unit)I’m not buying another piece of gear either. If the next war is fits into my schedual I’ll see if I feel like going. Maybe Obama’s daughters can enlist and survive on E1 pay.

How do these people stomach the crap churned out in the Pentagon.

Old Trooper

Also, When Obama made the statement or, more accurately promise/lie, he made it in front of the targeted audience in front of him at the time, which was a room full of Veterans. I knew the second he made the promise that he was lying through his teeth and said so. This is one time I hate being right. Of course, we’ve had plenty of indicators that he doesn’t give a flying fuck about the military or Veterans. Within months of him taking office, he wanted to make combat wounded Veterans use private health insurance to pay for their treatment. If that isn’t a big “fuck you”, then I don’t know what is. His DHS used a bullshit report to paint us as the bad seed in this country. Then he raised TriCare on retirees and now this, all while enjoying his multiple vacations to exotic and expensive destinations on our dime.

PintoNag

Current administration to military:

“We’re done with you. You may go now.”

Twist

Are we 100% sure that Clinton isn’t President again. At least we got pay raises then while he was gutting everything else.

Ex-PH2

@18 – You think they’ll cut E-1 pay back to 1967 levels? I only got $97 a month. I didn’t get BAQ or COMRATS until I moved off base, and that didn’t cover much back then.

GunzRunner

Funny, I had a discussion with a Sailor in 2008 that was Passionately Pro-Obama. I asked him how can you vote for a party that historically has sought military downsizing in an effort to balance the budget? When Obama “granted us” the lowest pay raise since 1974, he was no less Passionate in his support for the Oblivious one. People are still drinking the Kool Aide…..

How can anyone vote to have money taken out of their pockets? Ignorant Sheep…..

Besides being given the Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing WTF has he done for this country?

Wish in one hand, shit in the other… I’ll bet my retirement check that I know which will fill up quicker.

Old Trooper

@10: Sorry, but it doesn’t make a difference who is in charge, anymore, because they are the same face on both sides of the coin. Here is a link to an article explaining the “bi-partisan” work going on to exempt lawmakers and staff from the Obamacare exchanges.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/obamacare-exemption-lawmakers-aides-90610.html#ixzz2RT9JKwob

Ex-PH2

Bodaprez to troops: Thanks for coming. Don’t need you any more. Go home.

Troops: screw you, you ‘!@$#!#$!!!!! Don’t call us. We’ll call you.

Ooopsss! Suddenly, there is another Big KaBOOM!!! on American soil.

Bodaprez to troops: Hey, folks, we need you now. Come on back.

Troops: (crickets chirping)

End of story.

Bob

Let’s see here, sacrifice….
Be away from your family in a war zone
Being in a war zone
Not being able to trust the “locals’
Not getting top quality products to do the job
That is not ENOUGH sacrifice?

Send this nut job there and see if she can do it

What is SHE willing to sacrifice for the greater good?

B Woodman

Instead of the Constitutionally enumerated US military sacrificing pay and benefits to keep you in power, privilege and prestige, how’s about the Kongressional Kritters give up their UnConstitutional pay, golden parachute retirement, and platinum health care?

This G-d damned statement from Obaomao has me seeing RED at all levels!! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Must . . .relax . . before . . have . . . heart . . attack . . .

A_Proud_Infidel

B. Hussein 0bama, who lives by the motto “MORE FOR ME, more from thee!”.

Ex-PH2

Now you know what he REALLY meant in that video where he is recorded as saying “I really believe in redistribution of wealth.”

Miss Ladybug

That was a rhethorical question, right, Jonn?

cato

We are patriots to a country that no longer exists.

Joe

I would say, “Welcome to the world the rest of us have been living infor five years”.

Common Sense

These coddled people have NO idea what REAL sacrifice is.

The Outpost should be required reading for everyone at the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon.

Devtun

C’mon man, the Preezie needs YOU to sacrifice so that he doesn’t have to.

1. 18.4% tax rate ( ok, he gave to charity…roll eyes ).
2. Exempt from $3M tax advantaged retirement account caps.
3. Seeking to exempt himself and Congress from Obamacare.
4. Lifetime USSS protection reinstated (for Bush 43 also).
5. No cutting back on AF1 use ( costs 183K per hour ). Don’t forget, Moochelle likes to take a seperate plane on vacays.

Ex-PH2

Yeah, Bodaprez and damissus went to the memorial for the people who were killed in that fertilizer plant blast down in Texas today. He had time to do that, but he hasn’t yet shown up in his own ‘hood, the state of Illinois, where many, many people (no final count yet) lost everything to massive, record flooding last week.

I guess we don’t count because nobody drowned in the floods.

No funerals, no prez. Is that it?

UpNorth

@#34. Add to #5, Bo the dog likes his separate plane, too. And, his walker and the rest of his staff. It’s nice to know that our tax rate(the wife and I) is the same as Preezy’s is.

Mustang2LT

Really, sacrifice more, huh? I have soldiers in my company who have been unemployed since they returned from Afghanistan and this is the kind of crap we get from the President? And, to add insult to injury, I keep hearing that some genius of a Congresscritter is trying to cut Guard/Reserve drill pay in half. How much more are we going to be asked to give up here? To all politicians in Washington I say, want us to sacrifice more? YOU FIRST!

SFC D

Mr. Obama. Please note that I referred to you as Mr. It was intentional and heartfelt. You, as commander in chief (yes I realize that title should be capitalized. However, when you do a small job of it, you get small letters.). YOUR Soldiers sacrifice time with their families, weekends, months, years, and their lives for the country you were elected to lead. How much do you sacrifice? president Obama, I’m publicly challenging you to put in the hours that your Soldiers do, when you invest as much in the country as YOUR military does, then and only then will I find a wee drop of respect for you. Pack up the golf clubs stop the vacations, and be the goddamn President.

Respectfully signed
Frederick Dalton
SFC US Army (retired)

Dustyr55

Have to spend the money on needless vacations!

Hondo

Gee, Joe (32) – according to this site, it seems that at least one school district in Colorado has been getting annual pay raises for at least the past 3 years:

http://humanresources.durangoschools.org/salary-schedules

Maybe you should apply to work there.

A Proud Infidel

#36, UpNorth, AAWW, C’MON, they ONLY spend $150K+ per year for Bo the dog’s trainer alone!

?exit sarc mode

Roger in Republic

What if they throw a war and nobody shows up? There will come a time that patriotism will not be enough to induce enough volunteers for a rifle company. Who in their right minds will serve a people who expect the fighters to pay their own way to the fight. Even the gung ho types will not be willing to buy their own ammo, uniforms, and chow. The past generations of soldiers did not serve for money or bennies, but we knew that the citizens at home had our backs; Viet Nam excluded. Fuck around with the military, Mr President. and there may be no one to answer your call when the fit hits the shan.

Anonymous

My niece-in-law has my SSgt nephew about 99% convinced they should get out. This is just another reason to add to her arsenal.Actuelly I wouldn’t be reeall sad to see him leave. He could do likeI did, use his GI Bill and never have to be deployed again. Thanks comrade banana!