Posted on Feb 18, 2014
Are we failing as leaders when our junior folks are forced into having to use food stamps to survive?
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<p><b>I saw this sort of hardship on junior soldiers early in my career. Now it appears the pendulum is swinging back towards this happening again. The fact that any of our younger soldiers should have to use or even qualify for this is humiliating and a national shame. Quote from attached article: "Pentagon officials told CNN that while the military does not track who is receiving assistance, the military members likely to be on food stamps are those at the bottom of the ranks with children, where base pay <font face="Times New Roman">— not including housing or food — for a new soldier with a spouse and child is about $20,000. With housing and food allowances, an Army private with two years experience would make about $40,000." </font></b><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/17/food-stamp-use-among-troops-skyrockets-during-obama-admin/"><b><font color="#000080" face="Times New Roman"><u>http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/17/food-stamp-use-among-troops-skyrockets-during-obama-admin/</u></font></b></a></p><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Commissary-e [login to see] 10.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/17/food-stamp-use-among-troops-skyrockets-during-obama-admin/" target="_blank">Food stamp use among troops skyrockets during Obama admin</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">Food stamp redemption at military grocery stores, or commissaries, has nearly doubled since the beginning of the </div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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Posted 10 y ago
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I am a Specialist with 4 years Active Duty. I was married with a 2 year old when I enlisted. I do not currently, nor have I ever, had the need to apply for food stamps. Our pay, despite public opinion, is very adequate if you make responsible choices with your money. 40,000 is a pretty average salary compared to the civilian market. Not rich, not poor. Enough to buy everything you need, and a good amount of things you want. After deployment, I had 3 years time in. My wife and I easily qualified for and bought a house. My wife is a stay at home mom and our Army salary is our only income. We make good financial decisions (don't buy cars/things we can't afford, don't increase the size of our family unless there is income to support that decision...etc..). At 4 years, I now make 48,000 plus free healthcare (a civilian salary with a GREAT healthcare plan would be comparable at around 54,000-56,000 before healthcare deductibles). <div><br></div><div>I think Soldiers need to understand that no matter their pay grade or salary there will be things you want and things you need. The Army compensates you well enough for things you need. The gap between your income and assistive programs like food stamps is managing the things you want.</div><div>On a side note I have seen many soldiers that were on food stamps that smoke, drink regularly, drive big financed trucks, wives that get their hair done 2 times a month...All of those extra expenses plus implied expenses (low fuel economy = more money in gas, higher car payment) add up to major expenses. </div><div>We have always QUALIFIED for food stamps, but the benefit is there for people who NEED it. If we were to use it when we don't need to, that resource might not be available for someone who truly needs it. </div><div><br></div><div>Everyone wants a bigger check, but the Army does pay pretty decently.</div>
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SPC David Dunn
SFC Joseph B.<div><br></div><div>I would have to respectfully disagree with you. You said, "there is no other job in the world that requires you to be on call 24/7/365 with the possibility of DEATH." There are, however, many jobs that are just as dangerous (and sometimes more) than the military. Policemen, Firemen, Prison Guards, Boarder Patrol, Pilots, Lobster Fisherman, Structural Iron & Steel Workers, Powerline Installers, Oil Riggers...to name a few.</div><div><br></div><div>While I'm very positive I never gave any indication that I think a Soldiers life is worth 40,000/yr or the "meager amount of money and benefits given".... I do have a response to that.</div><div><br></div><div>You are 100% correct. I don't think a Soldiers life is worth the 40,000/yr he/she makes. Likewise, If they were making 450,000/yr the loss of life would STILL not be worth it. Does that mean we should all be making half a million dollars? Surely, you can't honestly be leveraging the Soldiers that have made the ultimate sacrifice as a bargaining chip for a higher salary??</div><div>I would also like to point out that I deployed to Afghanistan as a Radiologic Technologist assigned to a Role 2 Forward Surgical Team. MANY. MANY, MANY lives were lost on a trauma table in front of me. For you to even suggest, or indicate, in any way that I "trivialize" the sacrifices of these amazing men and women is remarkably unprofessional, and staggeringly distasteful coming from a Senior NCO. When you get a trauma patient, blown up in an IED, on your table and you look down and see a tattoo of his three children on his right shoulder and KNOW he won't make it..... That's the worst feeling you can ever imagine. I understand the sacrifices we make. I have spent many nights in the dark of a runway in Afghanistan in Hero Flight ceremonies. I would politely ask you to rewind a little on the accusations.</div><div><br></div><div>Now..back on topic. </div><div>We do this for tradition, for patriotism, for the amazing experience, to defend our homeland, for education, or for many other reasons.. We do this because WE choose to do this.</div><div>You say we can't compare this to any other job because it can't be compared. I would be saddened to think you don't have the professional courtesy to realize the sacrifices of MANY civilian occupations. Police Officers, Firemen, Boarder Safety.... All of these people serve honorably, and through great sacrifice. </div><div>To get back to compensation... Let's say we pay this fresh out of high school Soldier who has never managed a budget, rented a apt/home, paid bills, held a full time professional career..let's say we instead pay them 85,000 a year. Do you see this ending bad? </div><div><br></div><div>You say we can't compare our Army salary to civilian salaries. I agree. Most civilians don't get full retirements at 20 years even if they don't contribute a dime in that timeframe, and an extra 2.5% additional for every year past 20.. Most civilians don't get free healthcare. They have these crazy things called premiums, and co pays, and max out of pockets, and catastrophic limits... Most civilians don't get free tuition for 48 months WHILE they are also getting a living allowance (in Colorado Springs it would be 1,500.00). Most civilians don't have an AER Fund if they fall in a rough spot. Most civilians don't get discounts or free entry into most major theme parks, zoos, or major attractions. Most civilians don't get to buy a house with ZERO down and not have to purchase PMI because the VA will GUARANTEE a large portion of the loan, why? Just for being a Service Member at some point in your life. Most civilians don't get to buy 3,000 TV's and pay 0 in taxes, or shop at grocery stores that are insanely cheaper than civilian ones. Most civilians don't get 10,20,30,40K bonuses to continue doing what they are already doing.</div><div>But here's the biggest one...</div><div>Most civilians don't get to say they volunteered to serve their Country in a time of war, wear this uniform with pride onto a plane that takes them into the fight, places the lives of their wives and kids on hold so they can be there for their brother or sister should they become wounded in battle. Most civilians don't get to say they saved hundreds of lives and made a difference or when a life couldn't be saved made sure that Soldier was treated with the highest level of respect, honor, dignity, and appreciation for giving everything for those he called brothers and sisters. </div><div>Most civilians will never get to put this uniform on and say they are a Soldier, Marine, Airmen, or Sailor that SERVED their Country.</div><div>I don't know how much you need for it to be "worth it" for you.... But for me it was everything I could have asked for...and then some...</div><div><br></div><div>Don't forget. You are a Senior NCO. Your Soldiers look up to you and learn from you. That can either be a good thing, or a bad thing. The outcome to that is up to you. It's too easy to say, "well if Congress gets it, I SHOULD TOO." That's not necessarily the correct attitude. We are adequately compensated. They are over compensated. THEIR salary needs to be adjusted down. But that's completely independent on ours. Would I love to see Soldiers salary increase? Absolutely! We are some of the hardest working people in the Country. But is it crap like you mentioned?? Definitely not. And if it was... I'm guessing you've had a few reenlistments along the way. VOLUNTARY reenlistments.</div>
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SPC David Dunn
Another quick caveat...
A civilian family that lives up the street has a daughter that was diagnosed with cancer. The ongoing medical bills, and cancer treatments go so big they bankrupted the family. They lost their house, their car, and are forced to work two jobs to just stay alive. Guess how much it would cost a Military family if they were placed in the same predicament??? You would be correct if you said it wouldn't carry ANY of the same financial burden. Some of your compensation comes in the form of peace of mind. The peace of mind to know your family is, and will be taken care of for as long as you wear the uniform and in some cases the rest of your life. You can't miss the forrest for the trees. Just because a benefit isn't currently being used to its full potential, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. That's why we have car insurance, health insurance, home owners insurance..etc... I don't necessarily like to pay 950/yr for Home Owners Insurance...but I'd be really glad I have it if my house burned down...
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1SG (Join to see)
I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget...I think I read that somewhere...communicate consistently with my Soldiers...kinda rings a bell...look, what we have here is simple miscommunication. Your interpretation of what I said is not what I intended you to comprehend. We'll just have to part ways on this one as I can see this becoming waaay too emotional. I was not advocating the leveraging of anything for my own personal gain or benefit. At the end of the day, you have your opinion on the subject and I have mine. I'm sure had we been under the oak tree, this discussion would have gone in an entirely different direction. That's the problem with the written conversations, people don't get that immediate feedback and ability to clarify their position in order to avoid miscommunication. I'm not going to go back and forth with you on RP. I stand behind what I said and invite anyone who wants me to clarify to direct message me, send me an email (I'm the only SFC Joseph Benavidez in the Army), call me or come by and see me. But thank you, SPC Dunn, for having a thorough and intelligent response. I'm sure we could have many more conversations in the future, should our paths cross.
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SPC David Dunn
SFC Benavidez,
Thanks so much for the response! I agree. More than trying to convince someone to agree with your beliefs, I am always fascinated by a great discussion. That's the beauty of what military service members do on a daily basis. They fight for the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. The right to agree or disagree, but still respect and admire the convictions of your fellow brother or sister. The right to do so publicly without the threat of repercussion (so long as it is respectful and peaceful disagreement). Thanks so much for the thought provoking post and most of all...Thank you for what you do and the sacrifices you make everyday!
- An extremely proud and grateful Veteran
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Extending the Government Food-stamp Program to include Military Families is NOT about providing food; it is about ensuring increased government dependentcy amoung voters for re-election purposes.
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LTC Martin Metz
Let's hope our core values and leadership will help minimize the intrusion of dependency and entitlement.
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CPT Richard Riley
MAJ, LTC, the entitlement thought process is a tough hill to overcome especially when you look at new recruits and the under 2 soldiers. Many have been inundated for most of their memory with some form or fashion of government dependency & sadly do not understand the concept as being a bad one. Self responsibility is a learned trait that hopefully core values and leadership can help change how the entitlement thought process is viewed and practiced.
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LTC Martin Metz
CPT Riley - It's kind of the old idea that kids go into uniform and responsible adults come out. Basic training and subsequent schools / assignments tend to knock off some of the civilian glitter. The realities of potentially serving in hostile wartime environments and under unpleasant conditions bring out the importance of our core values and the impacts of leadership.
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CSM Christopher Irwin
Sir, you hit the nail on the head....you must stop clouding the issue with common sense!
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It is not a "Leadership Failure" in the Army. It is however an issue with today's entitlement society who often choose to live beyond their means and refuse to accept personal responsibility. This is where the issue begins. In order to help mitigate the issue the best thing any "Leader" can do is provide sound advice and counsel to these young soldiers. Much like many other responses have eluded to, good mentorship can go a long way.
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Sir,<br><br>While unpopular to say, the "Soldier's receiving food stamps" complaints are skewed at best. As a young Soldier I qualified for food stamps with a wife and a child. I did not use them because I took the personal responsibility to live within my means. When you consider that the average Soldier joining the Army is at best, a high school graduate and you factor in the benefits associated with our military pay system (Tricare, commissary, tax exemptions, NON-taxable BAH & BAS, etc.), we are well compensated compared to our civilian counterparts. Ask the average person working a minimum wage job with a high school diploma or GED what they're making and they will tell you they are making the same amount MINUS benefits...AND all their income is taxable. How many people working at Walmart or McDonald's (entry level) are getting full benefits packages? Having almost half their pay being tax deferred or not at all? Never mind, the fact that we get those benefits right off the bat without having to work for 6+ months before we're eligible...<br><br>I say this only because there is a vast tendency to live well beyond our means. Ask the average Private if they have cable? a car? a cell phone? Eating fast food? They will say yes. If not, they are lying or they have no idea what their spouse is spending. <br><br>Are there more Soldiers getting food stamps? Yes....BAH and BAS are NON-taxable earnings which skews the data regarding income in the eyes of Uncle Sugar (the government). So of course they qualify! <br><br>I will ALWAYS advocate that us Soldiers receive higher pay for the job we do. However, this argument has always been a moot point and if we peel back the onion a little, the pay is commensurate with the job. Sorry to appear so blunt but we have to be truthful with ourselves as leaders. In NO country in the world is their military paid as well or compensated like ours. <br>
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LTC Martin Metz
CSM I - You can never go wrong by living within your means! It still seems like an American trait that is worthwhile to sustain. When we stray from that, problems occur. When I first came into the Army right at the end of the Viet Nam war in 1974, the Army was transitioning to an all volunteer force. Families of junior enlisted did not have much visibility at that point because the earlier focus had been on a single, draftee based sourcing. Soldiers were, in fact, not paid particularly well especially when compared with today. Food stamps were needed just to get by. Now-a-days, some are taking the food stamps as an entitlement whether needed or not. I think it reflects a general trend in our civilian society at large at this time.
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SPC David Dunn
CSM-
Great reply! Sometimes I think soldiers don't realize exactly how much they are making because they are only focusing on the "base" pay instead of total of all entitlements and benefits.
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I think it is a lot of junior enlisted taking advantage of a system that does not include a housing allowance/base housing in its income figures. These junior service members know that they do not count the housing and so they apply. Who can blame them they can now get a few hundred "extra" dollars. The whole welfare system is broken and needs to be fixed. A household making $40,000 (when you include housing) should not be milking the government for food stamps.
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LTC Martin Metz
SSgt G - I agree with you. I think this may be a general trend in society right now. Those serving in the military are a reflection of that.
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SSgt Gregory Guina
Sir
I agree that society as a whole is too caught up in what can you give me now instead of what do I need to do to get what I need.
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I would like to think that a lot of people use them simply because they can take advantage of the system. The rest simply NEED the assistance. I had to use WIC when I was a PVT. Taking home 300.00 every payday and my rent was 300.00 a month (96-97) with a car payment of 332.48 yeah, you do the math. So yes some people may need some assistance. But I also think that a lot of people just abuse it because they can and/or are use to doing it.
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I think where we fail as leaders in the military and as a nation is in teaching our kids about responsibility both personal and financial. The old saying "If the Army wanted you to have a wife and kids, they would have issued them to you" comes to mind. Junior enlisted are typically in the 18 - 21 year old range and shouldn't be having children yet, as they cannot afford them, whether they are military or civilian. Not many 18 - 21 year olds have jobs that pay in the $30K and above range, which depending on your location is about the annual salary needed to not qualify for food stamps.
I think a lot of people both civilian and military are using the programs not because they NEED it but because they WANT it and qualify for it. If I get assistance for my groceries then I can buy that car that I want but can't afford unless I get assistance. To many people do not understand the difference between WANTS and NEEDS. I actually had a young Airman First Class (E3) tell me that he had a RIGHT to cable TV and he couldn't afford it without getting food stamps to buy his groceries and feed his family. That was his justification for why we should be putting him in for early promotion to E-4. Needless to say him and I had several 'mentoring' sessions regarding financial management and responsibility.
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SSgt Gregory Guina
MSGT Koss
The fact that so many feel that cable, iPhone, XBox, and a PS4 are needs and not wants is what the problem is. And then on top of it they "HAVE" to go out and get that brand new mustang as well.
The fact that so many feel that cable, iPhone, XBox, and a PS4 are needs and not wants is what the problem is. And then on top of it they "HAVE" to go out and get that brand new mustang as well.
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SFC Patrick Goyer
MSGT, If a young person is not ready to have children, they never will have children. I fully agree with you about living within your means and not buying things you cant pay for, but to say that a young married couple shouldn't have children is not the same thing at all. Children are the whole purpose for getting married in the first place. People have raised large families on less pay than E1, and most young junior enlisted would benefit from the life lessons earned from having children who depend on you.
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Suspended Profile
LTC Metz,
No wonder entry level soldiers and their families depend on food stamps and other relief aid.
Warmest Regards, Sandy
CPL Stephen Kirt
Ma'am,
The only "vacations" I've taken since being in the Army are to go home for my grandmother's funeral, and to go visit my son who lives with his mother. I have a basic car, that while new, is the factory minimum. I have had to drive a lot which is why I didn't want to spare an expense to get a cheaper used car that could break down on me at a moment's notice. I agree it can be done, but when you're paying child support as well as supporting your wife and two other kids it makes it a tad harder to budget for. I have not had cable in years. In fact, the only reason we have cable at my house now, is because it came bundled with the internet for the same price we were paying before. Nowadays, at least in the units I've been in, we're expected by our CoC to have a smartphone. We're expected to have high speed internet in our houses. And we're expected to have reliable transportation. We have money in our savings set aside specifically for emergencies, and we don't necessarily live way below our means, but we're also not splurging on anything we can waste money on. Every situation is different, so it's hard to generalize a statement like this because what one family might need, another family might just be using to take advantage of the system. I haven't been on food stamps at all, just used the WIC because it was something we needed.
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SPC David Dunn
SPC (P) Stephen K.
I think a majority of your post reflects the overall intent of this discussion. Most, if not all, of the things you described are "wants" and not "needs." They are "luxuries" and not "necessities." Please let me explain:
The majority of employees: civilian, federal, military, or otherwise don't take vacations on a yearly basis. Why? Because despite popular belief, we are STILL in a recession and a few more dollars in the savings account for a rainy day vastly outweights the need for a vacation. Sometimes, in the Army we forget about the current state of the economy because the Army does a pretty great job of protecting us from it, but the overall job outlook in America is still pretty grim. With changes to the healthcare system (Affordable Care Act) there are now many, many Americans that were able to take vacations last year, that won't be able to this year. Higher premiums, coupled with lower healthcare reimbursement rates are crippling our healthcare system. This means a lot of people are working more hours for less pay, and higher healthcare premiums. Look at the healthcare industry alone. A staggering number of "full time" jobs have been converted to "part time" jobs. This in effect relieves the employer from the responsibility of providing health benefits to its employees. The result? These employees must buy into a healthcare plan through Obamacare ( at a much higher rate than with their previous employer funded healthcare plan) OR buy their own healthcare policy (even more expensive).
You mentioned in your post that you have a new car. My father (Full-Bird COL and Doctor) drives a 9 year old car and gets by just fine. I drive a 7 year old car that I share with my wife and our 2 kids. There's a bit of logistics to it, but we manage.
You mentioned you have cable and internet because Internet is expected for work. I have never been in an Army unit that required Internet or cable. To that, I would say: Show me the regulation. Library, ACAP, ACS, ED Center, Family Service Center, and many more places have free computer labs with Internet access.
You mentioned you are expected to have a smartphone by your chain of command. By regulation, a cell phone isn't even required of soldiers. Helpful? Sure. Required? Absolutely not. Any basic phone with text messaging would do the trick. Are they as cool or fun as smartphones? Of course not... It's all about figuring out what you TRULY need. Sometimes it might not align with what you "want".
As far as child support goes. I believe it is a elective decision to have kids. I know this because I have two myself. If sometime along the way, you decide to separate from your spouse, that obligation remains. I'm not sure, but I think the Army even assists with child support (a benefit not offered to ANY civilian employee). You said you were paying child support PLUS two other kids. Please don't take this the wrong way, but when you separated from your spouse/GF you maybe should have redone your finances to include child support before the decision to start another family was made. We must be accountable for all of our actions. The Army, I believe should be praised in this situation for going above their contractual obligations and providing an additional stipend for child support.
Please don't take my opinions as disrespectful, that is in no way how I intend them to come across. I am just trying to reflect to you that while many of your expenses you feel are "required"... They are actually "non-essential" expenses that you could function without, need be.
The Army makes no promise of extravagant living, or yearly vacations to the beach. They don't say you will be compensated financially to meet all your wants. They do, however, say they will pay you at a salary which allows you to cover all your basic necessities. "Necessities"... They agree you will have a roof over your head, food on your table, a stable income, educational benefits, health benefits, retirement benefits, and a little extra money to have a little fun where you want. They also provide many resources for you to do this within your budget : MWR, Child Youth Services, ITR discounted tickets and vacations, and many, many,many more discounted resources that civilians don't get.
Thank you so much for your service! I personally know the sacrifices you make on a daily basis and wish you all the best!
"Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence because your neighbor is taking better care of his yard. "
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CPL Stephen Kirt
If you believe the Army helps me pay my child support you are sadly mistaken.
Now to continue on with what you have said, it indeed is an elective decision to have kids. I have 2 biologically and one stepdaughter. When I separated from my son's mother (never married) I had not even considered enlisting in the Army. I didn't get married until after I joined the Army.
I didn't say that there was any regulation requiring me to have a smartphone or internet, so I'm not sure where you came about that conclusion. I said that it is expected by my chain of command. Yes, there are SOME resources available to use. At my last unit many things weren't told to soldiers until after the duty day had ended and yet they were still expected to complete the tasks before coming to PT the next morning. I don't know how it is at every duty station, but I do know that at mine using the Ed Center for anything besides education was not authorized. The library did have computers and somewhat extended hours, however you did not always have the opportunity to utilize their facilities. ACS was a tiny little cubicle in a building with many other people. There was no such thing as a "Family Service Center", and there was no computer lab to utilize either.
I said I have a new car because it was something we budgeted for and needed because we had a used car prior and the amount of repairs and other things needed for it far outweighed any benefit of having no car payment.
Again as far as my cell phone, no there is no regulation. Never said there was. I just said that it was expected of us to have. Would you get in trouble for not having a cell phone (or even smart phone)? No, because like you stated and I already knew before that, there is no regulation.
At no point prior to my enlistment, nor since then have I ever expected extravagant living. I don't take yearly vacations to the beach, so I'm not really sure where you're pulling that from. At my last unit shopping at the Commissary was more expensive than driving off post to shop at our local Fry's grocery store. So that's where we went. I don't feel any of my expenses at all are required. I know they are personal choices I made, but at the same time as I have previously stated I have budgeted for all of these items. I have the money where I can live that comfortably and not struggle anymore. I did use WIC for formula, but that was mainly because I would have been spending hundreds of dollars every two weeks to purchase her formula if it had been at my own expense.
One last point regarding my "vacations" to go see my son. A son needs a father as much as he needs a mother. Any child needs both parents in their life, regardless of the amount or capacity at which they can partake. I go to see him because he needs to know his father. Luckily for me, he also wants to know me. That may not be something you can comprehend, but that is how it is. So when I get the chance and have the money to see my son, I do just that. Yes you may consider them a "vacation" since I am on leave and not at work. I like to consider them as much as well. But at the same time, there is also a duty and responsibility there to take care of my own child that I will fulfill to the best of my abilities.
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SPC David Dunn
SPC Stephen K.
I gather by the overall tone in your reply that I might have offended you with my post. Please know that wasn't my intent. I was mainly trying to illustrate how little monthly expenses turn into very big expenses when they are projected long term. For example:
I pay 145.00/month for mine and my wife's iPhones. If I needed, I could instead choose a regular (non-smartphone) plan for 70.00/month. Just that change along would save me 900.00 a year.
I pay 90.00/month for cable and internet. I like the convenience of having those amenities at home because I agree, things come up last minute and it's just nice to be able to knock them out right then and there. But if for some reason I had to get rid of the, (first time I've had them in 5 years) I could knock another 70.00/month off my expenses netting another 1080.00/year.
Just those two changes from my budget would save me 1,980.00/year.
I did reread the child support stipend reg and learned that the stipend is only available to single soldiers living in the barracks to assist them with child support because they don't receive a full BAH, so I stand corrected on that. I do still give praise to the Army for helping those soldiers with child support that qualify for the BAH diff.
Again, please don't think I was trying to pass judgement on you and the way you budget or handle your finances. I just wanted to give an insight on what has worked in my household. I don't know your situation or any of the struggles you deal with and choices you have had to make, and know each situation is uniquely different and there is no "one size fits all" approach. I have been very lucky in my life to have a very healthy family and nothing too crazy we couldn't readjust a few things until stuff worked itself out. I replied to your post because when I was in, there were many times where it took a creative approach to finances for us to be comfortable and manage a steady budget. I always try to lend a helpful voice where I can because I know the Army isn't handing out bundles of cash for the Soldiers and one wrong move can throw you in the hole. I commend you for making your family a priority. That is a huge breathe of fresh air. A few times when I lived in on post housing, I would get very sad for some of the kids in the neighborhood because they were so starved for attention they weren't getting at home. Electing to visit your son instead of splurging on something for you to maintain a presence in his life is fantastic. My kids are the world to me and it's nice to see someone share that sentiment.
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. I wish you the best in everything you choose to do and thank you for all the work you do for us. Your sacrifices are seen, and very much appreciated!!
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If lower enlisteds are forced into having to use food stamps to survive, I'd ask a couple questions.
1. Are they using the Commissary?
2. Are they otherwise living beyond their means?
3. What are they buying at the grocery store of Commissary?
I'm just guessing, but if lower enlisteds are using food stamps, I'd say they made some bad choices elsewhere (eg unmanageable credit card bills or car payments, something like that), that forced them into that situation. The issue then becomes one of not being forced into using food stamps, but painting yourself into that corner in the first place.
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Sir,
Yes we are failing them but not monetarily. The Junior Soldier, driving a nice car with an iPhone and Cable TV is being failed because they aren't being taught to budget correctly. Junior Soldiers are entry level employees. They are still starting out and shouldn't expect to be in the same position as the Senior NCO's. Unfortunately, if you look in the parking lots you will see the SPC's in the nice cars and the Senior NCO's/Officers driving the beaters. It's all about choices. $40,000 a year is plenty to live on if you budget correctly and live within your means.
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LTC Martin Metz
It is all about choices. It seems that folks grow up faster under the military canopy.
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