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How can you say it's not "earned"? Is it because you're equating military retirement/benefits with social programs? Social programs require (generally) no action. You simply apply, and receive benefits (with some exceptions, I know). Hell, you don't even have to be a USC to receive some benefits! To get that military retirement, one has to sacrifice and "EARN" it. Whether it be your own physical health; stress on your family from missing b-days, births, anniversaries, or picking up and moving your family every couple of years to some armpit of the world, it's EARNED and it's a SACRIFICE. How often have you heard someone be given the option to "be there for conception or be there for the birth, but not for both" when pondering an activation and deployment? And no, I'm not bitching about it -- it comes with the job, but at the end, so does the retirement and benefits and the hope that I'll be able to take my kids trick or treeting while they're still young; that I'll be there on a Christmas morning when they're opening gifts and still believe in Santa Claus; that I'll be there when my son does whatever the hell he's going to do in the future that most parents take for granted! I can pretty much guarantee you that no one collecting social security disability (rampant with fraud) or TANF has spent Christmas day "earning" their benefit, as the post office is closed that day (and that's the most anyone of them needs to do to earn their benefits is walk to their mailbox and collect their check). Whatever happend to JFK's message of "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country?". It seems today few people do much for their country. Instead, many (around 40%) are looking for their next gov't handout instead of looking to improve their lives and make this a better place. Service in the military is something I signed up to do 25 years and about a dozen deployments ago. I wonder what you and others on the left have done? Sure, some of you have joined the military -- but what about the 90% of Americans (or more) that haven't ? What have they done for the USA? paid their taxes? I do that too. Voted? I do that too. Jury duty? I do that also. So, what sacrifices have they made? I'm not asking for some unbelieveable pension and GM style healh care package. Hell, even State employees (in NJ for certain -- I worked in State Gov't) have MUCH better plans than TRICARE for retirees. Yet,you're so quick and willing to take from those few who have served, and by serving, I mean more than our civic duties of paying taxes and jury duty -- I'm talking about real sacrifice. EARNING that retirement! Your're despicable.

Oh...you're right. I forgot: It's the 401k contribution matching, stock options, and guaranteed pension that keeps my retention meter in the green when I'm off all over the world missing my kid's birthday / not being with my family for Christmas morning / missing my grandmother's funeral. You're smoking crack if you don't think that health care is earned.

Shhhh.....

What she fails to recognize is the difference in work produced for a day of active duty per a day of Reserve/NG. I am currently AD. If I have a training event next week, I may have to prepare. While I prepare, I am still getting paid. When I go to this training event, I will not have to ask for time off of work, it will be built into my schedule. When I was a reservist, I had to get ready for the training scheduled next drill weekend. I had to do this while back at home wearing civilian clothes. For no pay. I also had to ensure that I had time off of work when drill weekend came around--possibly for a loss of pay. Apples and oranges, Lolita.

Congress will see it this way: One man's pilot shortage is another man's cockpit overage. Why cut once when you can cut twice! I hope you guys aren't seriously looking to Congress to fix anything, are you!?

Sounds pretty extreme. Though, I wouldn't be surprised at a knee jerk reaction. The writing for the airline boom has been on the wall for years now. If they couldn't see that coming (sts) then they are idiots. I wonder how that would affect guys wanting to stay in with 10 yr ADSCs. Would the bonus still be a player?

I think its more the fact that its not right to seek savings at the expense of the military when so many other programs "Welfare, food stamps, etc." programs are funded to many undeserving people. I have no problem taking cuts but they have to be prioritized and I damn well deserve my benefits more than some lazy SOB who would rather sit on a couch than take a job he/she consider beneath them,

No we don't. The strong have figured it out. And when they made a mistake, they mitigated the effects. They survived. No sense in giving the weak any help. Let them sacrifice themselves, so we can be rid of the dead wood. There is no shortage of dead wood in the AF officer corps. Then again... would anyone really "listen" to a "Boldface" that was posted here? Doubt it. As valid as it might be, I know I wouldn't have... had we had the internet back then. Ram, get me another Ensure.

That's what happens when you let the Guard run the show.

This should suffice. "Man, my instrument approaches could use some work!" "I hate dropping CBU!" "I'm glad the tail kits are hard wired shut!" "No, sorry...we can't give you a show of force." "Low Level?? Fuck that!" "GCI...you're not talking enough."

Head. Box.

The Libya mission was an absolute blast. Flying productive sorties, then returning to our Mediterranean getaway afterward to get blind drunk. Not an E-9 in sight, and nobody gave a damn about anything other than getting the mission done and having a good time. Deployments don't have to suck.

12-12's drop, which I am too lazy to type out.

You should make it out of reflective belts.