numbnutts Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 This Cindy Williams is NOT the "Laverne & Shirley" Cindy Williams. She's an Assistant Director for national Security in the Congressional Budget Office...... ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * Military Pay This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America . Ms. Cindy William wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve. A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this. "Ms Williams: I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account.. Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes per month. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413..60 before taxes, and $10,490.40 after. I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for "Network Technicians" in the Washington , D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years experience in my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum........... I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions. Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces. Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN ; I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience." As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone. Obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them. Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor. Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't be nearly long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your open piece. But, tomorrow from KABUL , I will defend to the death your right to say it. You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment right and every other right you cherish...On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies. And you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve? Rubbish! A1C Michael Bragg, Hill AFB AFNCC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
{BFK}Brit_FK Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 LOL, some pwnage dealt out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
injuneer Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 OUr military deservers MORE than 13% in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XynDicAte9 Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 (edited) Ms. Williams should be drawn and quartered for her complete lack of respect and disregard, not only to the men and women who serve in our armed forces (whom I happen to work for), but to their families that struggle with the harsh realities of a country at war. Edited October 20, 2009 by XynDicAte9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman41 Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 That really burns my a$$, My Son a US MARINE is currently training for deployment. He is a E-3 and makes $21,000 a year before taxes. He is Avionics electrician currently working on F/A 18's. In the civilian world ppl with his amount of training and ojt hours make between $40 to $50 dollars an hour , thats over $80,000 a year based on 40 hour work week. If he got married and had 1 child he would have to apply for wic and food stamps to make it. Most lower ranking Military familes do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozzer Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 From a British army perspective :P Every pay raise I got, the cost of accomodation went up at the same time leaving you with a 2-3% pay rise (if you were lucky) You made more money serving oversea's because that entitled you to local overseas allowance and normally the accomodation was free (or a nominal sum) Hence why I stayed out of the UK for 4 solid years at one point :) Civilian penpushers will never get the reasons why servicemen are willing to put their lives on the line, day in, day out, and I guess they never will. They will never experience the comradeship and the sacrifices/risks that you are prepared to take for your fellow Brothers in Arms. All they are interested in is cost cutting and penny pinching. When I served my time, I fully intended to sign on again after a few weeks break. A friend asked me to help out, doing a labourers job in a shipyard ... I was staggerd to see my first pay packet. It was near treble my army pay, and I was at the top of the tree (pay wise) when I left the army :blink: From then on it was a civilians life for me, lots more money and no bullets whistling around your ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkChalky Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 And lets not forget Fozzer that the Army accommodation is crap, needs pulling down and rebuilding :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman41 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Here is another great decision Washinton,D.C. is taking $2.6 billion dollars of the funds for the military troops and using it for museums. $20 million of it was going to a senator that just recently died from brain cancer for a tribute or museum in his honor. Maybe they need to take the money and buy our sons some good mre's that won't make them sick. I think they are wasting money. Our sons are out protecting our country they deserve to have what they need.I really don't think that we need it spent on museums. But that is just my opinion. Just thought I would share. U.S. troop funds diverted to pet projects Study finds $2.6 billion taken from guns and ammunition Thursday, October 15, 2009 By Shaun Waterman THE WASHINGTON TIMES Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis. http://www.marine-corps-news.com/2009/10/u...rted_to_pet.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMagnet Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 i remember when i was in the ARMY... MREs were being tested... we all got food poisoning oh and the pay sucked then as well Service Members should not have to get Public Assistance for their families but i did when i was in and they do now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XynDicAte9 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I was at the Quartermaster Symposium (ARMY) down at Ft. Lee this past June. A few of the displays were for the replacement and/or addition to the MRE. I have to say they have come a long way, in regards to the fact that non of us got food poisoning! :P I don't know which is worse, cutting finding altogether, or diverting funding to support ridiculous pet projects. What message does this send to our troops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMagnet Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I was at the Quartermaster Symposium (ARMY) down at Ft. Lee this past June. A few of the displays were for the replacement and/or addition to the MRE. I have to say they have come a long way, in regards to the fact that non of us got food poisoning! :P I don't know which is worse, cutting finding altogether, or diverting funding to support ridiculous pet projects. What message does this send to our troops? SNAFU FUBAR BOHICA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duality Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 +1 on all the points in this thread. However am I the only one that actually didn't mind the food in the British 24hr rat-packs at least? :P I can only really speak from a cadet corps standpoint (and regardless of what is going on I still fully wish to sign up into the forces once I have finished my degree), but it seems all too common that in civilian life - everyone's priorities are all messed up. The limited military experience I had completely changed my life and my way of thinking. It makes me sick every time someone "famous" does something stupid and passes away - and the whole damn country goes into mourning, and when another serviceman dies thousands of miles from home they get a small side column in the news that barely anyone looks twice at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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