National Guard pay on hold

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.news-record.com/news/local/gso/guard_pay_061805.htm

GREENSBORO — It might not sound like a lot to some people, but $1,700 would have seemed like a godsend to Anja and Bert Wray, of Summerfield, earlier this year when the power company threatened to turn the lights off on them and their baby daughter, Sydney.

The amount would have been manna from heaven for Lori and Nathan Vosler, of Archdale, as the couple, with their baby, Jocelyn, struggled to pay monthly living expenses.

Those bills continue to mount for both families, but they don't appear any closer to receiving the $1,500 to $1,700 that each says the government owes them than they were when Nathan Vosler and Bert Wray came home from Iraq in December with their outfit -- the 30th Enhanced Heavy Separate Brigade of the N.C. National Guard.

Vosler and Wray and hundreds of others members of the brigade have yet to receive thousands of dollars in expense and travel money owed them by the Department of Defense.

[aquart]

1. Bet BushCo is giving heavy executive bonuses again this year.

[Pirate Smile]

13. Another outrage - "Dad picks up $600 tab to get Marine battle ready"

"John Tod of Mesa had been prepared to face Father's Day worrying about his son's pending date with the war in Iraq.

Then Uncle Sam stepped in with more disappointing developments.

Marine Pfc. Jeremy Tod called home with news that his superiors were urging him and fellow Marines to buy special military equipment, including flak jackets with armor plating, to enhance the prospects of their survival.

The message was that such purchases were to be made by Marines with their own money.

"He said they strongly suggested he get this equipment because when they get to Iraq they will wish they had," Tod said."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1561689

[The Traveler]

2. My step son just went through the same thing

He finally got his 1700 bucks ... but many weeks late and he had to raise hell about it.

[babylonsister]

3. Sickening-how many other families is this

happening to? And they wonder why recruitment is down? Where is that list someone is making of the neverending fuck-ups of this admin, because this deserves to be on it. :grr:

[babylonsister]

4. Nominated for attention because this is just wrong. nt

[napi21]

5. They are owed the $$ and should receive it, BUT it sounds like

it's beyond their normal pay. If it is, something else is wrong here. Why was the power going to be shut off if they were receiving the regular pay each month?

I'm not trying to object to the gov't opligation to pay travel, moving, etc. expenses, but they are in addition to the regular pay.

Something else is going on here.

[eShirl]

9. sounds to me like

they had to use their own money out-of-pocket to pay for travelling expenses, so that money was not available to pay the bills?

[free_spirit82]

10. Their regular jobs pay 2-3x's more than their pay as soldiers

My cousins father is in the National Guard, he has been sent to Iraq twice, and stayed a year each time. He's been in the Guard forever, and he never expected to have to go fight a war for so long since he is in the Guard. When he is home he makes about 4 or 5x's (he has a really good job)what the NG pays him, and when he left their bills were not being met; his wife had to send the children to stay with their grandparents during the week and work three jobs to make the bills. When he came home, it got better, but had she not been capable of working the three jobs because of health or lack of childcare, they would have lost their house, and probably everything else.

[babylonsister]

15. Thank you, free_spirit82, that is the reality of this situation.

Many people are losing their jobs at home because their military job is neverending. Thus, more divorces, displaced wives and kids, not to mention the men and women, when they get home, and how messed up they might be. It is and will be a nightmare.

[napi21]

21. I know that's right, but that has nothing to do with the Gov't paying

moving expenses! Remember the initial question here.

I know most people who join the NG don't expect to have to serve over seas. I wouldn't have ever expect4d them to either.

Thank you George!

There are some companies who make up the difference in wages when their employees are called to duty, but not very many.

O dpm't know if it's realistic for the Gov't to pay these soldiers their same rate as they were earing in civilian life, but it's sure a thought.

[Massacure]

33. A guard member's house cannot be foreclosed while a he is overseas.

[mbperrin]

34. That is the law. But financial folk don't always follow the law.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/11753443.htm

Bayh fears soldiers’ finances unguarded

Says current law too lax on lenders

By Sylvia A. Smith

Washington editor

snip....The problem, said John Goheen, spokesman for the National Guard Association, is “lack of visible teeth and education. It’s the law, but there are still people who are unaware or unafraid of the consequences.”

Kathy Moakler, a lobbyist for the National Military Families Association, said it’s a particular problem for members of the National Guard because “they are force-fed so much information” just before they deploy, that some things get short shrift.

Bayh said he doesn’t know how many service members have lost their homes because of foreclosures because no one keeps the statistics.

“But if it’s happening in even a handful of times, that’s outrageous,” he said.

His press secretary, Meg Keck, said Bayh’s office has received “a handful” of complaints from Hoosier service members who have gotten into a financial bind because the law wasn’t followed.

Moakler said her agency doesn’t collect statistics, either, but has heard stories of homes being foreclosed after the service member has been sent to Iraq or another posting.

McLaughlin acknowledged there have been instances, but primarily at banks that don’t have many active-duty customers. It’s more of an issue when a member of the National Guard is called up, he said, and does business with a bank that doesn’t closely follow miltiary-related rules. more.......


No one keeps the statistics - quite typical when it's a person problem. NOW IF Citigroup or some other corporate fuckers have trouble, you can bet there's plenty of numbers.

I post these stories for my students, and they use them as the basis for questions when recruiters come. Quite a lot of stammering and stuttering goes on then. This was the first year no recruiter asked to come to my classroom.

[Massacure]

39. Then couldn't a soldier sue the bank for the value of the home?

[havocmom]

14. What is going on is they are not getting the same pay as they were doing

their civilian jobs. These are Guardsmen, NOT regular Army. They were working their private jobs then called up and for most, it means a serious cut in income.

[Carni]

36. Makes me wonder what the REAL unemployment figures are?

This dawned on me a few months ago...if all these guardsmen are in Iraq and are not working their regular jobs then it would seem to me that their positions are probably being filled by temporary help.
What I am trying to say is... I would imagine that when these guys all come home the REAL unemployment figures will come out!

[BR_Parkway]

31. Could be where they got pulled into active duty from a higher paying

civilian job, pay cuts have left many, many of our Gaurdsmen/Reservists hurting.

They were obligated for house payments/rent, car payments and whatever other debt they lived with on whatever normal salary they earned. Then they get called up for duty and the pay gets cut by 1/3 to a 1/2 from some of the local articles I've read about.

Most of these folks are hurting finacially. What does BushCo do? Change the bankruptcy laws to screw them further. Or waste money on freaking "support the troops" magnets when these kids need money to pay their damn food and water bills.

[tsuki]

35. Where do you think that the money to move comes from? It comes

from your regular pay. I watched my parents struggle to support a move every three years or less when I was growing up. You move at your expense keeping your vouchers to turn in. But when you get to your new base or station, you pay from your own pocket all the deposits, telephone, electric, gas, garbage, water and sewer. You pay the first month's & last month's rent and any security deposit on your new residence.

Every time my parents started moving ahead, they were slapped back down financially. It cost A LOT to move.

And today, you have the added expense of outfitting yourself for combat.

[Erika]

6. Our troops are Bush pawns

His priority is getting and maintaining his tax cuts for the rich. He could care less about our troops or their needs. He has no basis to which to identify with them. He's an elitist rich boy who never served his country overseas.

[TexasLawyer]

23. BUT at least gay people aren't getting married!

:sarcasm:

[stillcool]

7. If the repubs can create a surplus....

so they can dismantle social security, they can certainly find some more to pay the military families they're abusing.

[Oversea Visitor]

8. Yikes

The army is broke ..... Gee even need to buy their own equipments...
WHAT is next :rofl: :rofl:

[babylonsister]

16. Oversea Visitor, I can't share your joy. We

on DU are trying to understand and change, you are mocking. Not cool.

[Oversea Visitor]

18. I know its not cool

But you have the right to be angry at me or be angry at bush .... either way is fine with me :hug:

[babylonsister]

20. You KNOW I'm angry at **bush** and not you, but

you are wrong. It is not a question of you or Bush. I want you to help me educate people in this country how STUPID and WRONG ***bush** is. Yopu come to DU; you know we are on the same side.

[Oversea Visitor]

25. I know that

but l am trying to make you angry enough and real damn piss to break out the pitchfork. Seriously there is only one right way out of this mess and it need the effort of the American people to act. Any other way will just see more pain and suffering by the people in this world.

Right now the ball is still at the American people feet. I hate to think of what can happen if the ball is pass to the feet of others countries in this world... gee lets not go that route.

[AuntiBush]

11. Apparently, this is occurring a lot! The DOD is under the Chimp!

Imagine when everyone starts pointing fingers. But it's folks like this that are hurting.

[Daphne08]

12. I've never seen such a FUBAR situation!

And these Yahoos in Washington wonder why no one wants to sign up!

[borlis]

17. They should go pitch a tent on the white house lawn. n/t

[fooj]

29. If they can get through the bars surrounding the place.

:grr:

[lovuian]

19. the longer they hold onto the money the more interest they get

the US soldier is figuring out the Bush Administration doesn't give a DAMN!!!

[Trajan]

22. WTF is wrong with people ? ..

Can they NOT see that the GOP DOES NOT RESPECT THE SOLDIERS ? ...

Can they NOT see that GOP PRIORITIES PAYS HALLIBURTON AND BECHTEL FIRST, and the soldiers LAST ? ...

How DARE they send our soldiers, our fighting men and women, our SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND AUNTS AND UNCLES AND FATHERS AND MOTHERS to war WITHOUT the proper equipment ! ....

I mean CMON ! .... These PNAC bastards SHOULD be tied to parachutes, and kicked out of airplanes above Baghdad: .. the WHOLE LOT of Neocons should 'enjoy' what they put our HONORABLE soldiers through .... Let THEM dance between alleys as their asses are getting shot full of holes ....

The Right Wing sickens me: .. they are SO FULL OF SHIT !

What lying hypocrites ! ....

[Erika]

24. The right wing loves greed

And until its put in their face that this is wrongdoing to the poor, they will keep it up. The majority of our kids went to Iraq for college funds. The poor. They are dying while the elitists GOP suffer no sacrifices. See www.icasualties.org.

[atreides1]

26. If It's Not on FOX, CNN, or MSNBC

The people will never see the truth of how this administration really
feels about American soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen.

As long as the corporate owned media is controlled by BushCo supporters the American people will never know the truth!!!!

[saracat]

27. I can't even finish reading this I am so blinded by rage!

I hope that SOB gets what he deserves! There has got to be a special place in hell for Bush and all his minions! I wonder how the freepers who "support our troops" would react to this post?

[Rainscents]

28. I'm having hard time responding to this tread as I am so angery !

[magellan]

30. I heard a similar story on the local news in FL about a month ago

I remember thinking at the time that this can't be widespread -- surely the Bush** government hasn't been forcing the Guard and their families to pick up the tab for protective gear (which has been happening since '03) AND screwing with their pay.

Bush** and the Repugs prove me wrong again.

I'm beyond rage.

IMPEACH.

NOW.

THE WHOLE KIT AND KABOODLE.

[are_we_united_yet]

32. Support our Troops

Just use food stamps to do it.

[symbolman]

37. Don't forget his big speech when he was running the first time..

to the military -- "Help is ON the WAY.."

As a Veteran as soon as I heard that I knew the jig was up - don't forget he was complaining (Cheney too I think) about how the Soldiers were on FOOD STAMPS because of President Clinton's policy -- that President Clinton was going to close all those bases and screw the troops, etc..

(Man, I just love saying PRESIDENT Clinton, it's the only time I get to use the word President without wanting to vomit..I don't even like to call Bush "GOVENOR", don't think he earned that either..)

All I want to do is drop Bush off in the middle of the Alaskan Tundra in Spring (mosquitos there will drive entire herds of Caribou off of cliffs or drain them of blood in clouds like you wouldn't believe) when the bears are waking up HUNGRY, and the Moose are in Rutting season, and tell him to WALK home..

Oh, and here's a 22 calibre rifle, you might be able to shoot an enraged duck, but if a BEAR gets a hold of you, you might want to save one bullet for yourself.. or all of them, 22's aren't very powerful, but BEARS are..

I understand that they like to drag live prey around by the head, and one of the worse sounds in the world is the sound of their teeth grinding on your skull, heard through bone conduction..

And here's your shelter, a piece of Plastic tarp and 3 feet of rope.. oops, forgot, there are NO trees or bushes on the tundra, it's like 70's carpet.

Now one last thing - we get to smear you in bacon fat and take your shoes :)

Believe it or not, I've BEEN there, and a real man would make it.. Bush would last about 20 minutes, tops..

Mission Accomplished.

[GoldenOldie]

38. How about truly supporting our troops?

Can DU members start compiling a list of the elected Reps of these Troopers who are having problems getting paid or receiving benefits. Let's start shinning the spot-light on their Congressional and Senator's who support the POTUS but have done nothing for the troops....their consitutents.

I am an oldie and have always lived around and worked very closely with the military. Historically military personnel who had problems or difficulty with their command and their commanding officers when they had emergencies at home that required their personal attention, could rely on asking assistance from their elected representative when their command ignored their needs.

Commands and Commmanders were uncomfortable when they received news that a Congressional Representative was looking at their operations. I have personally observed the orders to clean up the command before Congress dug further.

None of these troopers and their families should have to fight these batttles alone.

[symbolman]

40. I know for a fact that works..

IN the Air FOrce in 1971-74 if someone like a congressman was coming by we would actually PAINT GRASS GREEN that was dying from drought in California.. not kidding..:)

Also the military just HATES someone interfering, they'll fix something for spite just so a congressman can't tell them what to do..

Military gets strange sometimes.. great idea

[bobbieinok]

41. great idea......how do we start????? posters flyers to spread word to

all those with 'support the troops' signs on cars etc

[tibbir]

42. These people have no humanity.