An independent military commission recommended vast changes in the military's retirement and healthcare systems that could save the Defense Department more than $20 billion over the next four years, says a Jan. 28 Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission report.
Under the proposal from the commission, members would still get free healthcare and go through military treatment facilities, the report says.
But the current TRICARE health benefits system would be mostly replaced by options that are similar to those open to federal civilian workers.
The new plan would afford military members and retirees a variety of insurance plans and an allowance to offset premiums or co-pays.
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7 comments:
I will consider to agree to this when the commission and congress have the same pay and benefits as E-1 thru E-5s' have.
I cannot express my true thoughts and feelings
I always love to read articles where the writer(s) act like the military is just another job similar to any other.
I can't speak for the other services but in a 20 year career in the US Navy I spent 10+ years stationed on a ship. In those 10+ years on a ship I spent over 5 years underway from my home port. When on a ship in home port it is not unusual to work 50+ hours a week(no overtime pay). Underway on a ship Sailors typically work 80-100 hours a week(12+ hrs a day for 7 days).
If Sailors hours were calculated the way some other professions(e.g. Firefighters) hours were calculated than a week underway would equal 168 hours. In other words 1 week underway would actually equal 4 weeks for pay purposes. Put another way 1 year of underway time would equal 4 years or for a typical career 5 years of underway time would equal 20 years.
Therefore a 20 year career would actually amount to over 35 years for pay. Of course no overtime pay, no paid holidays off, away from friends and family half your life, and oh yea occasionally getting shot at. On the bright side you do get 30 days vacation(make sure you use it before you lose it) and you might get to see some pretty neat places.
Just don't write about the military like it's just another job(IT'S NOT). CONGRESS TAKE NOTE!
Barry
Good comments, Barry.
And let's not forget the dependents, wives (and husbands) and kids who too often live in substandard housing, live on a shoestring from day to day (even qualifying for food stamps and other public assistance), and pick up and move every 2-4 years to another duty station, some of which are not in the most wholesome parts of the world.
We were all promised free health care after retirement. That promise fell through and now they want to make it even more costly?
Walk in our shoes for a few miles, Congress, before you're quick to decide that the numbers matter more than the people you serve.
Another key element in the grand scheme to take America down-Destroy the military. It has been underway for a long time. Everything that is good about this country has been corrupted. We are well into our last days.
Barry, did you volunteer? Were you held against your will. If you CHOSE to stay after 4 then shame on you. You knew what you were in for.
3:24, I wasn't complaining about being in the Navy, I was complaining about idiots like you.
8:16 you rolled the dice now you pay the price. Quit your whining!
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