The White House yesterday released the following Presidential Proclamation commemorating Veterans Day.
Posted in News, Patriotism
As Washington looks to squeeze savings from entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare, another program, the health and pension benefits of military retirees is also growing rapidly . Military pensions and health care for active and retired troops now cost the government about $100 billion a year, representing an expanding portion of both the Pentagon budget and the national debt, which together finance the programs. The intense push in Congress this year to reduce the debt and the possibility that the Pentagon might have to begin trimming core programs like weapons procurement; research training and construction have suddenly made retiree benefits vulnerable. Although this article calls military health and pension benefits a Social Welfare program- this is a gross misrepresentation. Continue reading
Posted in News, Veteran Benefits
This is no surprise. We are about to go back to Continuing Resolution which of course really puts an impact on the Federal Government’s ability to operate. Since it took so long to get the 2011 Federal Budget passed last year, it was all but 100% certain that this year they would not have a 2012 budget on time for the new Fiscal Year.
With days left before the end of the fiscal year, there is no chance the U.S. Congress will pass an appropriations bill for 2012, according to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Buck McKeon. Instead, it will have to pass a temporary spending measure called a Continuing Resolution, to keep federal agencies, such as the Defense Department (DoD), funded past 30 September. Additionally, without a spending bill, the Pentagon can’t begin new programs, thus creating widespread uncertainty at DoD and throughout the defense industry. McKeon said the level of spending cuts for defense seems to be changing so quickly it is difficult to keep up. To learn more, please go to: http://defensenews.com/story.php?i=7617082&c=AME&s=TOP
Posted in News, Veteran Benefits
This final clip in the Remembering 9/11 series that has run here on the You Served Blog is from National Geographic TV. This is from the interview they aired recently of President Bush. This particular clip is of the former President talking about that morning and what he thought and felt as he was told about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center and then the second one.
This news clip is from local Washington DC CBS station, Channel 9 as they have extensive coverage to the aftermath of the attack on the Pentagon on the morning of 9/11/01. The second WTC tower also collapses in this footage.
Posted in News, Video, Why We Serve
In the ongoing series of “Remembering 9/11″ here footage from CNN’s broadcast the morning of 9/11/01 when the first tower collapsed”. I watch each one of these before I post them and let me tell you it gives me goosebumps and draws emotion to watch this all over again. I am posting these because I think America needs reminded of the feelings we all shared together that terrible morning.
This is the second in a series leading up to September 11th, 2011, highlighting some of the raw and emotional reporting the morning of the attacks in 2001. This footage is from ABC after the two planes hit the WTC and during this broadcast President Bush makes his first remarks and then the Pentagon is hit.
Army officials announced beginning 1 January, most Soldiers will deploy for nine months, giving them more time at home between deployments. Most augmentees and those with particular skills or in low-density skill sets and grades will remain on 12-month deployments. Implementation of this change is based on the projected demand for Army forces, and remains contingent on global security conditions and combatant commanders’ requirements. This change in policy, to be implemented fully by 1 April 2012, will affect Soldiers in all named operations, including Afghanistan, Kosovo and Egypt. The Army will continue to review how to increase the amount of time Soldiers spend at home, depending on the amount of time they are deployed. To read more about the extended dwell time, please go to:http://www.defense.gov/news/
Posted in Military Life, Military Strategy, News
Nope it does not look good when the top military officer in our military is concerned and does not have an answer.
It is unclear if the United States will be able to pay troops on time in the event of a debt default, the top U.S. military officer told troops in Afghanistan on Saturday.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Pentagon officials were working hard to plan for a potential default but cautioned that the circumstances were extraordinary.
“So I honestly can’t answer that question,” he told troops at Kandahar air base in southern Afghanistan, as several expressed anxiety over budget wrangling in Washington.
Potentially suspending pay to U.S. forces waging wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is an extremely sensitive subject in the United States and Mullen acknowledged that many troops lived paycheck to paycheck.
“So if paychecks were to stop, it would have a devastating impact,” Mullen said, answering questions from troops.
“I’d like to give you a better answer than that right now, I just honestly don’t know,” he said.
Check out the whole story at http://www.canada.com/news/canada-in-afghanistan/Anxiety+Afghanistan+over+troops+defaults/5182272/story.html
Posted in Military Life, News, Veteran Benefits
In light of all this debt ceiling talk and defaulting mess that is going on, here is some good info to know.
On Wednesday, 13 July, House lawmakers introduced a bill to ensure that military personnel would continue to receive pay even if the national debt limit is not raised. The legislation calls for emergency appropriations to pay the salaries and other allowances of active-duty Servicemembers if the government faces a funding gap and defaults on its obligations. The Payment Reliability for our Obligations to Military and Investors to Secure Essential Stability (PROMISES) Act would prioritize the pay and allowances for all active-duty military personnel, including those in the Reserve, in the event of a government default. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said the government will begin to default on 2 Aug. if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling, however other experts differ. To review the bill, please go to: http://www.govexec.com/pdfs/071311kl1.pdf. To review this complete article, please go to: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0711/071311kl1.htm
Posted in Military Life, News, Veteran Benefits
You Served's Claire talks about the life of a military spouse - the hardships, the joys, and everything in between.
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