Posted on 11/26/2011 10:42:00 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
One of the best ways to destroy American military capabilities would be to convince career military personnel -- both officers and enlisted -- that their commitment to service will not be rewarded with the retirement benefits they have earned by their faithful obedience to orders, no matter the personal cost or risks they endure. The Obama administration seems to be ready to destroy the belief that service will be rewarded as faithfully as duty was performed, one step at a time.
The latest step in that direction is the announcement that 157 Air Force majors will be terminated prior to retirement, without the opportunity to complete the 20 full years of service necessary to qualify for retirement pay. Caroline May of the Daily Caller writes:
The Chapman University of Military Law and its associated AMVETS Legal Clinic are blowing the whistle on what they say is an injustice set to be perpetrated on 157 Air Force majors on the last day of November.
"The Obama administration has ordered massive reductions in forces, resulting in many officers who are near retirement being involuntarily separated without retirement or medical benefits," explained institute director...
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
I guess if you are for socialism this is a deal. You want the military to hang on to 157 Majors it does not need. Oh brother no wonder we are in the trouble we are in. Too many bleeding heart liberals even on Free Republic. The question should be why they did not get promoted. Up and or out has been in place FOREVER!!!!
If Congress is pushing for massive reductions in budget expenses without offsetting increases in income, then this is the kind of thing that is going to happen. Personally, if they need to make a 20% cut in the military, I wish they would do it in some of the big hardware contracting areas. Either cancel or draw out over a longer time frame, And for gosh sakes stop the OPEN ENDED costs overruns.
“I guess if you are for socialism this is a deal.”
This isn’t socialism, it’s just cruel, plain and simple. You’d be singing a different song if it happened to you.
It still think you would be able to make O-5 simply by completing your JPME, watching your fitness reports, and if necessary taking a "hard job."
I made O-5 in the reserves because I took an active duty recall when I really needed that job. The reserves were doing me a much bigger favor than I was doing them, but it looked good on paper. That and a normal trend of fit reps and I made it on my first look.
The guys that didn't make O-5 generally hadn't done anything, but show up to fly. They weren't pulling their own weight other than filling out a blank in the flight schedule. The active duty officers that didn't make O-5 had extended in billets that stopped their career progression, and never gotten their ticket punched. If you miss getting your ticket punched at one command, you won't make CO, but you would still make O-5. The guys that didn't make O-5 never got their ticket punched.
And when that happens, there will be no ready draft vehicle to fill the ranks again. Jes sayin’.
Nobody is completely safe until 18 years. However, I am very glad that he is in special forces because so far they have been completely safe.
It could easily have happened to me. The have been cutting the numbers since I joined in 1987. When I came in the Navy there were over 600k but today there are 320k and they want to bring this number to around 309k. This is not new by a long shot. If it was up to you, we would still have over 600k. Each service was made huge by Reagan and immediately when Bush I came into office he started cutting and it has not stopped.
Likely each of these terminations has its own story.
Some of them may have been doing their jobs and got hosed by the system. Others may have plateaued and got busted out by the up-or-out standard.
The fact is, we’re going to see defense budget cuts, and there will be reduction in force.
No, it hasn't. Prior to WWII you advanced until, well, you did not and stayed at that rank but could continue to serve. No retirement for anyone. There were 40 year old E-3s and O-4s who served perfectly well at that level. The problem was that it clogged billets for potential E-9s and Flag Officers.
The retirement system was designed to clear billets out so that the hard charging best could advance.
The Left soils every institution they control. Media, public schools, higher education . . . Only the military remained. Last year it was fags. Now, they are telling every O-1 they must make O-5 or take a walk with nothing. It is designed to destroy the best military in history.
I agree with ever word you typed. I wish you luck on Captain!!!! Need some great conservatives in the mess. I still am shocked by the number of Democrats in the Wardroom. I am in the Chief’s Mess and yes sadly we see Democrats there too.
OMG , this is major
My letter to Sen. Sessions:
Senator Sessions,
I implore you to raise a staunch cry in defense of the proposed forced military retirements of the 157 USAF Majors as reported by Chapman University of Military Law. I very proudly point to the fact that we have you to represent us here in Alabama. I’m sure you know exactly what I mean when I say the issue is important enough for me to take the time to write, during the Iron Bowl!
It’s not taking a huge hit.
It will not grow as fast as some previously assumed it would grow.
It will still be larger than it was the year before. It’s reductions in the rate of growth, not actual cuts.
The sentiment of your argument, though, I agree with.
Amen, and it needs to be accompanied by TERM LIMITS for the elected.
Everybody had better get thoroughly used to the idea that this is NOTHING. Pensions for officers and enlisted who have ALREADY EARNED them are going to slashed. It’s not politics that will do it, either.
It’s mathematics.
15 Trillion in debt is intolerable. If there is ANY ATTEMPT to have a vibrantly growing economy, interest on that debt will jump. That interest expense will choke off any growth.
The party is over and now it’s time to die. Pensions, even for those already receiving them, are going to stop. There is no money for them. Recipients will sue and courts will either be defunded before they can rule, or the judges will have to recuse themselves as being party to the suit (as a future pension recipient).
Not to stoke things worse, but your statement is what every unionized protected worker and teacher says about their jobs too.
this is really getting us talking about the wrong things.
1. The government needs to have the ability to lay off any workers/staff when necessary, close to retirement or not.
2. The Supercommittee deal was a bad deal for conservatives and GOP leadership needs to recognize and admit it and take the blame for agreeing to it.
Not going to make Captain, but I had a good run. I flew for twenty years, learned a lot, got my degree from Annapolis, got another GI bill to pass to my son and have a cornerstone for my retirement plans. My Navy experiences benefit me everyday at my new job.
The other consideration is whether he is an officer or enlisted. It is sometimes easier in the enlisted ranks to make sufficient rank early and not have to worry about being separated. In the officer ranks it depends on smaller groups of people and how many peers you have to compete with.
As long as your son is moving along with his peers he shouldn't have any issues. Once he makes it to year 18 he will be safe from this issue.
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