Yes, the military and veterans will continue to be under attack. We should be under no illusions. The takers who never lifted a finger for this nation only continue to grow. Those who sacrificed are target for cuts because many politicians want to give even more to the takers because they mean more votes.
I watched the testimony of General (ret) Gordon Sullivan when he was before the Senate Armed Services Committee two weeks ago.
One statement from him made a powerful impact on the Senators present:
"We need to deal with this now....we don't need soldiers sitting around a stove in Afghanistan in the middle of the night will not be talking about this issue."
You could literally see the ominous looks the Senators and their staffers gave each other when he said that.
Here is what happened: Paul Ryan conspired with Chuck Hagel to ram this through right before Christmas. Hagel was more than happy to sell the necks of his own retirees and currently serving men and women in exchange for more money, and Ryan thought that if he could cut military COLAs, maybe, just maybe.....he could point to that and argue that the entitlements that are really bankrupting this nation could be cut. It stupid move. Ryan, no doubt, thinks he was courageous and virtuous by this tactic. I would like God to show him what it must have been like to have been the wife a deployed military man, a few days before Christmas, who put on a brave face for her children as she told them Daddy loves them and wishes he was home, while knowing Congress had just cut their retirement by 20%.
Hell, there are folks right here on FR who believe a veteran “retiring” is still of “working age” (define that please you losers) and thus, shouldn’t collect a dime until “retirement age” [another nebulous definition that can be unilaterally and arbitrarily changed by the USG at any time]. Oh, and they’re shiftless and lazy, staying at home after “retirement” and “forcing” their spouses to go to work.
Yup - I have heard all of those before. Funny, we don't see the media attacking "working age" welfare mothers, "working age" illegals, or "working age" unemployment benefit recipients.
The 17% of our military who manage, through God's help, to make it to 20 years or more, alive, with a minimum of a broken body, a broken marriage, and without nightmares are few.
When American times were good and fat, nobody busted down the doors of the recruiting station.
If anyone earned their money and benefits, it is the military. Period.
