Yeah, this post was from last week, the 16th. It was an RNC document from a Pentagon briefing that you didn't see in the media:
IMMINENT DANGER COMPENSATION WILL NOT BE REDUCEDUndersecretary Of Defense For Personnel And Readiness David Chu Confirms Compensation Will Not Be Reduced. "I'd just like very quickly to put to rest what I understand has been a burgeoning rumor that somehow we are going to reduce compensation for those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is not true. We are not going to reduce their compensation. · What I'm saying on the record for Iraq and Afghanistan, absolutely yes, we are going to continue compensation for those folks." (Department Of Defense, Press Conference, 8/15/03)
Even If Congress Allows Temporary Allowance Provisions To Expire In September, Defense Department Has More Effective Compensation Measures To Use. "The department has a variety of pay and allowance powers already with which it plans to maintain the compensation of those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan should the current allowance provisions expire. · But actually we would prefer· to use those other compensation powers as our way of ensuring that we target these compensation benefits on the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. · We have hardship duty pay · we have some incentive pay with which we can compensate people in Iraq should these allowances fall back to levels prior to April of this year when Congress enacted new levels with which we can and will · maintain compensation in Iraq. " (Defense Undersecretary David Chu, Press Conference, 8/15/03)
The writer of the original article probably never saw this. I don't blame him. Any American would be outraged if they found that combat pay was being cut for the infantry. But the fact is, it isn't being cut at all.
Be Seeing You,
Chris