I grow weary of chipping away at the erroneous belief that Republicans support the troops, while anyone to the left of Toby Keith does not. If Republicans love the troops so much, why does the Pentagon, under Bush appointee Donald Rumsfeld, constantly shortchange them? The most recent slight-of-hand game played at our troops expense: promising re-enlistment bonuses, and then refusing to pay them.
As per America Blog, the Pentagon has reneged on the $15,000 bonuses for re-enlistment.
According the Seattle Post Intelligencer, Washington state Guard officials have taken on the fight with Pentagon Brass to restore money promised to soldiers while they were fighting in Iraq.
A Department of Defense decision to renege on war-time promises to pay bonuses to more than a dozen re-enlisting Washington National Guardsmen has sparked outrage from prominent elected officials and state National Guard officers working to rectify the situation.
According to a state Guard spokesman, Maj. Phil Osterli, at least 15 Washington National Guardsmen and women signed re-enlistment forms promising them a tax-free $15,000 bonus in return. Many of them were stationed in Iraq at the time, he said.
But Pentagon officials have said in published reports that the bonuses were canceled because they duplicated other programs and were prohibited….
After serving two years active duty with the Navy and the last 11 years with the National Guard, Latson said, “I re-enlisted because the opportunity was there to finally get a bonus.”
Latson, who served in Iraq most recently from March 2004 to March 2005, said he has been counting on the money to help buy a house and to support his 11-year-old daughter. He said he knows at least 10 other National Guardsmen in the same boat….
So, in addition to extending tours of duty in an increasingly treacherous war, under-equipping our troops for dangerous missions, keeping many reservists away from lucrative civilian employment, and slashing VA funding, we can now add torching contracts for promised bonuses. Amazing the love this Republican Administration has for our troops. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I read this not to long ago and was ranting/raving to myself in my apartment. A story like this should be shouted to the fucken rooftops and be on the news 24/7 like the damn ‘dean scream’ was-at least this is news and that wasn’t.
These bastards are just beyond lower than scum and it continues to amaze me how anyone in the military has any use left for these cold blooded pricks. They’ve been screwed over so many times in the last several years it’s almost impossible to keep track of each shitty thing bushco has done to the military or not done for the military….I think the only noble cause bush cares about is how many billions all these scumbags can pocket with their greedy, grasping hands.
it’s funny that you immediately land at “unprinatable words.” i wrote about this at my blog with the title “!#$%&@ing Pentagon !#%&$@s Soldiers (Again).”
* sigh *
and the worst part, which wasn’t quoted here, is this:
if that ain’t shoot-yourself-in-the-foot brilliant, i don’t know what is.
Support the Troops = Support Bush in Hating the Troops
First, what sort of military needs to promise its soldiers a substantial cash bonus to get them to re-enlist, instead of an appeal to duty and patriotism? Would that be a military with a damnably low morale?
Gosh, wonder why the military’s morale is low. I can’t think of any reasons, can you?
Oh, maybe it’s the fact that wounded soldiers in VA hospitals have to pay for their own meals!
Or maybe the fact that no matter how urgent the need for money–to rebuild New Orleans after it was virtually wiped out by Hurricane Katrina, to care for the wounded troops, to buy them body armour, to fight child hunger and poverty–Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress absolutely refuse to rescind the tax cuts for the wealthy.
Bad as the Democrats are, at least they support taking care of the troops in the field and those who come home in need of medical attention.
If you want to help, follow this link and join with Senator Barack Obama in providing the bare minimum for wounded soldiers:
http://obama.senate.gov/speech/050414-statement_of_senator_barack_obama_about_his_amendment_to_provi
de_meals_and_phone_service_to_wounded_veterans/
shadowthief – do you know if that amendment has been voted yet or do we need to be getting the word out about it still?