Military Pay
CINDY WILLIAMS was appointed by Obama as an Assistant Director for NATIONAL SECURITY in the Congressional Budget Office.....
Ms.
Cindy William wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay
raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a
13% wage increase was more than they deserve.
A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this.
"MS Williams:
I
just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough”,
and I am a bit confused.
Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted
overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every
month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my
bank account. Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make
$1,117.80 before taxes per month. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When
I run that through the calculator, I come up with an annual salary of
$13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40 after.
I
work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the
team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with
infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A
quick check under jobs for "Network Technicians" in the Washington ,
D.C. Area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three yearsˆ™
experience in my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a
year. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per
annum............. I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.
Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces.
Before
you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD
leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest
pay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group
of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN; I leave the choice of
service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make though, opt for the
SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away
from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment
experience."
As
your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses
and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care
to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able
to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone.
Obviously
they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has
been giving them.
Try
to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are
perennial favorites. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a
foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight
sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve
you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat)
you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini,
and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor.
Talk
to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't be nearly
long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful
for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of
the points you present in your open piece.
But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will defend to the death your right to say it.
You
see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment
right and every other right you cherish...On a daily basis, my brother
and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can
thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short
of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We
hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we
can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.
And
you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we
deserve? What do you think someone should be paid to defend your life,
and the life of your family?
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