The war, and class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had a number of veterans of the Gulf War and the Iraq conflict in my classes as graduate students, plus veterans from prior to those conflicts. With very few exceptions, they have come from the middle class. They get excellent benefits, including full educational benefits, if they sustain any sort of disability during their active duty service. Reservists also get good benefits if they sustain a disability during their reserve time. One of my students had a dislocated thumb sustained during a skiing accident. He got full educational benefits to earn a bachelor's and master's degree. He went on to counsel veterans in the university system on how to maximize their benefits.

You sound like a recruiter. I worked at the VA. Even before the War on Terror began, there was not enough money to provide services to the many maimed and ill veterans, whether they were 20 or 85 yo. Then after the war in Iraq began, the administration cut the VA's budget even more ... but it was kept well under the radar, bc as the politicos like to say, we take care of the veterans who protected our country. The news that got out on Walter Reed is just a blip and scratch on the surface of what the general public knows for now. Maybe the rest of the stories will come out in torrents after the current administration leaves the White House.

If a vet is 30% (or more) disabled, they qualify for vocational rehabilitation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had a number of veterans of the Gulf War and the Iraq conflict in my classes as graduate students, plus veterans from prior to those conflicts. With very few exceptions, they have come from the middle class. They get excellent benefits, including full educational benefits, if they sustain any sort of disability during their active duty service. Reservists also get good benefits if they sustain a disability during their reserve time. One of my students had a dislocated thumb sustained during a skiing accident. He got full educational benefits to earn a bachelor's and master's degree. He went on to counsel veterans in the university system on how to maximize their benefits.

You sound like a recruiter. I worked at the VA. Even before the War on Terror began, there was not enough money to provide services to the many maimed and ill veterans, whether they were 20 or 85 yo. Then after the war in Iraq began, the administration cut the VA's budget even more ... but it was kept well under the radar, bc as the politicos like to say, we take care of the veterans who protected our country. The news that got out on Walter Reed is just a blip and scratch on the surface of what the general public knows for now. Maybe the rest of the stories will come out in torrents after the current administration leaves the White House.

If a vet is 30% (or more) disabled, they qualify for vocational rehabilitation.

But how are the vets rated? Who rates them? It's very subjective. Some vets can qualify for 100% disability but the person rating the vets' condition can just provide 30%, 50% ... there's a lot of legal backlog with vets having to seek out lawyers to get their benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had a number of veterans of the Gulf War and the Iraq conflict in my classes as graduate students, plus veterans from prior to those conflicts. With very few exceptions, they have come from the middle class. They get excellent benefits, including full educational benefits, if they sustain any sort of disability during their active duty service. Reservists also get good benefits if they sustain a disability during their reserve time. One of my students had a dislocated thumb sustained during a skiing accident. He got full educational benefits to earn a bachelor's and master's degree. He went on to counsel veterans in the university system on how to maximize their benefits.

You sound like a recruiter. I worked at the VA. Even before the War on Terror began, there was not enough money to provide services to the many maimed and ill veterans, whether they were 20 or 85 yo. Then after the war in Iraq began, the administration cut the VA's budget even more ... but it was kept well under the radar, bc as the politicos like to say, we take care of the veterans who protected our country. The news that got out on Walter Reed is just a blip and scratch on the surface of what the general public knows for now. Maybe the rest of the stories will come out in torrents after the current administration leaves the White House.

If a vet is 30% (or more) disabled, they qualify for vocational rehabilitation.

But how are the vets rated? Who rates them? It's very subjective. Some vets can qualify for 100% disability but the person rating the vets' condition can just provide 30%, 50% ... there's a lot of legal backlog with vets having to seek out lawyers to get their benefits.

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/vrs.htm

When DH left the military, he was ordered to fill out the paperwork. He qualified for disability, and receives a monthly payment, and qualified for vocational rehabilitation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens when they wake up and realize that they are being used to fight for "us"?

What do you propose? There be no military?

Pay them more, and tell them the truth about why (and for whom) they are fighting.

[Anonymous]

While I do agree with paying them more, I think most have a good idea why, and for whom they are fighting.

Certainly you can't think that all those in the military are uninformed idiots, can you? It isn't as if they are sequestered and brainwashed, they have access to all the same newspapers and nightly news you do. Depending on their rank and clearance, they also have much more information than you or I will ever have.

[Anonymous]

Didn't Prince Harry (or was it William) get sent over to Afghan.? True, different country and with "different" politics, but still, OP, your post is rather generalized.

On a more local front - Sen. Webb (D-Va) also has a son fighting for this country.

In addition, OP, your post remarks on three different issues that aren't really related.
True, it is tragic that a local woman lost her only son to the war - but would it be less tragic if she was upperclass, professional, and highly educated?
The second issue you mention is how Washington politicians have no intention of placing their own children on the warfront. Obviously, that is flawed logic as you probably have read from the previous posts (McCain, Webb, to name at least two etc.).
The third topic is linking a poor-uneducated demographic as the only "type" of personnel fighting in the war and not being represented by the politicians. That is just absurb - for starters, the politicians are elected officials and, last I checked, both men and women have the right to vote. And just what "type" of policymakers are you visualizing? True, you have your rich affluents like Kennedy and Kerry, but you also have more humbled roots like Obama, Jack Reed (former custodian/janitor in RI).

Also, your last sentence, OP, doesn't make sense. You use "they" twice and "us" which makes it unclear as to whom you are referring to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't Prince Harry (or was it William) get sent over to Afghan.? True, different country and with "different" politics, but still, OP, your post is rather generalized.

On a more local front - Sen. Webb (D-Va) also has a son fighting for this country.

In addition, OP, your post remarks on three different issues that aren't really related.
True, it is tragic that a local woman lost her only son to the war - but would it be less tragic if she was upperclass, professional, and highly educated?
The second issue you mention is how Washington politicians have no intention of placing their own children on the warfront. Obviously, that is flawed logic as you probably have read from the previous posts (McCain, Webb, to name at least two etc.).
The third topic is linking a poor-uneducated demographic as the only "type" of personnel fighting in the war and not being represented by the politicians. That is just absurb - for starters, the politicians are elected officials and, last I checked, both men and women have the right to vote. And just what "type" of policymakers are you visualizing? True, you have your rich affluents like Kennedy and Kerry, but you also have more humbled roots like Obama, Jack Reed (former custodian/janitor in RI).

Also, your last sentence, OP, doesn't make sense. You use "they" twice and "us" which makes it unclear as to whom you are referring
to.

Do you grade papers?

[Anonymous]

who the hell do you think are going to Annapolis and West Point. Or the Citadel? Get your facts straight. This is a volunteer military. Some people actually think it is important to defend and serve their country, not just bitch about it. Even the wealthy serve and to think not is pure ignorance. Your way of thinking is the problem, not which side of the tracks are soldiers come from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:who the hell do you think are going to Annapolis and West Point. Or the Citadel? Get your facts straight. This is a volunteer military. Some people actually think it is important to defend and serve their country, not just bitch about it. Even the wealthy serve and to think not is pure ignorance. Your way of thinking is the problem, not which side of the tracks are soldiers come from.

UM, I don't know too many sons of millionaires who are on the front lines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:who the hell do you think are going to Annapolis and West Point. Or the Citadel? Get your facts straight. This is a volunteer military. Some people actually think it is important to defend and serve their country, not just bitch about it. Even the wealthy serve and to think not is pure ignorance. Your way of thinking is the problem, not which side of the tracks are soldiers come from.

UM, I don't know too many sons of millionaires who are on the front lines.

Do you know anyone on the front lines?

[Anonymous]

I know plenty of very well educated men and women who choose to serve, frontline and all. They feel a strong desire to defend freedom so people like some on this board can shoot their mouth off about things they know nothing about without fear of punishment. Do some of you wish we had no military? What do you think it would be like here? I could not possible think you would be living the life you live now! Think.

[Anonymous]

umm John MCCain has a son who has served as an infantryman in Iraq--last time I checked that was the front line. Even Dr. Laura has a son who is in Iraq so even wacko rich celebs also have kids over there-please don't generalize and belittle that the only person who would serve would be a desperate person.

[Anonymous]

To further what pp said, I would like to add that one should not assume that enlisted personnel serve for different reasons than do officers. My DH enlisted in the Marines after he completed his college degree, because he was more interested in serving in a hands-on, frontline way. He was later commissioned as an officer and was well regarded by his troops because of his initial decision and the experience he gained serving enlisted.

This country's all volunteer military is an amazing group of individuals who protect our freedoms and way of life. They are also very diverse and join the military for many different reasons. They are not provided the opportunity to pick and choose which missions they will support ... surely you can understand why this might be.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to your DH for his service!