Can someone explain the wealthy military officer phenomenon?

[Anonymous]

My uncle was a lieutenant colonel when he retired but he was literally old money. His family is a well-known name and he has a trust.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It’s because the taxpayer funds a huge portion of their expenses (housing while on base, no down payment for Va loans, the list goes on). Welfare queens to the max

+1. Even one of Reagan's hires (Stockdale, I think his name may be) wrote a book a few years ago describing the US military as socialistic. But if you dare question it, you're labeled a "communist" or worse. DH has several retired military in his family, and when they start bragging about their free health care and whatnot at Thanksgiving, I say "you're welcome."

Sorry, no one is bragging about Tricare.

Tricare is the absolute worst right now. I have to wait 3+ months for doctor appointments. Doctors say follow up in a month and the best I can do is 3-4 months. Forget seeing your primary care for an emergency. And, it takes months to get CT's/MRI's and other tests done. And, they refuse a lot of testing or specialists because they claim it's unnecessary. Or, worst, no one off base who is good takes tricare so if you get referred out as multiple clinics refuse patients good luck finding a competent doctor to help. And, if the outside doctor refers you for anything, you cannot get it done on base and the co-pays and stuff have gone sky high. I have chronic health issues and we end up paying a fortune out of pocket for doctors and medications tricare refuses. It really sucks.

If you are healthy, tricare is fine. If you are not, good luck.

I hear sadly the illegals using veteran's services don't have to wait at all. Such a shame what has become of our country.

Stop with the nonsense. You have no clue what you are talking about. Illegals don’t get va services and we are talking retiree benefits which is tricare, not va.

These myths are so illogical. What “illegal alien” is going to steal an identification and willing interact with the military, which is the government??? So silly and just devoid of any logic or fact.

[Anonymous]

This is the plot of the Punisher season of Daredevil TV show.

[Anonymous]

My husband retired as a colonel and we do okay. We have a house and a beach house and a pool but we are not wealthy wealthy. Those people with the country club and the private schools all have family money. Guys marry these southern women who come from wealth. We knew a lot of them when stationed in Europe as well as at NATO etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband retired as a colonel and we do okay. We have a house and a beach house and a pool but we are not wealthy wealthy. Those people with the country club and the private schools all have family money. Guys marry these southern women who come from wealth. We knew a lot of them when stationed in Europe as well as at NATO etc.

Yes you are rich.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Straw man. Base officer housing might not be that nice (though why you brought up enlisted housing I have no idea), but BHA definitely is.

Married to an officer. We don’t have access to base housing. Many in the Bethesda area don’t.

This isn't true at all. You have access to base housing on other bases, but you choose to live in Bethesda. You can go to Ft. Mead, Andrews, Bolling, etc.

I actually can’t. Husband has to live within a certain radius of the hospital.

You can live where ever you want. The rule is for your husband, not you and you can live in a cheaper area and not just Bethesda.

Shut up. Even the military, for all its MANY faults, prefers to keep the servicemember with their civilian spouse. Hell, they try to keep dual military couples together.

You were blessed. We were separated two years because of it. Sure, it's nice to stay together but it's not realistic for everyone. Check your privilege but you were probably an officer family.

Um. Enlisted or not, the military never expected your husband to live within a certain radius of his place of employment and for you to not.

Actually, yes they did. We couldn't afford it, so I stayed behind. See how that works.

Troll. You can't "not afford" to move on accompanied orders.

No, we could not afford it. I had a good job and close to retirement. We needed my income till my husband could retire and get a job and start over working their way up which isn’t easy to do in your late 30s.

This really isn’t relevant and you’d think you’d know better than to tell someone just to live apart from their spouse because you chose not to. It’s not that you couldn’t afford it. It didn’t make financial sense.

No, we could not afford it as I did not have a job where he was going and we could not afford to live on just his salary. Enlisted don’t make that much.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It’s because the taxpayer funds a huge portion of their expenses (housing while on base, no down payment for Va loans, the list goes on). Welfare queens to the max

+1. Even one of Reagan's hires (Stockdale, I think his name may be) wrote a book a few years ago describing the US military as socialistic. But if you dare question it, you're labeled a "communist" or worse. DH has several retired military in his family, and when they start bragging about their free health care and whatnot at Thanksgiving, I say "you're welcome."

Maybe when the conversation turns to the safe and free society we live in, your retired military family members can turn to you and say, “You’re welcome.”

Oh, they do, at every turn.

Good, I’m glad you are making sure to thank them for their service.

You are thanking them, right, and that’s why they’re saying, “You’re welcome”?

Thanking them for their service is cringe. They didn’t do it for you.

[Anonymous]

Women from “good families” like military officers/Academy grads. The wife is usually entering the marriage with her own money - either good career or family money.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It’s because the taxpayer funds a huge portion of their expenses (housing while on base, no down payment for Va loans, the list goes on). Welfare queens to the max

+1. Even one of Reagan's hires (Stockdale, I think his name may be) wrote a book a few years ago describing the US military as socialistic. But if you dare question it, you're labeled a "communist" or worse. DH has several retired military in his family, and when they start bragging about their free health care and whatnot at Thanksgiving, I say "you're welcome."

Maybe when the conversation turns to the safe and free society we live in, your retired military family members can turn to you and say, “You’re welcome.”

Oh, they do, at every turn.

Good, I’m glad you are making sure to thank them for their service.

You are thanking them, right, and that’s why they’re saying, “You’re welcome”?

Thanking them for their service is cringe. They didn’t do it for you.

This.

The elephant in the room is that many people join or stay in the military because it is their best (financial ) option.

That is not politically correct but it is true. (That is why they use bonuses to get them to re-up, not flags or the constitution!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:It’s because the taxpayer funds a huge portion of their expenses (housing while on base, no down payment for Va loans, the list goes on). Welfare queens to the max

+1. Even one of Reagan's hires (Stockdale, I think his name may be) wrote a book a few years ago describing the US military as socialistic. But if you dare question it, you're labeled a "communist" or worse. DH has several retired military in his family, and when they start bragging about their free health care and whatnot at Thanksgiving, I say "you're welcome."

Maybe when the conversation turns to the safe and free society we live in, your retired military family members can turn to you and say, “You’re welcome.”

Oh, they do, at every turn.

Good, I’m glad you are making sure to thank them for their service.

You are thanking them, right, and that’s why they’re saying, “You’re welcome”?

Thanking them for their service is cringe. They didn’t do it for you.

This.

The elephant in the room is that many people join or stay in the military because it is their best (financial ) option.

That is not politically correct but it is true. (That is why they use bonuses to get them to re-up, not flags or the constitution!)

Come on. That's not true. Of all the officers that got to retirement there isn't a single one I know that did it for a paycheck. Many easier careers that don't totally burn your family and regularly puts you at risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of the retired military personnel I know are all 100% disabled. So in addition to their pensions they get a very large monthly disability payment. And since they’re 100% disabled many jurisdictions such as Loudoun county waive property taxes. One guy in my neighborhood is a retired colonel who doesn’t pay property taxes on his $1.5 million home and works as a commercial airline pilot. Triple dipping.

I know of several 20-something’s who served their three years and get paid $2k a month for life due to stubbing a toe or twisting an ankle while serving.

Be sure to “thank” them for their service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s because the taxpayer funds a huge portion of their expenses (housing while on base, no down payment for Va loans, the list goes on). Welfare queens to the max

+1. Even one of Reagan's hires (Stockdale, I think his name may be) wrote a book a few years ago describing the US military as socialistic. But if you dare question it, you're labeled a "communist" or worse. DH has several retired military in his family, and when they start bragging about their free health care and whatnot at Thanksgiving, I say "you're welcome."

Maybe when the conversation turns to the safe and free society we live in, your retired military family members can turn to you and say, “You’re welcome.”

Oh, they do, at every turn.

Good, I’m glad you are making sure to thank them for their service.

You are thanking them, right, and that’s why they’re saying, “You’re welcome”?

Thanking them for their service is cringe. They didn’t do it for you.

This.

The elephant in the room is that many people join or stay in the military because it is their best (financial ) option.

That is not politically correct but it is true. (That is why they use bonuses to get them to re-up, not flags or the constitution!)

Come on. That's not true. Of all the officers that got to retirement there isn't a single one I know that did it for a paycheck. Many easier careers that don't totally burn your family and regularly puts you at risk.

Officers aren’t at risk working in NoVA. Give me a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s because the taxpayer funds a huge portion of their expenses (housing while on base, no down payment for Va loans, the list goes on). Welfare queens to the max

+1. Even one of Reagan's hires (Stockdale, I think his name may be) wrote a book a few years ago describing the US military as socialistic. But if you dare question it, you're labeled a "communist" or worse. DH has several retired military in his family, and when they start bragging about their free health care and whatnot at Thanksgiving, I say "you're welcome."

Maybe when the conversation turns to the safe and free society we live in, your retired military family members can turn to you and say, “You’re welcome.”

Oh, they do, at every turn.

Good, I’m glad you are making sure to thank them for their service.

You are thanking them, right, and that’s why they’re saying, “You’re welcome”?

Thanking them for their service is cringe. They didn’t do it for you.

This.

The elephant in the room is that many people join or stay in the military because it is their best (financial ) option.

That is not politically correct but it is true. (That is why they use bonuses to get them to re-up, not flags or the constitution!)

Come on. That's not true. Of all the officers that got to retirement there isn't a single one I know that did it for a paycheck. Many easier careers that don't totally burn your family and regularly puts you at risk.

Yes, they did it for the pay check, retirement pay and health insurance. No one stays in past 8-10 years except for that. For us, it was the health insurance.

[Anonymous]

Military officer here. I would’ve responded earlier, but I was too busy stubbing my toe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Military officer here. I would’ve responded earlier, but I was too busy stubbing my toe.

Cha Ching!

/s