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Emergencynet News Opinion/Editorial

20 July 99 - 12:00CDT

Military Members Receive Food Stamps?

By C. L. Staten

After reading a page one, by-lined article by Steve Vogel in the Washington Post on Tuesday, July 20th -- I admit it -- I am both outraged and ashamed. The piece in question, titled, "Feeling the Pinch of a Military Salary; For Some Families, Pay Doesn't Cover the Basics," clearly points out a major flaw in the policy of this country.

Why the outrage? Well, it has to do with the fact that, in a country that is arguably enjoying the greatest prosperity of it's history, our entry-level soldiers, sailors, and airmen are lining up to collect food stamps and scrounge through other peoples trash in order to provide for their families. And, we all should be ashamed....the thought that people, who are voluntarily putting their lives on the line for the rest of us, are living on welfare should be abhorent to all Americans.

How did this happen, one might ask? Well, congressional studies suggest that military pay has fallen 14% as compared to civilian pay since 1982. It happened during a period of "military downsizing" as legislators and political pundits attempted to manipulate and spend a so-called "peace dividend" and convert military budgets to "social welfare programs." Ironically, it is these very same welfare programs that are now needed to help provide for the families of those deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo.

There is an on-going debate in Washington about the recruiting and retention of skilled military personnel. It seems that no one can figure out why our services can't keep the people that we spend millions of dollars training to do critical jobs in the defense of America. Of course not, when the troops can complete their military obligation and then get a job in the civilian sector -- doing the same work -- but, it pays substanially more. Why would any right-thinking person remain in the military if they can better provide for their families by leaving the service and working in the civilian sector.

This situation has to stop now. Our legislators should be ashamed that it has taken a front page article in the Washington Post to bring this problem to light. Our political leadership must address this issue immediately and ensure that our defenders and their families are adequately cared for and receiving a living wage. A thorough review of the living standards and conditions of all of the members of the military is long overdue. We owe them nothing less....do it now.

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