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Protect soldiers’ benefits

November 9, 2011

Javier Duran and his family

By JAVIER DURAN

As a member of the armed forces, and being currently deployed to Afghanistan, I am taken back by the thought of the legislature using my family living in San Luis Obispo’s benefits as means to address the budget issues.

I swore to protect the constitution and the American way of life. The least the American government can do is to provide the medical and retirement resources due to me and other soldiers risking/giving their lives for the protection of our country.

Being deployed my mind is at ease knowing my family does not have to worry of any medical expenses while I am fighting in a foreign country.

There is nothing worse you can do to affect a soldier’s moral, while deployed, than to affect his family’s financial means. I have a hard enough time coping with the loss of my brothers and sisters only to realize the worry of my family needing financial and medical support.

It will be a great insult to see congress or the department of defense effect or change the benefits we, American soldiers, have long fought for.

As the minority one percent helping protect the rest of our country it is only just to maintain the level of support entitled to the few willing to sacrifice their lives for many.

I want to provide this link for those interested in issues affecting American soldiers. The current topic in the budget chopping block is medical and retirement benefits for U.S. soldiers. The attached link is a way to send an e-mail to the president, DOD and local representatives voicing your concerns about the reduction of benefits for American soldiers.

Javier Duran is deployed in Afghanistan with the 217th Finance Management Detachment.


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So what do you do with a guy like this who has been boondoggled into thinking he’s protecting the country or some such nonsense.

You’re being used to promote Wall st. protect Israel, establish oil pipeline routes in the future and sell arms…….

I think by far people enlist for the bennies. , I know it actually.

It’s all swept under the rug while people die.


Stop the BS of putting out there the country is being protected, it’s garbage. who really buys it @ this point


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Men and women who volunteer to protect this country and serve in a combat zone deserve better than they are currenly getting and certainly do NOT deserve even a conversation about cutting their benefits. While I am not a veteran nor currently a member of the armed services, I believe benefits should be increased for those putting themselves in harms way. I don’t know what the trigger should be, but there should be a certain number of tours in a combat zone that even qualifies a soldier to be free from income tax for life. If you put your own life on the line for mine, then I have an ongoing responsibility to you.


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It is no news to say our government is out of control. It is just a matter of time before we all collapse under the massive weight of federal stupidity. There is absolutely no way our military should have to worry about their benefits. Their service is the very foundation to the existence of the very government that is making every effort to undermine our soldier’s peace of mind while deployed.


Is there no hope?


Another example of government gone bad:


http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/09/news/economy/christmas_tree_tax/index.htm?iid=HP_River


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You had me until the link. I agree with except for the article. If you read that article there is a reason that the Christmas tree farmers WANT to be taxed.


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moderator: accidental partial post above, please delete. Continued below:


Thank you for your service, you are greatly appreciated. Don’t pay any attention to the haters, they are going to hate on you no matter what.


While I firmly believe that we need to withdraw each and every service member from EVERY corner of the world and become the world’s businessmen rather than the world’s policemen; I support you and your family 110%. There are very few things enumerated in our constitution for the federal government to do. Providing for our defense is one of them. EVERYTHING ELSE that isn’t enumerated should be cut or eliminated before our service members benefits get cut.


Until the naysayers have walked a mile in your boots, they need to sit down and be good little silent tax payers.


You sir are made from the fabric that once made this nation great. I salute you and am forever in your debt. Thank you again for all that you do and know that you have support.


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Javier, thank you for your service to our country. I know that most of what I write here is viewed as very political, but the subject you wrote about is political in nature. For everyone who thinks that our service members deserve all that is coming to them, please look at who it is that is trying to change what it is our service members receive. We have in our political system a party that is trying to change how our government works; many times they state that our government needs to follow the model of big business, so going into a “cost cutting” mode shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. The budget of the Defense Department has doubled since 9/11, and even before that happened, our country spends more on defense than all other countries in the world, COMBINED. The question of cutting the budget on defense should not be an “if” we should, but more of a “how much” we should. Obsolete weapons systems, unproven technology, boondoggles of all sorts need to be uncovered and removed from the Defense Departments spending, but since the industrial/military complex was very smart not to concentrate in too small of any area, every single politician in office has some form of military spending in their district, so cutting costs is not going to be an easy task.

Having put all of that on the table, let’s not lose sight of the obligation we have to fulfill the agreements we made with our service members when they signed up; don’t those signed documents constitute a “binding agreement”, a contract? Why don’t our politicians consider implementing a “two-tier” system like has been done in both private industry and other government positions? Set a date, after that time all new service members will have new rules, but those already serving will have their agreements met with the original terms in place. Seems like a more fair system than changing the terms for those already serving.


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Specialist Duran,


Thank you for your service.


The U.S. Government has provided you an opportunity to see the world and learn a trade.


You chose to join and your not a conscript.


Your entitled to what you signed up for.


The DOD has adequate programs and benefits for veterans, ranging from the GI Bill to VA loans.


I thought writing political letters is against DOD policy and I’m surprised your command allowed you to do so.


Your are an instrument of war.


Wasn’t this made clear to you when you volunteered?


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DOD Directive 1344.10: members of the Armed Services ARE ALLOWED to:


“4.1.1.6. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing the member’s personal

views on public issues or political candidates, if such action is not part of an organized letterwriting campaign or a solicitation of votes for or against a political party or partisan political

cause or candidate. If the letter identifies the member as on active duty (or if the member is

otherwise reasonably identifiable as a member of the Armed Forces), the letter should clearly

state that the views expressed are those of the individual only and not those of the Department of

Defense (or Department of Homeland Security for members of the Coast Guard”


Seems to me he met the requirements.


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Wow, I’m surprised that you got 4 thumbs up.


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