My only bitch with retirement is the pay vs Veterin benefits. I think that retire pay should be 100% and VA be what it is. VA pay shouldn't be minuses from retire pay. Sure if like 60 plus you get both. For example: Of you retire with 2000 and get 50p BA you are paid 1500 retire and 500 VA. No. I worked for over 20 so I should get 2000 and if BA says you get 500 then I should get 2000 and 500. I shouldn't have to play the VA game to up my percentage in order to get both. Where I screwed up is I should have not done 20, went to sick call for every cut and splinter and get that 70%+ or 100..Get a heck more by making myself disabled than giving 20 plus for a fraction of retired pay.
This gets into that whole Richard Star Act discussion. There are some goofy f'd up policies with medical disability retirements and separations that seriously need to be cleaned up. Unfortunately the current version of the Richard Star Act doesn't do really fix anything: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rRJ6lDi0Zvg.html
Interesting, but you were right in the previous video. They don't care about you. Many of the Retiree Service's Office' are barely staffed and only open 1/2 day.... Just keep sending my check, but don't call me.
You're right. In fact, I kind of think the idea of this Retired Soldier Council is a bit sad. Like, look at how many issues got ignored. It's like the CSA gets a chance to publicly flick his nose at retirees. Strange.
Out of morbid curiosity I attended a local retiree council event on the nearby installation and it reminded me of an FRG meeting, just a bunch of (now) civilians bickering over who outranks whom.
@@steve03260 Absolutely, and I’ll show them their due deference, address them appropriately per AR 600-25 and show them as much respect as they deserve. Heck, all rank aside, I call everyone sir/ma’am. However, we are all retirees now and have no administrative authority so they can’t automatically assume that they get to be in charge because they just so happen to have once been a brigade commander/CSM.
Ref the Military Service Organizations, the example they gave is a Veteran Service Organization (VSO). Military Service Organizations (MSO) are the Association of the United States Army, the National Guard Association of the United States, the Navy League and the Air Force Association, etc. They focus on supporting the Services, where VSOs support Veterans. MSOs are, in fact, working to help their services with Recruiting. And I agree the VSOs aren’t going to be interested. Probably disapproved because it wasn’t written correctly, but the Installation should have known that.
Medical, fun part is being yelled at by retirees while working at MTFs and they discover that they have to pay for medical care when Medicare kicks in. E3 through O4, and GS9 through GS12, they didn't care still ended up yelling at me.
That's an interesting observation. I mean, I can see how some retired MSG would be surprised (and respond with yelling) when they learned that they aren't on TRICARE Prime anymore.
The Army lost the social fabric for advocacy decades ago when it eliminated the regimental culture and the touch points of traditions and events with the population. This council sounds like another ‘equity review process’ for an interdepartmental self validation to their enterprise culture. Meanwhile the other services at the local level hold their service birthdays, appreciation ball games, high school sponsored events, and holiday engagements. Recruiting command and the CSA have got to get in the ground game if they want to win.
That final bit is really insightful. There is a ground game with retirees and vets that has to focus on making them appreciate their service. I gotta meditate on that one.
The FBU in Germany is located at the Frankfurt Consulate. They’re Fuuuuggin horrible. So bad we didn’t even apply for our newborns SS Card until we returned to the states.
I received the retiree package I do not own a motor vehicle I do not wear suits so the packaged is in a pile of other interesting items someone else will have to deal if I get killed riding my bike.
My suggestion would be to end the PX/BX System and Commissary and give an extra $200 monthly in active duty base pay and retiree pay. This benefit has attrited to almost nothing.
I'd go even further. It seems like the PX/BX is the opposite of a benefit. If I want a cheap appliance for a 9 week TDY, for some reason, the PX doesn't sell the lowest priced models that I could get at Walmart or Target. Their lowest priced item is more expensive. That begins to seem predatory towards junior enlisted.
There is a very important way that a Boomer, a GenXer, and Millennial Retiree can advise one another...Identify the things that don't change. Each experienced a different Army, different combat, and a different American Culture...but the things that are the same are VERY important. Those are the things that are most true. When the Boomer and the GenXer both experienced the same thing, the Millennial can be pretty sure its going to happen to them.
