skip to main |
skip to sidebar
DOES CONGRESS CARE??
SEQUESTRATION IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY DEMOCRATS LOST IN NOV 2014.
FAYETTEVILLE — For all the insecurities of war, Capt. Elder Saintjuste always figured the one thing he could count on from the military was job security.
A Haitian immigrant who enlisted as a teenager, he deployed three times to Iraq, missing so many birthdays and Christmases that he sometimes felt he barely knew his four children. He hid symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder so he could stay in the Army, because he loved his job and believed that after 20 years he could retire with a captain’s pension.
Then this summer, on the day Saintjuste reached his 20 years, the Army told him that as part of the postwar downsizing of the force he would have to retire.
And adding insult to injury, he would have to retire as a sergeant, earning $1,200 less per month, because he had not been a captain long enough to receive a captain’s pension.
“I worked, I sacrificed, I risked my life, and they took it away like it didn’t matter,” Saintjuste said as he brought groceries into his house near Fort Bragg. “It wasn’t just losing a job. It was like having your wife leave you suddenly and not tell you why. It’s your whole life.”
For the first time since the end of the Cold War in the 1990s, the Army is shrinking.
Faced with declining budgets, the Army, the largest of the services, cut its force this year to 508,000 soldiers from 530,000, with plans to trim another 20,000 troops next year. If funding cuts mandated by Congress continue, the Army could have fewer than 450,000 soldiers by 2019 – the smallest force since World War II.
The cuts have largely come through attrition and reductions in recruiting, and have, so far, mostly affected low-ranking enlisted soldiers who have served only a few years. But this summer, the cuts fell on officers as well: 1,188 captains and 550 majors, many who were clearly intending on making a career of the military. More are expected to lose their jobs next year.
And for reasons the Army has not explained, the largest group of officers being pushed out – nearly 1 in 5 – began as enlisted soldiers.
Many are being pushed out despite having good records. When the Army announced the impending officer cuts a year ago, officials said they would target officers with evidence of poor performance or misconduct.
But an internal Army briefing disclosed by a military website in September showed the majority of captains being forced out had no blemishes on their records. The briefing, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, also showed that officers who had joined the Army as enlisted soldiers, then endured the demanding process required to rise into the officer corps, were three times as likely as captains who graduated from West Point to be forced to retire.
Many of those former enlisted soldiers had been encouraged to make the jump to the officer corps between 2006 and 2009, when the Iraq war was raging and the Pentagon was struggling to replace junior officers who were leaving the Army as soon as their initial commitments were over, often because they were worn out by multiple deployments.
The soldiers who volunteered to fill the gap – older than most junior officers because they had already served in the enlisted ranks – were picked from the best of the ranks, and some had to earn bachelor’s degrees to make the cut.
Many said in interviews they believed they were being pushed out because they were entitled to more pay and were eligible for retirement earlier, since they had been in the Army longer than other commissioned officers.
“The Army knew we had more years and they could save money by cutting us,” said Capt. Tina Patton, 43, a combat medic who became an officer in 2007. “Looking back at our records, a lot of us can’t figure out why else we would be cut.”
The Army declined to discuss in detail its criteria for trimming the officer corps.
“Selections for separation are based on a soldier’s manner of performance relative to their peers while serving as a commissioned officer,” Lt. Col. Benjamin Garrett, an Army spokesman said in an email. “The boards retained those with the highest demonstrated levels of performance and the most potential for future contributions on active duty.”
Promises of something big
Although the U.S. military has drawn down after every war, this one may seem more painful for many because they were not drafted but volunteered, often looking to make military service a career.
“They recruit with all kinds of promises, whether it’s career benefits or something more amorphous like being part of something bigger,” said Beth Bailey, a professor at Temple University who studies the Army. “They support families in a way that makes it a whole lifestyle. People become part of an insulated Army culture. For that to suddenly be taken away, I’m not surprised they feel betrayed.”
The Army has tried to ease the transition, offering separation pay – a cash buyout of sorts – sometimes amounting to more than $100,000, and months of notice to give officers time to find other work.
Captains who served more than 20 years get a full pension, and those who served more than 15 years get a prorated pension. But many of those getting pensions – about a third – have not served the eight years required to retire as captains, according to Army data. When they leave the Army, those soldiers revert to their previous highest enlisted rank, often sergeant, with lower retirement pay.
Capt. Tawanna Jamison, 43, who served 22 years in the Army but only seven as a captain, will get a sergeant’s retirement pay of $2,200 per month, less than half of what a retired captain receives, which is about $4,500.
“I could be facing bankruptcy,” she said. “I was helping my daughter pay for college. Now she’s on her own. I couldn’t have planned for this. It’s hard not to feel like the Army isn’t trying to save money on our backs.”
‘I get nothing’
Several officers said they neglected their home lives during the wars, believing they would eventually be repaid.
“Iraq, Afghanistan, jumping out of airplanes, doing all the training, leaving for work so early and coming home so late that I wouldn’t even see my family during the week, and I get nothing,” said Capt. Nathan Allen, who served more than 14 years as a linguist and intelligence officer and was awarded a Bronze Star.
As an officer, he worked 15-hour days, studying the latest intelligence for impending deployments while going through parachute and weapons training. He left for Iraq two weeks after the birth of his first child and was in Afghanistan for the birth of his third.
In seven years the family moved 10 times. Counting deployments and training, he estimated that he spent a third of his marriage away from his family.
“The whole time I told myself to just keep running and worry about the family later,” Allen, who is stationed at Fort Meade, Md., said in a phone interview.
After he learned he was being forced out, he said, “I fell into a deep despair.” He started having chest pains and body aches that made it hard to get out of bed. In October, he and his wife started seeing a counselor.
“I’m a mess right now,” he said. “They took away who I am. I’m a soldier.”
Source: News and Observer
PETER KASSIG WAS BEHEADED TO FRIGHTEN THE GOP.
OBAMA ADMIN HELPED TO CREATE ISIS TO OUST ASSAD.
CHRISTIANS MUST CONTINUE TO PRAY.
DON'T RUN FROM THE DEVIL, MAKE THE DEVIL RUN FROM YOU.
During Pres OBAMA'S first term (2010) his Admin secretly helped to launch #ISIS,
a Radical ISLAMIST Terrorist group as a way to oust Pres ASSAD from SYRIA because ASSAD'S regime poses NO Threat to ISRAEL, nor CHRISTIANS in the MIDDLE EAST.
ASSAD'S Leadership also poses NO Threat to U.S. Military Troops.
Starting MIDDLE EAST Chaos (ARAB Spring) and using CNN to oust Leaders in the MIDDLE EAST who pose NO Threat to ISRAEL......CHRISTIANS......
nor U.S. Military Troops,
is the exact SAME tactic OBAMA used to oust MUMMAR GADDAFI (Libya) and HOSNI MUBARK (Egypt).
From 2010 to 2014, #ISIS has also been responsible for Numerous Plane Crashes because Radical ISLAMIST Immigrants are now walking around on U.S. Soil and some of them are Employed and Working at American Airports.
Nevertheless OBAMA'S plan to oust ASSAD Failed.
Why??
Because ASSAD is too Smart for OBAMA and ASSAD is a Real ARAB, while OBAMA is an ARAB wanna-be.
Thus ASSAD understands MIDDLE EAST Politics much better than OBAMA does.
**(Pres OBAMA does NOT personally Identify with BLACK People.
He personally identifies with ARABS and other MIDDLE EASTERN People.)
OBAMA only identifies with BLACK People to Win Elections.)
ISIS was also launched by the OBAMA Admin to take back IRAQ from the U.S. Military so that Radical ISLAM would become Law in IRAQ.
As we speak, it appears as if ISIS has been somewhat Successful in regaining Control of IRAQ.
The key word here is "APPEARS" because ISIS is NOT the Well-Organized Terrorist group that CNN has falsely reported.
Due to its strong Radical ISLAM Ideology, #ISIS has Serious Leadership problems and does NOT know how to Strategize, nor NEGOTIATE Effectively.
Does this sound Familiar??
(**FYI:
CNN is the OBAMA'S Admin Media arm to report on #ISIS and Incite RACE RIOTS in Ferguson, Missouri for higher Ratings.)
After OBAMA discovered #ISIS could NOT oust ASSAD from his place of LEADERSHIP,
then ISIS began to use the common MIDDLE EASTERN practice of BEHEADING to Spread TERROR all over the World.
The latest victim Beheaded by ISIS is a U.S. Human Rights Aid Worker named PETER KASSIG.
For those of you who do NOT understand the Origin of Radical ISLAM, allow me to inform you that Radical ISLAM is NOT a RELIGION, nor a FAITH.
Instead Radical ISLAM is a Political Agenda which uses TERRORISM to Enforce its Tenets, and to STEAL MONEY.
Notice how PETER KASSIG was Beheaded AFTER the 2014 U.S. Mid-Term ELECTIONS.
Who won the 2014 U.S. Mid-Term ELECTIONS?
The GOP!
So why was PETER KASSIG Beheaded After the 2014 U.S. Mid-Term ELECTIONS?
To Frighten and WARN the GOP to leave OBAMA Alone!
#ISIS is NOT working against OBAMA.
#ISIS is working with OBAMA'S Permission.
I Strongly Suggest CHRISTIANS all over Planet EARTH continue to PRAY Daily and Fiercely to the Lord GOD in the name of JESUS CHRIST, for Divine Protection of the UNITED STATES and all U.S. Military Troops!
DON'T RUN FROM THE DEVIL, MAKE THE DEVIL RUN FROM YOU
RACISM, KKK...... SO MANY REASONS BUT THE GOP ISN'T ONE.
After KAY HAGAN was Defeated last Tuesday by her GOP Opponent THOM TILLIS, it's no surprise to hear NORTH CAROLINA'S Democratic Party Leaders blaming GOP Leaders for her loss.
Both HAGAN and TILLIS Spent more than $100 Million in a hotly debated U.S. Senate race, yet NC Democratic Party Leaders only seem to be focused on money that flowed from GOP Donors.
However the TRUTH is that NORTH CAROLINA'S Democratic Party has been in Trouble for quite some time.
Long before Nov 2010 when the GOP regained Control.
In fact were it Not for BARACK OBAMA'S Voter Tsunami in 2008, neither KAY HAGAN, nor former NC Gov BEV PERDUE would have Won, because both HAGAN and PERDUE rode OBAMA'S coattails in 2008.
So let's just briefly address some Major issues within NORTH CAROLINA'S Democratic Party:
1) All WHITE Leadership at the top but mostly BLACK Voters statewide.
2) KLU KLUX KLAN Power remains at the helms of both the NORTH CAROLINA Democratic and Republican Party.
3) Regardless of which Political Party is in Power,
BLACK Voters in NORTH CAROLINA are still Disenfranchised as it relates to Education, Unfair Taxation, lack of Small Business Opportunities, Mass Transportation, Unemployment, Criminal Justice.
Why??
4) In NORTH CAROLINA the Democratic Party wants BLACK Voters to Support Democrats, while being SILENT about everything that is keeping BLACK Voters in this State from reaching Upward Mobility.
It seems the only time Democratic Party Leaders allow BLACK Voters to "Speak Out" is when it's time for another ELECTION.
5) Each time a BLACK Citizen in NORTH CAROLINA dares to step up for Statewide Leadership positions, they are knocked back down to earth by WHITE Democratic Party Leadership or Hammered by the NORTH CAROLINA Media Until those BLACK Citizens give up any Hope of ever achieving Statewide Democratic Party Leadership in NORTH CAROLINA.
I could go on and on with more reasons as to why the NORTH CAROLINA Democratic Party is FAILING and is rapidly on its way to becoming Politically Extinct.
But...........
The GOP isn't one of those reasons.
I'm just saying.
WHY WERE IRS AUDITS CONDUCTED ON EVERY WORKING & NON-WORKING BLACK AMERICAN CITIZEN DURING OBAMA'S FIRST TERM?
WHY DID THE MEDIA IGNORE THIS INJUSTICE BY ONLY FOCUSING ON A FEW WHITE PEOPLE WHO WERE AUDITED??
In 2008 more than 97% of all Registered BLACK American Citizens Voted BARACK OBAMA JR into the White House.
Of course OBAMA also captured 66% of the LATINO Vote and 43% of WHITE Voters, but the Media (CNN & FOX NEWS) only focused on the percentage of BLACK Voters who Supported America's 44th Elected President.
However.........
Almost immediately after being Sworn into office, the OBAMA Admin and Congressional DEMOCRAT Leaders ordered an AUDIT on All BLACK American Citizens, both Working and Non-Working BLACK Citizens.
I repeat.
The OBAMA Admin ordered IRS Audits on All BLACK American Citizens, both Working and Non-Working BLACK Citizens!
This is TRUTH!
Did the Mainstream MEDIA report on this act of RACIAL INJUSTICE against one class of Human Beings?
No!!
Instead the Mainstream MEDIA only reported on a Few WHITE People who were Audited by the IRS.
NO WHITE Elected U.S. President has EVER ordered a Massive IRS Audit on the entire BLACK American Community, both Working & Non-Working BLACK Citizens.
In fact NO WHITE Elected U.S. President had EVER done anything so obviously Racially-Biased against BLACK America since 1963!
Suddenly we have a BLACK President in office and one of the First things he did was to order a Massive IRS Audit against All BLACK American Citizens, both Working and Non-Working.
The OBAMA Admin stripped Hundreds of Millions of Dollars from the BLACK American Community, from Hard-working, HONEST BLACK Voters!
Many of them Hard-working, HONEST Small Business Owners who were JOB CREATORS!
But Why???
What did the BLACK American Community do as a Group to deserve such Heinous Mistreatment??
What did we do??
Yet...........
The Mainstream Media (CNN & FOX) chose to turn a Blind eye to this Huge INJUSTICE and Abuse of Government Power, until a Few WHITE People were Audited.
To this day, the OBAMA Admin has continued to come down Extremely Hard on the BLACK American Community more so than any other Ethnic Group, as if He were trying to place all BLACK American Citizens back into SLAVERY!
This includes the OBAMA Admin encouraging and rewarding American Corporations NOT to Hire BLACK American Citizens.
What a Disgrace before GOD!
Perhaps this explains why BLACK American Voters did NOT turn out in large numbers for DEMOCRATS in 2010 and why many BLACK Voters largely Supported GOP Candidates in Nov 2014.
While it's True BARACK OBAMA JR was Re-elected in 2012, the margin of BLACK Voters who Supported Him was noticeably Smaller.
And.............
In Nov 2014, it was many Wrongfully AUDITED BLACK Voters whom the Media (CNN & FOX NEWS) ignored, who cast their Ballots for WHITE REPUBLICAN Candidates to help Elect a GOP CONGRESS.
I could be wrong but it's just a strong thought.
Please Don't Hate The Messenger!
.jpg)
