I have long contended that the Bush administration treats our soldiers horribly. They are all talk about how "strong" they are and how much they "honor" the troops who have been dishonestly tossed into Iraq with no grand plan and no public mobilization to support them. But the evidence is glaring. First, instead of raising the proper number of actual troops (fearing the public would never support a draft, which would demand sacrifice from everyone), they swept through and took all the people on National Guard into this. I have friends who were ripped from their jobs and stationed in that sinkhole of pointlessness. And now this story:
WCSH6.com
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (NBC) -- When they came home from Iraq, 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard had been deployed longer than any other ground combat unit. The tour lasted 22 months and had been extended as part of President Bush's surge.
1st Lt. Jon Anderson said he never expected to come home to this: A government refusing to pay education benefits he says he should have earned under the GI bill.
"It's pretty much a slap in the face," Anderson said. "I think it was a scheme to save money, personally. I think it was a leadership failure by the senior Washington leadership... once again failing the soldiers."
Anderson's orders, and the orders of 1,161 other Minnesota guard members, were written for 729 days.
Had they been written for 730 days, just one day more, the soldiers would receive those benefits to pay for school.
"Which would be allowing the soldiers an extra $500 to $800 a month," Anderson said.
I honestly think this administration is filled with people who are the scum of the earth. I cannot wait until they are long GONE. How dare they pretend to "support our troops" while quietly stabbing them in the back. This is treason. This is the lowest form of insult possible, to pretend to love them on one hand while throwing them in the dirt with the other. Can you tell how pissed off this makes me?
3 comments:
while the Guardsmen deserved the educational benefits you should also remember they wanted to be in the military. they were too dumb to read the fine print. Even today, knowing they will be sent to Iraq or Iran thousands keep joining.
I disagree with anonymous that they deserve this kind of treatment... these people sign up to protect our country.
30 guardsmen from our own community just came home Saturday, to much fanfare; a very emotional homecoming.
My son is serving in the Army, in Iraq; he will be there until next July, these will be my first holidays without him.
The story you refer to here sickens me, I couldn't believe it when I first read it. It was so obviously underhanded, I can't belive they had the nerve to go through with it.
(Note to Anon: NONE of these men and women are too dumb to read the fine print. Have a little respect.)
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