Military Officer - July 2006 - (Page 14) yourviews “The Pentagon’s proposed health care hikes are definitely going to hurt retention.” — Capt. Ed Lopez, USMC-Ret. at least) V-22 Osprey, whose costs are spiraling over $100 million apiece? I could swear I’ve seen this movie somewhere in the past, when … our military wanted to buy every weapon but the ones it needed most to fight the only war on its hands. As I recall, we lost that war. Col. Michael Haas, USAF-Ret. Reno, Nev. MOAA On-Target Kudos to MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., on his letter from the president, “AVF at Risk” [May 2006]. I thought it extremely well-said. That letter, coupled with the article “Hikes on Hold” [in “Washington Scene”] and others in the May edition, reinforced my perception that the leadership of MOAA is well-intentioned and on-target. Col. John Strange, USA-Ret. via e-mail TRICARE Fee Increases I have been following the stories regarding DoD and the Pentagon’s plan to raise our TRICARE fees. I totally agree with MOAA that we who are retired military and future military retirees, as well as our spouses and children, have already paid our dues a thousand times plus. What happened to the promise of free medical care for life? Now that we do have TRICARE For Life, it will cost us dearly if the DoD and Pentagon plan is approved. If our medical care is supposed to be free, why then are we paying TRICARE premiums every year? I totally agree with MOAA that DoD and the Pentagon both need to clean up their financial houses before imposing health care fee hikes on those of us who have already paid our dues through our sacrifice in defense of our country. DoD’s and the Pentagon’s proposed health care hikes are definitely going 14 MILITARY OFFICER J U LY 2 0 0 6 to hurt retention and the recruiting effort. Bottom line: You don’t send troops off to harm’s way and then punish them when they retire by imposing high health care costs. [That’s] not a good recruiting tool. Having a strong military requires good, solid benefits for our military personnel, our spouses, and our children as well. It is only common sense. Capt. Ed Lopez, USMC-Ret. Fountain, Colo. 20-Year Retirement? [In “No More 20-Year Retirements” in “Washington Scene,” May 2006, the Defense Advisory Committee on Military Compensation (DACMC) seeks] a means to rebuild the retirement of service personnel. I would like to ask, “How many of the politicians are making this decision?” As you pointed out, they tried this in 1986 and had to repeal it in 1999 due to hurting retention. I also would like to see the many members of Congress have their retirement and medical benefits pulled into line before they start working on the military, the honest people who put their lives on the line. …. I retired at 22 years’ service as a field grade officer, and I feel I earned my status due to the service between 1947 and 1969. I have a son who wants [to attend] the U.S. Air From your informative article [“Premiums Already Paid — In Full,” May 2006] it would appear my retiree health care is “impinging” on DoD’s perennial search for the newest, most expensive weapons it can find — as, for example, the F-22 Raptor, which for some quarter-billion dollars apiece can fly Mach 2 at 40,000 feet. Too bad these impressive statistics are near-totally irrelevant in a global war in which America’s enemies stand about 6 feet tall and move in sandals at 4 mph. Did I mention the military procurement scandal of our times, the problemplagued and deadly (to U.S. Marines
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