Priceless

Headline: McNerney Bill Would Boost Combat Pay. Details: The Congressman requested an increase in military personnel's pay for high-risk areas of duty so that "soldiers don't have to worry about families back home." Seems fair enough. He is recommending an increase in family separation pay from $250 per month to $450. Come again?

I know that people don't go into the military looking to get rich. I know that they often live on base and do not have to pay for housing. But being an Army brat, I also know that my Mom had to put food on the table for a family of five and clothe us, and often be a single mom for an extended period while Dad was in the field doing military maneuvers. At least she didn't have to deal with Dad being in a war zone.

McNerney also recommends increasing pay in additional categories to help families whose husband/father are at war. Example ~ increasing from $225 to $600 per month for military who are exposed to hostile fire or land-mine explosions. Other pay categories include imminent danger, special warfare officer, hazardous duty, combat-related injury and rehabilitation, and weapons of mass destruction civilian support team.

My head is reeling from the thought that we are asking men to serve our country (and often give life or limb in the process) ~ and we are asking their families to sacrifice their family unit for a short period or forever ~ and we pay them next to nothing????? Is the work of a computer geek or a bank manager or a lawyer worth so much more than the service of men and women who keep our country free?

What makes my head explode is that McNerney presented a similar bill last year but didn't have enough support to move it forward. He's not asking for CEO salaries here. He's asking for fairness. True, those who serve at least 10 years in the military get a pension. But again, my parents could not have survived on Dad's retirement after 20 years of service. I repeat, no one is getting rich in the military.

So if you have a favorite Congressman or Senator, would you put the good word in for McNerney's proposed bill? If we can bail out stale car companies, greedy banks, corrupt hedge fund managers and who knows what else, we can throw a penny or two the way of our military men and women. Their service is priceless.

(Blogmeister's note: Details of McNerney's proposed bill from an article posted in The Independent on January 21. 2010.)