Marine medical retirement?

Question

What do you think of the Marines retiring our wounded soldiers who are critically ill..where they do not get the top notch medical treatment and end up in a VA hospital..So for the rest of their lives they live in the poverty level.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johndoody

Answer 1

If you are medically retired from the armed forces you are retired in the grade you held prior to that retirement with all of the pay and benefits which go with that, including an ID card, base shopping privileges, base medical and Tri-Care. In addition, the percentage of your pay which equals the percentage of your disability is free of Federal Income Tax.

Admittedly the Marine in the link you posed was a Lance Corporal. So, it isn't the same as medically retiring in a higher pay grade.

But, here is the cold splash of reality. In previous wars, Lance Corporal Doody would have died. Probably before reaching the first place of definitive medical treatment. And there were brain injury cases which existed on September 10, 2001 and earlier who suffered their injury on active duty from a non-combat cause. Little was ever mentioned about them.

As far as the treatment at VA facilities, their system became clogged with veterans who had no service-connected maladies but lined up for the "free care" they felt was due to them. Just about all of the 12 million who were in uniform in World War Two, those who served during Korea and Vietnam, along with all of the millions who served during the Cold War who came out of the service without a scratch.

The Congress in the 1970s, on the urging of President Carter, added to the problem of proper patient support. Those like me who spent their lives in the service's medical departments and retired as officers had to clear a huge hurdle to work at VA facilities. This included a lot of dedicated doctors and nurses. In order to take a position with the VA you have to surrender up to 55% of your non-disability retirement check to take the job. It's called the "double dipping" law.

But, it's O.K. Somebody will just blame President George Walker Bush.  

Answer 2

Thank Bill Clinton.  

History lesson.  

Bush 1 planned on a 30% reduction in the military,  across the board,  personnel,  bases,  ships,  planes, etc.   Clinton came in and started playing with the numbers in order to improve his chances to be re-elected.  He stopped bases from being closed and instead cut manpower.   Result:  We closed 25% of the bases and got rid of 40% of the personnel,  making each base work undermanned.   Since at the time we needed to keep people who actually fight,  we kept combat troops,  pilots,  seamen, etc and got rid of support people.   Result:  We got rid of a disproportionate number of medical people,  closed down hospitals and turned them in to outpatient clinics and ended up with a 80% loss in hospital beds.   Including Walter Reed,  which was suppose to be closed.  

Today...The military can not provide rehab care like it use to do in the past because it just does not have the beds nor the personnel.  The only choice they have is to retire people and hope the VA can take care of them.   It is not by choice,  it is a result of the misguided actions of Bill Clinton.  He gutted the military and now our soldiers, airmen, seamen and Marines are paying the price.  

Think about that before you go vote for Obama.  

Answer 3

Well I am a disabled Veteran that is currently under care of the VA. Not only do I receive compensation, and medical benefits, they also will help you find an occupation that you can do with your disabilty and pay for the training. I have had great service with the VA and with the VA Hosp (TOGUS) in Maine. Infact I don't think I ever had longer then a ten minute wait. How many people can says that in the private sector?