surajmal Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 http://www.esquire.com/features/man-who-shot-osama-bin-laden-0313 Long but engrossing read (plenty of details about the operation itself). Also puts into perspective that the life of a grunt post deployment/retirement is shyte everywhere (just different levels of shyte) .
Tiger80 Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 But the Shooter will discover soon enough that when he leaves after sixteen years in the Navy, his body filled with scar tissue, arthritis, tendonitis, eye damage, and blown disks, here is what he gets from his employer and a grateful nation: Nothing. No pension, no health care, and no protection for himself or his family. In India we say that India don't respect its soldiers , but it looks that USA too don't respect them
Clarke Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 It seems to be a case of the recent wars taking a toll on the soldiers more than anything else. The frequent deployments would have made him retire earlier than the minimum service required for pension. No healthcare sounds surprising, what about someone with limited battlefield injuries or PTSD ? I only browsed through the first page, maybe there's some answers to that further into the article.
surajmal Posted February 12, 2013 Author Posted February 12, 2013 It seems to be a case of the recent wars taking a toll on the soldiers more than anything else. The frequent deployments would have made him retire earlier than the minimum service required for pension. It seems sometime during/after the surge in Iraq, US bigwigs realized that in this new world of Asymmetric War, Spec Ops has got the most important role to play. So life a Navy Seal/Delta types is only going to get more hellish. No healthcare sounds surprising, what about someone with limited battlefield injuries or PTSD ? I only browsed through the first page, maybe there's some answers to that further into the article. The government does provide 180 days of transitional health-care benefits, but the Shooter is eligible only if he agrees to remain on active duty "in a support role," or become a reservist. Either way, his life would not be his own. Instead, he'll buy private insurance for $486 a month, but some treatments that relieve his wartime pains, like $120 for weekly chiropractic care, are out-of-pocket. Like many vets, he will have to wait at least eight months to have his disability claims adjudicated. Or even longer. The average wait time nationally is more than nine months, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting. Frankly, they are going to have to increase the perks given to these "supersoldiers" with the increased workload. There is no way this should be acceptable his pension would have been half his base pay: $2,197 a month. The same as a member of the Navy choir. 'The Shooter' indicates that private security is still the best gig financially for vets which is surprising. The kind of "management" experience these people have would be unparalleled in the private sector. Just because a lot these people don't have management degrees? Calling the hiring managers myopic would be putting it kindly. Performance of a company like DLF proves my point nicely.
The Outsider Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 ^ He is not some senior officer who will have management experience.
surajmal Posted February 13, 2013 Author Posted February 13, 2013 ^ He is not some senior officer who will have management experience. You can say that for regular infantry grunts not Spec Ops types. Much could be said about a job that requires the ability to handle the stresses of working behind enemy lines. Besides, there is a reason, CO:NCO ratio for US armed forces is among the lowest in the world (unlike Indian forces).
Recommended Posts