Military Pay Commentary

[Cake_14N]

Military Pay Commentary

CINDY WILLIAMS was appointed by Obama As an Assistant Director for NATIONAL SECURITY in the Congressional Budget Office.....

This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America .
Ms. Cindy William wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve.
A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this.

"Ms Williams:

I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account.
Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes per month. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40 after.
I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with inrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for "Network Technicians" in the Washington , D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years Technical experience in my job.
Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being
offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum............ I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.
Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the
pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces.
Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay
brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN ; I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience."
As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone.
Obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them.
Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites.. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade
whatever MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle
casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor.
Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't be nearly long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your open piece.
But, tomorrow from KABUL , I will defend to the death your right to say it.
You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment right and every other right you cherish...On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.
And you, Ms.. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we
deserve?

A1C Michael Bragg, Hill AFB AFNCC

This Airman makes me very proud to have the courage and intelligence to stand up to yet another POS that has never even considered sacrificing a second of their time to support a man or woman in uniform.

[PR31C]

Cindy Williams wrote that artice January 12, 2000 in the Washington Post, it is still available here. She was the Assistant Director for NATIONAL SECURITY in the Congressional Budget Office from 1994 - 1997 under President Clinton.

Along with google, try using SNOPES.com

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Cake_14N

CINDY WILLIAMS was appointed by Obama As an Assistant Director for NATIONAL SECURITY in the Congressional Budget Office.....

This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times

Cindy Williams (not the actress) wrote that piece and it was published in the Washington Post on Wednesday, January 12, 2000; Page A19. I have yet to find any evidence that BHO was POTUS anytime prior to Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

The writer, a senior research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was assistant director for national security in the Congressional Budget Office from 1994 to 1997.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2000Jan11.html

The airman's response has also been edited from its original which can be found easily on the WWW.

And so it goes...

Richard