OT: Army takes care of its own?

If this is true..yes indeed.

How long have these policies been in effect? In the last article, I see a reference to a 1981 law about making soldiers pay for their own food while in the hospital. Interesting. Any one have any links to this?

One should also note..that in 1981..Congress..the only Federal body that can make this sort of law..was controlled by the Democrats.

So I wonder what their reasons for this inane law was?

Gunner

"To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem. To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized, merely the domesticated." - Trefor Thomas

When I was in 20 odd years ago, we paid for meals at the mess hall. Wasn't much and there were different prices for Officers and NCOs. Can't remember if lowest ranks were free or not.

Gunner, some of the blatant stupidity in the military would amaze you. The need for blind compliance with orders is understandable in an environment where an order to run into a building containing persons attempting to kill you needs to be implemented. But outside of combat, it's pretty damned frustrating. Example - I'm in the Army in northern Italy and my car has US Army (Italy) tags. I transfer to Germany and try to register the car with US Army (Germany) but it fails the inspection for some pin holes in the exhaust pipe. No problem - I'll just zip over to the Army Crafts Center and use the Auto Shop to fix my car. BUT, only cars with US Army (Germany) or plates from the United States can be worked on in the Auto Shop. So, I can't register the car and get US Army (Germany) plates since it won't pass inspection and I can't fix it to make inspection since it doesn't have the correct plates. Finally took a buddy who spoke German downtown and had a German mechanic fix it.

Some of this comes from laws. Much of it is inflicted on the Army by it's own regulations and implemented by officers and NCOs who will insist on following the letter of a reg no matter how obviously it should not apply in that particular situation. Never ever doubt a story documenting obvious stupidity in the Army!!

Steve.

Perhaps you need to read further:

Which part? Ive read that 4 times already

"Military hospitals have been charging officers for their food since

That part?

So why was it never brought to the publics attention before now and why were the troops added in 1981?

Gunner

"To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem. To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized, merely the domesticated." - Trefor Thomas

Hi, guys....

I've been watching entities that don't have to show a profit for some years now. Even the wife has been a Govt. employee for the state of Az for some 8 years and it never ceases to amaze me how so many tax paid employees in "policy" (in whatever branch of "government", city, county, state, federal and on, and one) try to justify their positions by either making up new, or re-writing new policy. Unfortunately, most of these idiots are hired by well entrenched "government" employees and not elected. Many make inane "policy" for decades and there's little that can be done about it.

And we wonder why the country is in such a mess so many ways.............

Bill

It probably got added to some gigantic bill that nobody ever read by some bean counter like the recent budget bill. Like $3 million for the Center for Grape Genetics in New York State and another $3 million for the Grape Genomics Reserch Center in California.. Those born again wingers must be planning for a lot of communion services. Oh yeah, and let's pay for it by charging the soldiers for any equipment lost or damaged in combat.

That Spc that lost his arm was charged $160 for his flack jacket that was lost when he was drug out of his bombed Humvee.

This part:

"The law now in effect was set in place to prevent troops from double-dipping, said Lt. Col. Rose-Ann Lynch, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

?Deployments aside, if any servicemember is in a military hospital, they are getting meals paid for by the military. If they were regularly collecting BAS, Basic Allowance for Subsistence ? the monies received monthly for personal subsistence ? they are obligated to pay for the hospital meals. If the servicemember is not receiving BAS, they will not be charged for the meals.

?In a nutshell, a servicemember cannot receive the meal and the money, too,? Lynch said....."

Tom

Now that part makes sense.

Gunner

"To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem. To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized, merely the domesticated." - Trefor Thomas