Maybe we should stop complaining about pay/benfit cuts and do something about it.

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:22:04 -0500

I get so angry when I think of how some politicians keep talking about and actively cutting Soldier and Veteran pay and benefits. We never hear of a shortage in federal dollars for wellfair and other handouts to people that have not earned anything, they only threaten Social Security and Soldier/Veteran pay and benefits.

Lets look at the problem from a different angle, maybe, just maybe the problem is not Washington DC but and how is there, maybe the problem is how is not there. US! We are not there; sure we have groups that lobby for us but that is not enough. We are not working for our own. Check out how many Veterans are now serving in congress.

Do you know a Veteran or are YOU the Veteran that would fight for what is good for your home state?

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/by-the-numbers-veterans-in-congress/

By the numbers: Veterans in Congress

The 114th Congress will be made up of 70 current and 11 incoming members of the House who have served or are serving in the U.S. military. Three of the incoming members are Democrats; the other seven are Republicans. A number of veterans who are currently serving in the House decided to retire this year, and a small number lost re-election.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2015 10:23 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:23:43 -0500

SFC Mark Merino , are you looking for a job? Here is something with good benefits and pay; you might just be the right man for the job!

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Feb 12 at 2015 10:24 AM

SGT Jim Z. — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:24:25 -0500

I agree the more veterans we can get elected locally and nationally the better our chances to preserve out benefits and pay.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2015 10:25 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:25:17 -0500

Very Interesting topic SFC Private RallyPoint Member, I am not big on politics so I would have to do more research to answer on this with a more informed position.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2015 11:02 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 11:02:04 -0500

I intend to get into the political arena after I retire, six years from now. Protecting my brothers and sisters will always be at the forefront of my mind. I want to go into it with the mindset that my service oath will he my road map.

I would like to voice some potential obstacles though. First, Veterans have gotten a bad rap in the media in the last few years. That's going to be a tough nut to crack, and get the American public to understand that we are not bloodthirsty savages.

Second, how many of the Veterans that hold national office are former enlisted? I have noticed again, that the American public thinks that the enlisted people of our armed forces are uneducated idiots/drones. In my 14 years in the Army so far, I have seen high caliber leaders that are either commissioned or noncommissioned; but I have also seen the total opposite and everything in between.

If the American public has these general misconceptions, how do we fix them?

With an additional note, and not to inflame. We have had many Presidents that were either civilians or senior officers in the past. When is America going to allow an NCO to fix some of our issues?

Response by CPL Bret Hampton made Jul 24 at 2015 11:28 PM

CPL Bret Hampton — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 23:28:49 -0400

There is a place where We as Veterans can go to help change Our situation. Go to Petition2Congress.com. Go to the Bills that address our interest, and send your Congress Person a letter, either For the Bill or Against the Bill.