Dear Editor,
I found Ms. Pilling's letter to the editor to be highly offensive and incredibly misleading. She says she "appreciates" the military, but with friends like that, who needs enemies. She slams military retirees for living "high off the hog." For the record, after twenty years of serving in harm's way, a Sergeant First Class (E-7) can retire at 50% salary or approximately $20,000 per year. A Lieutenant Colonel (O-5) with the same service would be able to retire at approximately $4,200/month.
In comparison, the average salary of a member of Congress is $174,000 and they are eligible for a pension at age 62 after only FIVE years service. They can retire at age 50 after 20 years on the job and receive approximately $60,000 in pensions for their bullet-free,bomb-free, pencil pushing service. Furthermore, half of them are already millionaires or became millionaires along the way! If there is any inequity in pay and benefits, it is those who sit in their safe and secure, air conditioned offices in Washington, D.C., and make the decisions to send other people to war. Less than 20% of them have served in the military and most do not have children in the armed services.
She also institutes typical class warfare strategies by questioning whether money goes to "the hard fighting military that put their lives on the line, or to the high ranking officers who stood behind the lines while enlisted soldiers put themselves in harm's way." That is an insult beyond comprehension. Nearly all "high ranking officers" start out as "low ranking officers" and many were previously enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers. She obviously also knows nothing of military conflicts. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial alone lists 7,878 officers who were military casualties in Southeast Asia. This includes 12 generals and one admiral. An ignorant, divisive citizenry should be ashamed. May all our warriors live and rest in peace!
Sincerely,
Bill Garvin
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