They Didn't even wait a week!!

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Less than a week after Troops in Iraq were told that they had to stay there for a whole year the Pentagon dropped the other shoe. Now here come the paycuts....

According to this article http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/08/14/MN94780.DTL&type=printable

Military hazard and family seperation pay is being cut by over half.  

I love how the government calls soldiers heros.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Apparently, they wouldn't be heroes if they were compensated appropriately.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Or even adequately, If I told you the number of soldiers who had to rely on food stamps you be ill.

[Entsuropi]

I find this sad.

I hope Bush does something about it personally.

I am biased; i intend to join the UK army. But it is worth noting that the government refuses to increase the pay of soldiers here. This has resulted in the (110,000 strong at full size i believe) being something like 7,000 men understrength.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I suspect Bush already HAS had something to do with it.

[Spriggan]

When Bush first came into office he almost dubbled service men/womens pay.  Even with the pay cut they're still makeing more then before he was in office.  Not saying I agree with it.  And yes Bush has had something to do with it, but congress lowered it more then he had wanted to.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

No Spriggan he didn't. Im in the service and my pay sure as heck didnt double. We got three scheduled pay raises that amounted to about 100 dollars more a month in my pay check.

[Spriggan]

well then USA Today is lieing.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

What was doubled was the individual bonuses i.e. Family Seperation and Hazard pay. Both of which needed to badly be updated as they hadnt been increased in over a decade. Before the war they were raised and the troops were told that it was going to be permenant and was included in the appropriations for the war. Oh and a big distinction coming up, while the Whitehouse can and often does lobby for increases and obviously congress is in the presidents pocket right now, congress is the branch of government that pays my salary and decides to raise or lower it.

[Spriggan]

Thanks for clearing that up Jeffe.