So, from people I've observed who like Trump (friends of friends, generally) I noticed

[LisaM]

that what they seem to have in common is that they are, or were, connected to the military. They didn't like Obama, and blame him for every low pay raise or other things that happened while they were serving. They're convinced that Trump will make it better.

I don't know enough about today's military to comment. I did look into the pay raises - as I understand it, Congress is responsible for the budget, so there's a limit on what they can be, with some wiggle room for the President. All I can see that Obama did was keep it a little lower than the request, but well in line with pay raises for other government employees and generally higher.

One person told me that Trump had encouraged (or maybe even facilitated) a class-action suit against Obama for taking away food money from Marines. I don't think this is quite the whole story, though I couldn't find information on it (the only thing that remotely seemed to reference this was a LTTE in a military magazine that seemed to imply that they'd cut the food stipend for people who didn't want to live on a base). This person also said that DT is already going after terror cells in the US as we speak, and she's really happy because now there's a 20% tax on all items made in Mexico.

Clearly, there's some wheat to sift from the chaff here. Can anyone in the DU hive mind provide any solid basis for these assertions, or counter it?

Thanks in advance!

[jehop61]

1. Not always true

Two sons, one had a tough adolescence and quit college to join the military. Served ten years, was a special operations soldier. Son two, parents' ideal. Four years of college. Great career as a business man with a desk job. Son one is a total progressive fighting and resisting Trump. Son two, total Trumpofile who loves every action he does. Who could of guessed?

[Ohioblue22]

4. randi rhodes made the same observation and said

it's because in the military you learn you are only as stronge as the weakest link

[orleans]

26. whatever happened to randi? i miss her. n/t

[rawtribe]

28. You can hear her on Progressive Voices Radio

http://www.progressivevoices.com

[orleans]

30. thanks !! n/t

[Ohioblue22]

29. http://randirhodes.com/ she's back ! live and on you tube yay!

[orleans]

31. thank you! n/t

[LisaM]

5. That's interesting. I didn't mean to imply everyone in the military supports DT.

I just observed that so far it's the common thread of the people who are (for a while at least!) glad he was elected. People on the particular thread are pleading with them about healthcare, education, the environment, Russian interference, the fact that he lost by 3 million votes, but they aren't responding on any of those issues.

[LaydeeBug]

2. Tell your friend that right now, as we speak, we are still under OBAMA'S budget. 45's budget doesn't

go into effect until later this year.

Then ask her how she could be so stupid.

[LisaM]

7. LOL. I'm trying to listen to what they have to say.

Problem is, a lot of it doesn't make sense, though it's clearly heartfelt.

[radical noodle]

3. This might relate to the food for the Marines story

From The Blaze:
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2013/05/31/marines-lose-one-hot-meal-but-are-you-wondering-why-the-story-sounds-familiar/

“The fact is our force in Afghanistan is shrinking fast and all the creature comforts and services deployed military-members have grown accustomed to over the past decade are going to be reduced,” Gilmore said. “When serving we are challenged to endure different things — to face different challenges — over time. But we’re an odd bunch, we Marines — probably no surprise that we’ll complain more about losing the sandwich bar on the way out than we did about getting shot at on the way in.”

Although as of June 1 there will three hot meals per day — when before there were four — Gilmore also included that eventually there will be only two.

I remember a lot of RWers bitching about how Obama was starving the troops. No mention from them on why the meals had changed. As far as I know the class action suit was fake news, like the indictment of Hillary that I saw on the front page of the Globe today as I was checking out at the grocery.

[LisaM]

8. Yes, I did see that, though I couldn't tell if that was what she meant.

Thanks - I'll read that article and store it away for further discussions. I also got the impression that they were just throwing money at the troops at the beginning of the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions.

[radical noodle]

10. I generally assume that anything trump supporters believe

is pure nonsense, but it is nice to be armed with the truth. When I tried to look up the class action lawsuit about the food, your post came up, which makes me believe there's nothing to it.

[LisaM]

16. Ha! Funny.

I hope no one else is googling it.

[Freddie]

6. Most of the Trump fans I know

Are frothing-at-the-mouth "pro-lifers" who only care about that one issue. If Trump is "pro-life" they wouldn't care if he strangled puppies on live TV. Far, far too many people similarly brainwashed. Nothing you can say to them.

[Hamlette]

9. A sat next to a soldier on a long plane ride who complained about the pay

I asked him about specifics and he said when he was in the battle field he got hazard pay and lots of other pay perks and basically said he made lots more money when we are at war. Made sense. If you are supporting a family that is important.

[radical noodle]

11. Well, yeah....

Unless you die or are severely injured...

[Hamlette]

25. I agree his logic was flawed but it was his reality. He wanted a GOP prez bec. war pays more nt

[kwassa]

12. Military tends to be conservative ....

more into a macho male culture that reveres tough guy behavior, so any politician that struts and thumps his chest appeals to them. Most military are Republican, I think, unless they are minorities.

I know a couple of exceptions, that loathe Trump, but also loathe Hillary, sometimes over stupid things.

[pinboy3niner]

20. I have a bunch of staunch Republican Vietnam vet friends who voted for Hillary

And they hate Hillary. But they had grave concerns about Trump's qualifications and fitness for office and saw voting for Hillary as the only chance to stop him.

[haele]

13. Fox News is default on most bases is the number one problem here.

Another problem that colors troop perceptions of potential "support" is because the military budget is categorized by "warfighting" priorities, that means personnel benefits and "MWR" (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) will often suffer cuts when acquisition/deployment funding needs to be ramped up or maintained.
But the real problem troops experienced over the past 8 years was from Congress - due to the constant budget resolutions that froze funding levels (which have been stuck pretty much at 2010 levels, and only last year began to improve), along with two work stoppages, the money for manpower has pretty much stalled.

What most troops that bitched about "they aren't supporting our troops" didn't notice is that Federal Employees, Social Security, Medicare, et all also had their benefits and salaries frozen pretty much since 2010.

The other issue is a hold-over from the Rumsfeld era where "Troops are fungible". Military Administration has been streamlined to view manpower similar to how business views employees; get rid of specialty schooling and ratings, contract out manpower maintenance, and streamline/cut the pension benefits so as to make it less appealing for the majority of the troops to stay long enough for their pensions and promised retirement benefits. Set up tiers of benefits tied to type of service. Leverage a part-time military - the Guard and Reserves - to offset surge requirements instead of recruiting new professional troops.
It's cheaper on the books to deploy a National Guard unit or Reserve unit, especially since most of them are only in for the educational benefits, instead of a pension and guaranteed lifetime medical. You especially don't have to provide Guards or Reservists with dependent housing, services, or allowances during deployment, which is a major savings to the bean counters.

Between the do-nothing GOP congress who refused to do anything for "Obama's Military", and the Rumsfeld Manpower policy, the average Grunt or Squid was hosed in comparison to the military manpower policies from Reagan - Clinton. (Heck, in the post Vietnam era, the Clinton policies were great for the troops)

As it is, I don't see it getting any better for the military troops, especially if President Bannon and his puppet Drumpf are planning on "shaking up" the World Order. Even if we go isolationist, you still have this attitude that troops are fungible. And if the economy comes crashing down again, say goodbye to any tangible dependent or other MWR support. At best, most of the military is probably going to see some form of coupon program that gives them some small percentage of discount the general public wouldn't normally get for education, housing and medical.

Congress will probably take care of the Officers - so they can avoid a military uprising. Just like they take care of themselves.

The people in the military are screwed in this Administration. And it will be too late for the "patriotic" Trump supporters when they realize their income is not going to be increased, and all their benefits and allowances are going to go directly into contractor pockets for sub-standard benefits to make rich people even richer.


Haele

[LisaM]

17. Oh, the troops are fungible angle, which I'd forgotten.

Funny how some of the things they dislike are really holdovers from the Bush era.

[Squinch]

14. I could be totally wrong about this, but wasn't there a proposed pay increase

for the military about two or three years ago? A fairly substantial one that Democrats proposed and that Republicans voted down? I seem to remember that there was discussion at the time that Republicans had voted to keep soldiers' pay so low that they qualified for food stamps, and then Republicans cut the food stamps.

[MFM008]

15. I do know a handful of X military

adamantly opposed to him to, especially those 5 deferments.
My mom for one. But others to.

[mattclearing]

18. There's no 20% tax. People you've observed are uninformed. The end. n/t

[TransitJohn]

19. If we didn't have such a bloated and unnecessary military, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines

could be fairly compensated.

[demigoddess]

21. they should have seen the Ronald Reagan pay raises.

He promised a pay raise (25%, I think) and we got it, but he got rid of the allowances such as flight pay and others to pay for it. When the pay raise came through it essentially was a break even. If I remember right, my husband's increase in pay was $6. The base pay was higher but the take home was the same. Then when it came to retiring they found out that meant that the retirement pay was too high and they had to lower the percentage to hold the line.

[mnmoderatedem]

22. ask these questions of them

what do you think of Trump's continual trashing of John McCain? What would be your reaction if Hilary Clinton had done that? Any different?

What do you think of Trump's accepting of an honorary Purple Heart award, despite the fact that he never served one day in the military and had no business accepting it? What would be your reaction if Hilary Clinton had done that? Any different?

[realist_philus]

23. From my experience . . .

Some (in the Marine Corps) may have been disgruntled at the Obama administration cuts. I know a couple of people I know who were "forced out" after 15 or so years of service. These were "lifers" planning on doing twenty and stepping over to civil service or heading back to the civilian side. Certain MOS's were hit.

There seems to be a mix in the military; some are apolitical understanding the president as the commander in chief. Some are progressives. Most of the younger types haven't had enough time in life to think seriously about the issues. They're too busy training, and doing what young 18 - 26 year olds do.

The chowhall televisions were always tuned into Fox News, and so it can be a one sided show. Hot chow in the field being cut will piss Marines off, and certainly doesn't help morale.

There can be an "us vs. them" mentality between the military and civilians. When Trump tears down service, and is quick to provoke a fight with other countries, he reveals his true colors as someone who is willing to take unnecessary risk, and who doesn't give a damn about service. He's too hot headed, and no, not all military are fans of Trump.

[TheFrenchRazor]

24. the military is a right wing cult; support for repug prez is mandatory, seriously. nt

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

27. Most of the people I know who support Trump

have zero military connection.