Families of soldiers KIA get screwed by US government

[DesEtoiles]

PRINT THIS ARTICLE AND HAND IT OUT ON STREET CORNERS THIS WEEKEND - FLYER IT ON CARS IN CHURCH PARKING LOTS- PUT IT EVERYWHERE - from today's Washington Post

Caring for Those Left Behind
Soldiers' survivors need real benefits more than yellow ribbons.

By Frank Schaeffer
Friday, November 19, 2004; Page A29


Marine Staff Sgt. Aaron White was killed in a helicopter crash on May 19, 2003, in Iraq. Here is an excerpt from his last letter home to his wife, Michele, and his baby daughter, Brianna.

"What keeps me up at night is thinking you may never know what you mean to me. . . . If I don't come home, please tell Brianna that her daddy loves her more than life. . . . Brianna, it breaks my heart to have to miss your first birthday. I hope that you will forgive me. . . . I fall asleep every night with visions of you and your mommy in my head, reminding me of all I have been blessed with. I will be with you every day, if not in body, then in spirit. I love you more than my words could ever say."
Aaron was killed two days after Brianna turned 1. When an American in a military uniform is killed his or her family receives a one-time death gratuity of $12,000. The surviving family may also qualify for the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), which is paid up to age 62 or until the spouse remarries. The SBP benefit amounts to 55 percent of the soldier's retirement pay, pay that is already so low it qualifies many military families for food stamps.

These "benefits" are contingent on fulfilling many petty regulations. Michele did not qualify for the SBP because Aaron was in the Marine Corps just under 10 years. Several further benefits, such as the income-based Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), may pay out about $800 per month and $200 per child, depending on the case. Michele did not qualify because of several arcane technicalities. Michele and Brianna's medical benefits will end three years from the date of Aaron's death. But Michele did receive some modest insurance compensation, because Aaron paid for coverage out of his meager salary.

A just-released study by the Rand Corp. found that the families of civilians killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, received on average $3.1 million in government and charitable compensation. The families of the firefighters and cops who died received even more; their average compensation was $4.2 million.

.....Our idea of "supporting the troops" is to stick magnetic yellow ribbons on our cars. ..........
In his second-to-last letter home Aaron wrote: "Believe me I am not having a good time here. This is an ugly hasty land. I hope people appreciate the blood we are to spill." Judging by how we are taking care of his widow and daughter, apparently the answer is that we do not.

[NavyDem]

1. Don't forget SGLI....

Don't forget that each service member automatically gets covered for 250,000 dollars through Servicemans Group Life Insurance. The only way they are unable to get that coverage is if they make a conciencious effort to decline the coverage.

While it still isn't equitable to those who perished in the attacks on 9/11, rememeber that the Marine was a combatant whereas the those that died in the attacks were mostly non-combatant civilians.


Try not to flame me too much, I know what I speak. 15 years and going strong US Navy.

Sincerely,
Thomas Kangas

[Kingshakabobo]

2. So, you are saying soldiers killed receive 250k??

I've never heard of such a thing.

[GetTheRightVote]

3. Ex Navy Wife would like to hear that answer.

[NavyDem]

4. Yes...

Yes, we as active duty are automatically enrolled in SGLI while we serve on active duty. Right now it's worth 250K at a cost of about 8-9 dollars per month.

It used to be 100K (around 1990-1997).

If a service memeber chooses not to take the coverage, they must specifically deny it. Otherwise, it's automatic, and the monthly cost is taken out of their pay.

[Kingshakabobo]

6. It's a little (very little) more comforting to hear that active duty person

are eligible for some life insurance above th 12k benefit you hear about in the media. Unfortunately 250k doesn't go very far. I found this. It's not current to 250k but it's close.

I wonder if this applies to reservists who are currently 40%?? of the deployment?

Thanks Navydem..



http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/casualty/blsgli.htm

Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI)


The SGLI payment is $200,000 unless the member elected a lesser amount or declined coverage in writing. Monthly premium payments for the level of coverage selected by the member were automatically deducted from the member’s pay. Determination and payment of proceeds are made by the Office of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance under the jurisdiction of the Department of VA. Payment of proceeds to a beneficiary are exempt from taxation. The insured member may have designated as principal or contingent beneficiary any person, firm, corporation or legal entity, including their estate, individually or as a trustee. If the member designated a trust, they indicated the name and date of the trust in the beneficiary block. If the member designated a trust through a Will, they annotated “Last Will and Testament” in the beneficiary block. If the member chose not to designate a specific beneficiary but preferred the proceeds be paid in the order of precedence, the member selected the “By Law” designation. When the “By Law” designation is used, the proceeds
are automatically paid in the following order of precedence:

[NavyDem]

7. Hmmm....

I better look at my coverage again. It may only be 200K, but there are still alot of other benefits that get paid that you don't see without reading between the lines.

I went through a seminar on the military benefits, and it's really amazing what it comes out to. Either way, I know 200K isn't a lot, but as an immediate death benefit, it can certainly keep the spouse and kids above water after a servicemans death.

Thanks for the input and correction :)

[Bridget Burke]

19. Did Sgt White go to that seminar?

Did he have time for "reading between the lines"?

Or are our servicemen (actually overseas, in harm's way) being given indoctrination & propaganda--& not information that might cost the government money in the long run?

Is somebody actively working with survivors to ensure they get everything coming to them?

[From the south]

22. There are actual survivor benefit specialists

Benefit training is a requirement for all service members once a year.

Prior to deployment to a hostile area there is further follow on training.

The VA provides extensive survivor support as do the actual services.

[Bridget Burke]

23. Then I'm sure we'll see a follow up story....

In which the specialists have solved this lady's problems.

Well, they'll never be able to solve her "dead husband" problem & the baby will just have to accept the "dead father" problem. But I'd like to see some action.

[From the south]

16. Yes it applies to Reservists too

it applies to all members on active duty....reservists over in Iraq are on active duty.

There are also quite a few other programs that the families of deceased members get....


That article was a typical muckraking article...based on a claim not on fact

[Bridget Burke]

20. The "muckrakers" really had muck to rake, you know....

That's why we remember them.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi NavyDem!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[NavyDem]

8. Thank you :)

Glad to be here :) Shhhh! Don't tell anyone, but there are alot of Dems in the armed services...More than what the so called voting will indicate :)

[Karenina]

9. The votes were NOT counted.

[NavyDem]

10. Mine Did...

I didn't vote absentee, I voted in person in my local precinct.

Now as for the SGLI Issue, I'm not sure if reservists get it or not. I have confirmed that my coverage is 250K. That coverage costs me $16.25 per month.

[blackangrydem]

12. Yes, SGLI = Soldier's Group Life Insurance.

Prudent career military personnel with families purchase supplemental life insurance policies, particulary before deployment to a combat zone.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[From the south]

17. The reason for SGLI

most insurance policies dont cover combat related deaths

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NavyDem]

14. Thanks :)

Thanks for the info about the NG and Reserves. I wasn't sure how that works (I don't get too many reservists/NG out on the ship).

[Maine-ah]

15. ironic

those yellow ribbons are made in china.

[GoldenOldie]

21. Guard and Reservists are being handled different

In the past Guard and Reservists when activated were considered the same as Regular Army and received all benefits and entitlements that RA had.

In this War, it seems that all the old rules and regulations went out the window and these Guard and Reservists are being shafted all the way around. Documentaries on The Discovery channel and others have shown the Units being called up for combat duties and deployed without training or proper equipment. There have been one or two newscasts and documentaries that have been very briefly shown of wounded/sick Units being returned to Military Post Medical facilites and housed within once abandoned cinderblock dorms and then waiting for weeks to be nursed back to health while the Regular Military are bedded within the Military hospital with full nursing capabilities.

There was also one report that I heard (sorry did not save), that the government in attempting to keep actual military personnel costs down, were taking critically wounded where death was certain, the Guard/Reserve member was re-classified to thier State Guard or Reserve units where they would receive few if any benefits.

My ears and eyes have become attuned to activity of the Guard and Reservists because I had been employed as a budget administrator for a US Army Medical Facility and one of my responsibilities was to review all billings of Guardsmen/women and Reservists who had been injured within my State while performing under official military orders. There ware distinct and separate regulations for Guard, Reservists and Regular but this war seems to have it's own little set of rules and they are made up along the way.

The ones who are getting shafted are the troops while the Generals and the civilian warhawks in the Pentagon sure aren't losing any of their bennies.

[L84TEA]

18. ugh...so we can also assume that...

A lot of the ppl in the WTC probably already had their own life insurance also? ... this is amazing.