Military Pride - The public is Loosing Touch

Here's one that will make you proud to serve!!
On 12 Jan, Ms Cindy Williams (from Laverne and Shirley TV show) wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service
members'way this year-citing that the stated 13% wage gap was bogus.

A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this!

Ms. Williams: I just had the pleasure of reading your column of 12 Jan, "Our GIs earn enough" and I am a bit confused.

Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest leave and earnings statement (LES), see that I make $1,117.80, before taxes. After taxes, I take home $ 874.20. When I run that through Windows'
Calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40 after.

I work in the Air Force Network Control Center (AFNCC), where I am part of the team responsible for the administration of a 25,000-host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment.

A quick check under jobs for Network Technicians in the Washington, D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years experience with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year, nor does it pay less than this. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum. I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.

Also, you tout increases to Basic Allowance for Housing and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (housing and food allowances, respectively) as being a further boon to an already overcompensated force. Again, I'm curious as to
where this money has gone, as BAH and BAS were both slashed 15% in the Hill AFB area effective in January 00.

Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you have NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces. Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off AFDC, WIC, and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying
soldiers headed for Saudi- I leave the choice of service branch up to you.
Whatever choice you make, though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and
friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience".
As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone-obviously they've been squandering the vast piles of cash the DOD has been giving them.
Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a DFP
(Defensive Fire Position, the modern-day foxhole), shivering against the cold desert
night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything.
Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't nearly be long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your op-ed piece. But, tomorrow from Sarajevo, I will defend to the death your right to say it.
You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment rights and every other right you cherish. On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your
collective nose at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies. And you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve?
Rubbish!

A1C Michael Bragg Hill AFB AFNCC

: Military Pride - The public is Loosing Touch

: Here's one that will make you proud to serve!!
: On 12 Jan, Ms Cindy Williams (from Laverne and
: Shirley TV show) wrote a piece for the
: Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s)
: coming service
: members'way this year-citing that the stated
: 13% wage gap was bogus.

: A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her
: article below. He ought to get a bonus for
: this!

: Ms. Williams: I just had the pleasure of
: reading your column of 12 Jan, "Our GIs
: earn enough" and I am a bit confused.

: Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted
: overpayment is going, because as far as I
: can tell, it disappears every month between
: DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting
: Service) and my bank account. Checking my
: latest leave and earnings statement (LES),
: see that I make $1,117.80, before taxes.
: After taxes, I take home $ 874.20. When I
: run that through Windows'
: Calculator, I come up with an annual salary of
: $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40
: after.

: I work in the Air Force Network Control Center
: (AFNCC), where I am part of the team
: responsible for the administration of a
: 25,000-host computer network. I am involved
: with infrastructure segments, specifically
: with Cisco Systems equipment.

: A quick check under jobs for Network
: Technicians in the Washington, D.C. area
: reveals a position in my career field,
: requiring three years experience with my
: job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay
: $13,413.60 a year, nor does it pay less than
: this. No, this job is being offered at
: $70,000 to $80,000 per annum. I'm sure you
: can draw the obvious conclusions.

: Also, you tout increases to Basic Allowance for
: Housing and Basic Allowance for Subsistence
: (housing and food allowances, respectively)
: as being a further boon to an already
: overcompensated force. Again, I'm curious as
: to
: where this money has gone, as BAH and BAS were
: both slashed 15% in the Hill AFB area
: effective in January 00.

: Given the tenor of your column, I would assume
: that you have NEVER had the pleasure of
: serving your country in her armed forces.
: Before you take it upon yourself to once
: more castigate congressional and DOD
: leadership for attempting to get the
: families in the military's lowest pay
: brackets off AFDC, WIC, and food stamps, I
: suggest that you join a group of deploying
: soldiers headed for Saudi- I leave the choice
: of service branch up to you.
: Whatever choice you make, though, opt for the
: SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you
: the longest possible time away from your
: family and
: friends, thus giving you full "deployment
: experience".
: As your group prepares to board the plane, make
: sure to note the spouses and children who
: are saying good-bye to their loved ones.
: Also take care to note that several families
: are still unsure of how they'll be able to
: make ends meet while the primary breadwinner
: is gone-obviously they've been squandering
: the vast piles of cash the DOD has been
: giving them.
: Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas
: and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites.
: And when you're actually over there, sitting
: in a DFP
: (Defensive Fire Position, the modern-day
: foxhole), shivering against the cold desert
: night, and the flight sergeant tells you that
: there aren't enough people on shift to
: relieve you for chow, remember this: trade
: whatever MRE you manage to get for the tuna
: noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and
: add Tabasco to everything.
: Talk to your loved ones as often as you are
: permitted; it won't nearly be long enough or
: often enough, but take what you can get and
: be thankful for it. You may have picked up
: on the fact that I disagree with most of the
: points you present in your op-ed piece. But,
: tomorrow from Sarajevo, I will defend to the
: death your right to say it.
: You see, I am an American fighting man, a
: guarantor of your First Amendment rights and
: every other right you cherish. On a daily
: basis, my brother and sister soldiers
: worldwide ensure that you and people like
: you can thumb your
: collective nose at us, all on a salary that is
: nothing short of pitiful and under
: conditions that would make most people
: cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest
: into the private sector because we can't
: offer the stability and pay of civilian
: companies. And you, Ms. Williams, have the
: gall to say that we make more than we
: deserve?
: Rubbish!

: A1C Michael Bragg Hill AFB AFNCC

Um, just so you all know, I got this EXACT same email (my husband is in the military as well) but it was NOT credited to Cindy Williams when I received it...I think this is another case of Urban Legends run amok. I'm just saying so because I would hate to see anyone's reputation tainted over something so ridiculous. Personally I couldn't care less even if it WAS Cindy Williams that wrote it--but just in case she didn't, THINK before anyone goes off on the subject.

The article in question was not written by Cindy Williams of Laverne & Shirley. It was written by a different Cindy Williams. Click below for the whole story.