I believe that all military personnel should receive a certain level of benefits no matter how long they have served. Those who have sacrificed their lives and put them on the line to obtain the title of a veteran deserve a larger thank you than a plot in a graveyard.
The military retirement system might be the best around. The armed forces offer a pension with benefits including health care, a percent of your personal pay, discounts, and a military ID which allows you access onto military bases. My own father, a veteran who served from 1982 to 1988 cannot even pass the gate onto the Parris Island base, a place he once spent time while serving. Someone who spent countless days of training cannot pass due to no military ID which you can obtain as an active duty member or once you have retired in the armed forces.
A veteran is defined as one who has served in the armed forces. This title can be applied to someone who has served as little as one tour, like my father. Allison Deer, author of a blog on the U.S Department of Veterans affairs wrote “Veteran is an all-encompassing word that lumps every former service member into a group of special individuals. Every person has their reason for serving and every person has their reason for getting out. Regardless, they are still a Veteran and are entitled to the benefits and respect that come with the title.
So what does it really take to be a veteran who deserves benefits for putting their life on the line? My father spent six years overseas facing far more terrifying situations that the average person will never have to imagine. Those years of service gained him critical condition health care and a plot in a national cemetery. But is that what he, along with other veterans deserve for their patriotic acts?
PTSD is one of the leading causes for homeless vets in the United States. Not only have they suffered through the loss of brothers in arms and symptoms of aftershock but they now have to live with their illnesses because they cannot afford help. If we can give money and food stamps those who do not work enough, or give refugees a home, then shouldn't we should be able to take care of our own vets? Giving the military a higher level of benefits can give those who suffer from PTSD enough money to receive help and function normally in society.
Armed forces should receive benefits no matter how long they have served. I understand everyone cannot receive the same exact benefits or the rate for military retirement would drop. But those who served have sacrificed themselves and time with family and they deserve higher honors. My own father spent of his life after his service working for everything he has. He did it all on his own without a college degree due to committing his life after high school to the military.
I believe that all military personnel should receive a certain amount of benefits no matter how long they have served. Those who have sacrificed their lives on the line deserve benefits as a thank you, a gratitude, and an honor for their service.