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Where Are The Warriors Children?
By Thomas D. Segel
September 19, 2002

Where are the children of our retired military families today? Do our former warriors tell their children about service and duty? These are questions, which should have obvious answers. However, in this electronic age, answers can become very distorted because of the huge volume of information generated by mass media.

When asked if they recommended or urged their children or grand children to serve as members of the armed forces, military retirees seem to have spoken out in negative voices. In a very unscientific survey of several hundred individual retirees, answers came back the same. Few would endorse the armed forces as a wise choice for any of their family members. At one point there was an eighty-percent negative response to the question, "Would you encourage your children or grand children to enlist or accept a commission in the armed forces?"

A closer observation, however, shows those who discouraged future military service had suffered from extreme hardships or for specific reasons were unhappy with the outcomes of their military careers. Another large group of retirees feels betrayed by the United States government. One group of more than 100 respondents claim, almost to the person, that they advise their children or grand children to look for careers in places other than military service. All of these retirees had gone through divorce while on active duty. All felt they had been victimized by the provisions of the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act.

This legislation treats military retirement as community property, allows half of a service member's retirement pay to be given to the spouse in any divorce settlement. An additional 15% of this retirement pay can be awarded for minor children of the marriage. Though this may seem reasonable on the surface, it is difficult to understand how such retirement benefits can be personal or community property, because they end upon the death of the service member. In addition, they are not "earned" benefits until the person has completed at least twenty years of active duty.

What is even more difficult for the retired military people to understand is, often the divorce takes place early during a person's career. The division of the "property " does not take place until many years later and is figured on what the retiree receives at that time. Another provision of the law allows the ex-spouse to keep this retirement pay even upon re-marriage. Because of the high divorce rate in today's America, retirees who have been impacted by giving up 50% to 65% of their retirement pay, warn their offspring away from military service.

Jack Crutchfield, a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel tells of a wife who ridiculed Marine life through most of his career. She filed for divorce in his 19th year of service, took half of his retirement pay and then married a retired Navy Captain. "That means", he says, "a third party who had nothing to do with my career is benefitting from my hard work and service to my country".

The colonel had two sons in the armed forces. One left the Air Force on his father's recommendation after ten years on active duty. Crutchfield is now trying to convince his second son to leave the Navy after completing his active duty obligation. The claim is Congress betrayed him.... so it will also eventually betray his sons.

The second largest group of angry military retirees are those who are in the retirement age bracket of 37 to 64 years of age. This particular classification of military retiree finds long promised medical care has all but vanished. Those living near military bases find themselves waiting for care on a space available basis. In many cases the bases have closed leaving no option for the retiree. All are supposed to be covered under an insurance program called Tricare. There are several different types of Tricare coverage. With the exception of Tricare for Life, which is a supplement to Medicare for those retirees over the age of 65, these plans are unacceptable to most physicians. In some areas not a single doctor will accept Tricare because of the low payment s granted to cover treatment.

Military retirees feel so betrayed by this failure to provide promised health care that at least two Class Action law suits have been filed in an attempt to make the government provide what is considered a promised benefit. This group too, tells their children and grand children to stay away from the armed forces and a government that fails to keep its word.

Bob Berry is a United States Coast Guard retiree and Vietnam veteran. He underwent two brain surgeries before retirement but now finds himself reliant on the VA for any medical help. He claims his Tricare is not accepted and because of his pre-existing condition, he cannot obtain private insurance. He has attempted to dissuade his children away from military service.

Says Berry, "In the past three years I have been able to speak with three friends of my daughters, plus a daughter who was offered a very lucrative package if she would accept the Navy's nuclear power program. I hate to admit it but I was only able to stop two friends and my daughter from entering military service. One got away."

It should be noted those individuals who feel they have grievances against the government are among the most vocal of military retirees. Those who have had successful careers and view their treatment on active duty and during retirement as fair, have an entirely different view. They see enlistments, commissions and military service in general, as wise choices for their children. No survey respondent in the successful career category spoke out against military service.

Most are like Thom Mathey, who is a retired Navy Chief. He says.."I would do it again and I do encourage young kids to join! I come from a family of nine children in Chicago and when I look at my siblings, I am much better off. I can actually claim credit for steering three of my son's friends to the different ranches of the service in the past 18 months. Just wish my son would have signed up."

There was one interesting element of this survey, which stood out, regardless of the individual feelings of unfairness or betrayal. There was not a single retiree unwilling to answer a call to arms, if his or her help would be needed to defend this country.