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Anyone wishing to stir up the anger of veterans and members of the retired military community need only mention the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Dr. David Chu. From that point onward, outrage will take the place of polite conversation.

What causes all this veteran anger? According to Colonel Harry Riley, U S Army (Ret) it is because "Mr. Chu, without rational justification, makes broad and sweeping statements identifying military retiree benefits as the enemy of our active force."

Chu has made comments like "Benefits that apply mainly to retirees and their families are making it harder for the Pentagon to afford financial incentives for today's military," He has continued on that theme saying, "Congress has gone too far in expanding military retiree benefits." His claim is the benefits are now a heavy burden. "They are starting to crowd out two things: First, our ability to reward the person who is bearing the burden right now in Iraq or Afghanistan. Second, they are undercutting our ability to finance the new gear that is going to make that military person successful five, ten 15 years from now."

Colonel Riley muses, "I wonder if Mr. Chu ever considered how 'hard' it was at Normandy, in the jungles of the South Pacific, or the freezing battlefields of Korea as he sits in his office and denigrates these old warriors seeking benefits they earned?'

Some readers may not be familiar with the workings of Dr. David S. C. Chu or his role within the Department of Defense (DoD). He is a product of the Ivy League, earning his Doctorate in Economics from Yale in 1972. He was commissioned and served two years in the Army, including a tour of duty with the Office of the Comptroller, Headquarters, and 1st Logistical Command, in Vietnam. From that point on he has been in and out of government, accruing more than 18 years of federal service. He was named to his current position on June 1, 2001.

Since taking his DoD post, David Chu has served as the designated "attack dog" for the administration. He has testified before Congress, given speeches and written articles for the media on numerous occasions. If the topic relates to veterans' issues, retired military personnel or military dependents benefits his approach has repeatedly been negative. In fact, some of his public comments have actually displayed distain for those who, in the past, served their country with honor. He has been particularly vicious in arguing against expenditures for veteran and retiree health care. At the same time it should be noted he will receive a federal pension and medical benefits when he retires from federal service. Some say these are even more generous benefits than are awarded to military retirees.

Major General Earl G. Peck, USAF (Ret) has some serious observations about Dr. Chu's conduct. He says, "The point Dr. Chu misses is that honoring the solemn obligations of our nation to veterans makes a direct contribution to national security even if he chooses to ignore the moral strictures that bind us to promises. Having served more than 36 years on active duty and with 6 sons who have served or are serving in the armed forces, I can testify that every failure to honor those obligations diminishes the value of a military career to those who are serving and those who might serve in the future. If through misguided parsimony we are no longer able to attract the right people, we can't provide for the security of the nation."

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