If you are one of the 100,000 active or retired military personnel that are or will be paying a former spouse relief may be in sight! Tired of waiting for the U.S. Congress to address and correct the wrongs of the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA) a number of us have retained legal counsel and filed suit against the Department of Defense and its head - Donald Rumsfeld. The lawsuit has been pending since last summer, encountered some resistance (from women's rights groups...) and has now moved on the the U.S. Court Of Appeals. Arguments will be resumed on Friday, 19 November.
Further information can be found at:
www.ulsg.org

That is not exactly correct. The lawsuit is still at the district court in Alxansria, Va. Trial date is set for Oct 18, 19 if the USFSPA law is not repealed before based on the next summary hearing Aug 26th. DOD lawyers failed to keep USLG attorneys from taking depositions at DFAS Cleveland this week.

What are female career veterans to NOW? Collateral damage?

I retired in 1985, then in 1987 my wife and I were divored, she took me for everything even lied that she hadn't recieved any money from me, when she had been getting my retirement checks every 1st of the month, I then had to give her over a thousand dollars again, I accept giving child support for my daughter who was 17 years old till she graduated from high school, also she remarried and her new husband makes way over what I was even making with my retirement, plus another full time job. Why I have to give my retire pay to someone who never went crawling through jungles and swamps, or even went to college or any training and is remarried. I served 4 years in Vietnam and suffered for my country, I don't understand why my country turned thier back on me. GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY!!!!!


Ronald E. Carr
E-mail Olivia_Carr@baylor.edu

I have sent this letter to all Senators and Congressional Reps who would accept letters from outside their districts and to every newspaper that I found the address for. I would highly suggest that you do the same (use my letter or better yet, write one of your own) if you have any interest in your military benefits, current and future:
I stay visually fixed on what takes place on “Capital Hill”, very carefully I read everything that pertains to the Military Veterans, since it addresses the Bush administration’s goal to saddle veterans with more costs. I find it interesting that a group of people that always talks a good game about how much we owe our servicemen and women continues to finds ways to place more of the budgetary burden on them. President Bush seems intent on forgetting commitments to those of us who have served the country. I also find it interesting the “politically beneficial” programs like better office buildings for our representatives, foreign aid, etc.; seem to be worthwhile initiatives that just get funded as needed. Frankly, I am tired of veterans getting the short end, and think it’s time to start pushing and protecting our benefits through another avenue of political leverage by promoting the “Veterans Party of America” http://www.veteransparty.us
I remember very clearly, President Bush’s remarks before the American People on national TV, “Promises made, will be promises kept”, during his campaign for President. After winning the election, promises were just promises “made”. The exact campaigning procedure that “all” politicians use to abuse the “Veteran”.
Our most revered Founding Father George Washington gave an eloquent warning, saying, “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
There was a time in past years, which I strongly promoted serving “the country” to all young people. Now, I cautiously warn them of the “political” dangers for serving “the country”, as all my comrades are doing.
We “veterans” know very well that you can implement again the draft, but, to do so, will cripple America as you will never have the technical and experienced warriors from years of military service again, as most will only stay for the period drafted and have no interests in honing their military skills.
President Ronald Reagan echoed the wisdom of our first president’s remarks when, in signing legislation that established the Department of Veterans Affairs, he said, “America’s debt to those who would fight for her defense doesn’t end the day the uniform comes off. For the security of our nation, it must not end”.
At a time when troops on the ground are protecting our security and defending our cherished freedom, I’m concerned that leaders in Congress are set to test the wisdom of those two great leaders.
I’m reminded of the great poem “Tommy”, “for its Tommy this and Tommy that and chuck him out the brute, but he’s the savior of his nation when the guns begin to shoot”.
With today’s rapid technology on the home computers and e-mail just a few seconds away, leaders on “the hill” should know that it’s almost impossible to hide what goes and what does not go on behind closed doors.
As recently as last year, we were told that this year’s budget approved by Congress was adequate. It’s not true. News reports from across the country give clear evidence that VA is straining and failing to make ends meet. It took an emergency budget meeting to approve enough money to get VA’s operating costs current, not any surplus to continue operations.
In complete candor, I cannot tell you that in these past months, or under the present circumstances, we are comfortable with the direction taken by our congressional or executive leadership.
What we see and hear disturbs us, because it is clear to veterans that if congressional leadership cannot arrange priorities within a $2.6 trillion budget to meet the benefits veterans earned and richly deserve something are wrong with the priorities being chosen.
In reading last year’s appropriations, I see that there is enough money to spend on Ground Hog Day, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and more than 13,000 lesser priority, non-veteran pet projects. While individually each of these earmarks may account for a small fraction of federal spending, the total cost to taxpayers for these projects in fiscal year 2005 is $27.3 billion.
Incredibly, there is more. Congress last year approved a four-year $1 billion program to pay the medical-care costs of treating illegal immigrants. What signal is being sent, when budget priorities allow health care for illegal immigrants to trump care for veterans?
The priority given health care for illegal immigrants is a stark reminder that this budget proposal is bad news for the nation’s veterans, especially when our courageous troops are engaged in battle overseas.
Oh No, there is more – with the insistence and pressure from DOD, The Pentagon and The VA, Congress approved the FERES Doctrine (go to http://www.veteransparty.us click on “opinions and polls”, click on Feres Doctrine), prohibiting military personnel from seeking legal representation in matters involving the violation of their Constitutional Rights, Bill of Right and Civil Rights. Criminals who commit crimes at all levels including the most heinous are guaranteed legal representation even if the court presiding over them appoints legal counsel at a costs to taxpayer’s.
Whereas, the public record clearly establishes the Feres Doctrine allows widespread corruption and abuse of power within the United States Armed Forces and prevents said corruption from reaching the public domain and is confirmed by the dissenting opinion of Supreme Court Justice Scalia who stated in Johnson v. United States (1987): “Congress’s inaction regarding this doctrine and its doing little, if anything in the way of modifying it to prevent Constitutional claims is clearly unjust and irrational. Again, allowing such power to military leaders can and does result in abuse therefore, where are the checks and balances on the military.” Again, what is the message being sent to the Veterans?
In addition I’m also a victim of the "Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act" (USFSPA). In case you are not familiar with this act, please go to web site http://www.usfspa-lawsuit.info and read about this injustice being done to veterans. Briefly, this law was passed by Congress in 1982 and backdated to 1981 in order to nullify the US Supreme Court's decision in McCarty vs. McCarty that held a military service members retirement compensation could not be considered as property divisible for equal distribution in divorce cases. The US Supreme Court upheld that military disability compensation could never be garnished for any cause whatsoever.
The USFSPA was attached as a rider to another bill by former Congresswomen Patricia Schroeder (D-CO) and was passed in the middle of the night. This law effectively places military retired service men and women in financial servitude to ex-spouses for the remainder of the retiree's life without consideration of circumstances for the divorce, such as adultery, abandonment, abuse, etc. This law is a windfall for both ex-spouses and their attorneys and gives state court judges free reign on garnishment of military retirement compensation and allows them to further garnish military disability compensation.
As a retired military disabled combat veteran, I have made a solemn oath to stop every young person who appears to be between the ages of 17 and 30, at each opportunity, to tell them as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story”. Many hundreds of my comrades have made the same solemn oath.
The underlying fact remains – we’ve earned what the nation promised, and so have the new generations of heroes who have stepped forward to serve our country.
Veterans all across the nation are calling on Congress to provide adequate resources to care for America’s veterans, keep the promise and support veteran’s benefits. Repeal discriminatory rules and regulations. Some will say as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Dr. David S. C. Chu, “we can’t afford it; it costs too much”
We believe that the price is not too great for the value received.

My ex has been recieving 32 and 1/2 percent of my retirement since I started getting retired pay(after paying back the Readjustment Pay of 15,000.00). It has been tough the whole time(Since 1980).She was awarded this in 1976 by a CA court.I credit the CA courts with the limited funds that my sons lived with while they grew up. The Democrat(very Liberal) courts in CA went after the Army guys with a very large stick in an effort to let the DOD know that they were the ultiment in a way of life that each and every state should copy. They were very full of theirselves and let everyone know that each state should copy their techniques. Four years later Congress bought it HOOK, LINE, and SINKER. How do you like that. Our own congress sold us out.

You should have stayed single....

I was reading through some of the letters sent in by Military Servicemen complaining about having to "share" part of their retirement. I was somewhat suprised at the hostility in these letters. And the lack of understanding towards Military wives receiving part of retirement.
As I continued reading I wondered what sort of people wrote these letters and how involved their X spouses were with the Military during their marriage. I am an X military spouse. and I was awarded 50% of my X husbands retirement. And I will let you know that I earned every single bit of it. I may not have been out crawling in trenches during the Vietnam or any other War. Or doing road marches, Ranger training Camp, jumping out of planes, or any of the other things my husband signed up for. But I worked my fanny off taking care of the family members while the soldiers he worked with were out doing all these things. I supported my husband in his career for over 20 years, I went to "forced fun events" when I would have rather been home with my children. I ran family support meetings,was an advisor, went to 6 Battallion and also Company wives support group meetings a month. I also attended off post meetings and other on Post meetings. I went to every funeral, every promotion, every dinner, every everything. I supported and was always there for any wife or family Enlisted or Officer that needed me. I fought battles for family members when it came to housing or any unfair treatment.
I didn't have time to have my own career. All my time was taken up taking care of my 3 children by myself while my husband was gone most of the time and by taking care of the family members that needed help while their husbands were also gone. There was no Xtra time for just me, or something exciting like school or a career. Since I gave up my career to support my husbands career I think it is only fair that I receive part of his retirment. I worked just as hard as he did taking care of my resposibilities as an Army wife.
I can't compare myself to other Army wives because we all had our different jobs. But keep in mind that many of your lives were made easier because of Army wives like myself. We took care of many problems your families had while you were deployed just so you would not have to take emergency leave and come home to take care of them yourself. Many times you were not able to take emergency leave even if you asked because of the nature of your deployment.
So I ask that you think about the comments that you have made about how unfair it is that you have to "share" your retirement. And think how unfair it would be for women like me who gave it their all and supported and helped you Men and your family members. Women just like me are a very important part of the Military. The X Wife of an 06

ditto...X Wife of an 0-6 I couldn't have said it better on behalf of former spouses.
It works both ways too for those civilian men who are married to women in the military and become an ex-spouse.

BS!

Get a Job and earn your own Retirement! Freaking ******es....

MY buddy's wife divorced him because she wanted to find herself. Well guess what she found herself not being able to take care of herself because she always relied on him and the military to take care of her. Sneaky B gets back with him and then files for divorce again this time she got a lawyer and is going to get half his retirement. She sucked him into this. My poor buddy really loves her and would take her back. She is with some old fark who has Money, plus she will get a little check on the side.

EVIL

To 37 Grizzly

Corporal

I just now saw your response to my letter about Military wives receiving retirement benefits
And I would like to respond to what you wrote.
What happened to your friend is not the norm. I agree there are wives that are capable of doing dirty underhanded things such as your friends wife but I am not one of them. Keep in mind that you cannot judge everyone according to the misdeeds of one person. What she did to your friend was very wrong and I for one would never support anyone that was as underhanded, devious and sneaky as this woman. Once again let me stress that you cannot compare one person to another. Throughout my time with the Military I saw many Men that were equal to this woman in many respects. However I never judged all men equaly. As for this comment you made...
BS!
Get a Job and earn your own Retirement! Freaking ******es....
It is obvious that you are a man with no class and a very limited amount of education. To make a blanket statement like that shows that you have a mind like a steel trap. You are not capable of understanding anything beyond your emotions and your nose. Perhaps the next time you make a comment you can restrict yourself to the story about your poor friend that was taken by some devious woman and leave your nasty comments towards the rest of us out of it. And by the way for all the work I did with the Military I was not paid. Sure I got recognized,praised, was given awards etc but no money passed my hands. My payment now is part of my X husbands retirement.And I did have a job for many years. It was as the wife of a Untited States Army Officer. And one more piece of information for you. My husband was the kind of man that your friends wife was. Only much worse. The pain of having someone do these sort of things to you is very real whether you are a man or a woman. I am sorry for what your friend has had to go through. If he was half as angry as you are maybe he would have had the insight to not allow this woman back into his life. The X wife of an 06

Thank You for your nice comments! No class & very limited education. I cant understand anything.

Class who gives a Rats Arse about that...Only women do. Educated enough to make 50,000 a year. So I aint no rocket scientist and never said I was master of all minds. Its simple you need to STFU! Wife of a X06. Does that make you Queen of class. Get off your high horse.

A real Woman can handle her life without taking from a Man's retirement. I hope they change the laws.Retirement pay sucks as it is and to take it away is a shame. You suffered and blah blah blah go cry me a freaking river.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 37grizzly,

37 grizly

Well, how nice to hear from you again.
Did I ruffle your little feathers? Hurt your feelings? well get over it little boy.
As you have proven in both your letters you have the inability to correspond with people in an intelligent manner. It has also become quite obvious that you are an angry young person that is unable to state his feelings without anger and the usage of vile language. Let me make it clear that the only person you are putting in a bad light is yourself. No one is impressed with the way you present yourself or your lack of control over your emotions. That is no one but yourself. Could this possibly be why you are an X Marine?

In response to your last letter.
If nothing else you are amusing. You gave me my laugh for the day. Perhaps if you wrote something intelligent one might be inclined to take you seriously.

YOU WROTE:

Posted Thu 05 January 2006 21:46
Thank You for your nice comments! No class & very limited education. I cant understand anything.

You set yourself up for that one. Your immature response to my letter was just that. Immature. And my letter was a direct response to your attack on all women.

Class who gives a Rats Arse about that...Only women do.

Class has nothing to do with gender. But someone of your "intelligence" is incapable of understanding that. This refers back to you having a mind like a steel trap.


Educated enough to make 50,000 a year.

I doubt that you make 50,000 a year. People that think and speak the way you do are a liability and no respectable employer would hire you. At least not for long.


So I aint no rocket scientist and never said I was master of all minds.

First of all aint is not proper English. And the only mind you could possibly be master of is your own.


Its simple you need to STFU! Wife of a X06. Does that make you Queen of class. Get off your high horse.

Hmmm, Well I have to admit that I am not clear on what STFU means. But I will bet you would just love to tell me wouldn't you?

No high horse here sonny boy. I may have been an officers wife but my father was an elisted man. And that's where my roots came from. I am very proud of him. He served his country in several wars and has been highly decorated several times. Purple heart,bronze and silver stars etc. Do you have these? It appears that you are the one on the high horse. Maybe you should take along hard look at yourself and think about changing the way you look at life and the way you deal with things.


A real Woman can handle her life without taking from a Man's retirement.


I handle my life just fine. Part of my husbands retirement will not make or break me. But I will always fight for what I know is rightfully mine.



You suffered and blah blah blah go cry me a freaking river.

I never said I suffered. I said I was entitled to part of my husbands retirement.
As for crying a river.........
Below I have attached your first entry on this website. Sounds to me like you were the one crying a river. All you have done is snivel and whine about how wrong your buddy has been treated by his X wife.

Well, this has been entertaining but I need to go and do something constructive. Thanks for the enlightening letters. The X wife of an 06

For Your Information there is nuch such thing as a X Marine. Once a Marine Always a Marine. Second of all you dont know me! I am a Combat Veteran & a Disabled Veteran. Dont even go there ! I've been there done that. I will say my Father did 4 tours in Nam just for GP, but I dont need to brag about anything. You certainly do because you feel belittled that your just a EX - Army WIFE, not a Veteran or Active duty. To sit here and write this stupid crap about how childish I am & ignorant blah blah blah. Your a Ignorant Puke for posting on this forum !


Its my opinion that spouses dont deserve someone's retirement if they divorce! Plan and simple. Your pizzed that that Law will soon end.

When It does I will remember you X 06 wifey & laugh hard............LOL

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 37grizzly,

In regards to the ex-wife getting part of a retirement pension? It depends on how many years they were married. If it was more than 20 years then maybe she deserves a small piece of it. Face it, 20 years of being an Army wife, she put up with it all. Not knowing and worring about her mans safety?Stress kills people every day.And I'm sure she was there for her Soldier husband thru thick n thin.

To 37 Grizly

Good grief there you are again. like a Tick on a dog. Can't seem to get rid of you.
I'll make this short and sweet. I wrote in on this discussion board because I wanted to share my thoughts on why I felt an X spouse should receive part of retirement benefits. That is why they call this a discussion board.
It appears that You on the other hand are here to wage a personal war on women.
Not once have you mentioned the Men that are X-spouses of Military women that will also receive retirement benefits.
All your posts have involved nothing other than whining, sniveling and nasty language along with your attacks on women. I think you are here just to complain and look for sympathy. In fact You sound like a boy scorned. Could it be that story you told about your friend was actually about you.
If you want your opinion to be taken seriously, try writing something worth reading. Stick to the facts and leave your personal thoughts, feelings and comments towards women out of your posts. They, along with your swearing and name calling have no place here. You fight on the level of a 5th grade boy that has recently learned about swear words. I can't speak for anyone else but I certainly am not impressed.
Your posts are actually starting to bore me. No challenge here. Perhaps you should move on to one of the pre-teen websites that have discussion boards. I am sure that would be more your speed. My suggestion to you would be, grow up, become a real man and then come back and post something that is worth reading.
The X wife of an 06

We will see who gets the Last word when the law gets changed.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHH!

I'm so hurt by your comments... Where's my tissue......

If I bore you so much why do you keep posting ?
If I'm a Child then your a Baby for responding to my childish comments.

Look Get off your High Horse, your not winning any battles here. You dont know what a real Man is lady!

Now I know why your Husband Divorced you!

I hope you live a long lonely life!


X-Wife of an 06 So your something special Jesus Lady is that all you have to hold onto in life. I bet you tell all the ladies in your social life. I'm a Colonels Wife... Whewwwwwwww!

Now thats special! Hmmmmmmmmm.... Maybe

Just Maybe..... SATAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 37grizzly,

To 37 Grizzly

Whatever, Like I said I am bored with you and your childish responses. This has gone above and beyond talking about retirment benefits so there is no longer a need for me to respond to your Posts. I am an adult and find no need to battle with children.

Does anyone else have any intelligent input on the subject of Retirement benefits? I am truly interested in your opinions on why you do or do not feel X- spouses should recieve retirement benefits. Kindly restrict yourselves to the subject at hand.
The X wife of an 06

Man alive I Say!! Its funny how an ex-spouse justifies to themselves that they earned that money. The point i will make is with one sentence and that sentence alone. "Since when does supporting a spouse have a price tag on it"?!!? We support our children till they are grown but that doesn't mean when they grow up and get a job, you get money back. Everyone makes their own choices in life, you alone choose to marry a service member. you choose to have and raise children, you chose to support his/her spouse. No one but the servicemember earns that money, they themselves have signed their own name to the dotted line.
I am an army veteran and a spouse of a retiree paying to an ex spouse.
And i dont charge $$ to support my spouse!!

412 - AMEN !

I also feel that the USFSPA was designed for some reason, but the manner is which it is used to day and the effects it has on servicemembers and former spouses is devastating. The USFSPA enables former spouses to justify to themselves that supporting a servicemember has a price tag. Even thought the service member themselves signed the dotted line to serve our country as honorable as they could. Also its a shame that, in this era of our lives we think we get reimbursed for our choices. We chose to marry a service member, we chose to support other military family members, we chose to go to military functions, we chose to have children and stay at home or not and raise them. And in the days where we have fought our way thru the trenches to become "INDEPENDENT" we have USFSPA to thank for spouses to remain dependant upon another person, and then place blame on someone else for those choices. Has any former spouse ever thought how the service member felt? Being deployed, now being shot at, bombed, dirty, tired, away from his/her new bride or the bride he/she has been married to for many years, missing children growing up, firsts in children's lives, anniversaries, birthdays and holidays. While the spouses have the choices everyday, what to wear or eat, whether to work today or play hooky, and all while in the comfort of home as our servicemember spouse supports us without a pricetag. The service member doesn't get those choices. I have read alot of former spouses reactions and statements but about 95% of them are "I" situations. Never "we". There again they justify to themselves why they should be "awarded" such entitlement, If it were earned why does it take a "court order" to give? Or a law? That's not earning it, that's taking it. If you wanted such entitlement join the service, I DID! Hiding behind a law that enables someone to think they are entitled to retirement is ludicrous. People scream about independence everyday, this isn't getting it!! Just to clarify myself, i am not meaning ti to be rude or discredit anyones situation. But with this law there are no fences to sit on. If there were no such law in place no one would ever think about being "entitled to" this retirement. There again, dependent on someone else to think for ya!