Reply #21: Yeah, those blood sucking gummint types.

[sarge43]

Let's see, last year husband's retirement came to $15,362. This for 20 years of intimately working with things that kill people and break things, hearing shot to hell from working flight lines, probably going to die from cancer from the shit in those things that kill ...., 12 of those 20 on remote tours where families weren't authorized (two of them in Vietnam) and finally not knowing from one day to the next where he'd be and what he'd be doing. You also might want to read the punitive articles of UCMJ - few human rights, damn few civil ones.

Now I figure that 15K just about covers the JP-8 the Blue Angels use up at maybe two air shows. To put it another way, if hubby lives to 78 (ten more years) the tax payers of this country will be out o/a 700K and I'm allowing for those lavish pay increases (about $200 per annum when we get them). 700K may cover a day trip to Arctic Circle for a Buff (air and ground crew pay, fuel, equipment, etc).

You're getting a bargain chum. Wouldn't recommend screwing with it because without the career noncoms you won't have an armed forces. You'll either have an armed mob or mercs that will really cost ya.

Trust me, we career enlisted types don't hang on for the fun of it. Yeah I'm one of those blood suckers too.