U.S. House scraps meal charge for wounded soldiers

[Bill in SD, CA]

How nice of them!

Maybe they can charge them rent for their rifles instead.

U.S. House scraps meal charge for wounded soldiers

Background Story

and on a lighter note:

Top 11 reasons seriously wounded US soldiers should be charged $8.10 a day for meals while hospitalized.

Bill

[Epidemic]

Hmmmm,

Either the Military has changed allot since 1987 or this is just a stupid rule.

If you eat on base at the cafeteria, you eat for free.

How is being hospital bed bound any different from eating in the mess hall, galley or the likes?

Now if they charged you to eat in the mess then perhaps I could see some sort of warped logic. However, if healthy soldiers eat free on base then the same should be true of those in hospital beds.

Now there might be something else at work here. They may be getting an allowance or per diem which since they are eating on base they are not eligible for since they are not eating out.

I would have to think it was something like that otherwise I just cant see how it passed in the first place.

[Warthog]

bwahahaha...that's the exact same price it'd cost to eat here on base per day.

Breakfast - $1.60
Lunch - $3.25
Dinner - $3.25
Total $8.10

What a friggin joke...at a hospital you have to PAY?? And the reason you are there in the FIRST place is because you got shot doing YOUR duty.

[M_Six]

This is another minor technicality that the press has blown up into a big story. The deal is, if you live off base you are paid a Basic Allowance for Subsistence. If you are paid BAS (or whatever they call it now) and you eat in the on-base mess hall, you have to pay. Otherwise you'd be double-dipping. These soldiers who were charged were really only reimbursing Uncle Sam for their meals for which they were already paid.

Nonetheless, I think it's a good thing that they changed the rule for wounded soldiers. There should be some consideration given to the sacrifice already made, and this seems a simple thing to do.

If I remember right, when I was drawing BAS and we went to the gunnery range or some other field problem, I never had to pay for meals. So I guess I was double-dipping. Hope Uncle Sam doesn't come after me now for back costs.

[Epidemic]

As I suspected.

thanks M_Six.

Why did the media leave out the part that made this seem like less than evil.

So these people are payed 8.10 a day and then they spend 8.10 a day. Typical partial inflametory reporting and politics. I guess I can't blame the reporters for not doing any homework and just taking the politician with a cause at his word.


Not that I mind giving a wounded soldier an 8.10 per day raise. But the rule was a fair one. In fact changing this rule is a bit unfair to those who do not receive per diem BAS or whatever. Those who do not live off base will make 8.10 less now then those who normally live off base.

To be fair they should give 16.20 to those who live on base while in the hospital.

[M_Six]

Congress approved the change with a unanimous vote, so everyone made political hay on this one.

[Bill in SD, CA]

Reporters - Bahh!

Bill

[Epidemic]

So either the senators and representatives do not know what they are voting on (typical) or they are simply trying to make political points by feeding the media a LOSAYL.

either way now the injured soldier who normally lived on base now does not get compensated as well as the guy who goes home to his nice home cooked meals which cost less.


The media as usual does not do their homework.

[M_Six]

Quote:

either way now the injured soldier who normally lived on base now does not get compensated as well as the guy who goes home to his nice home cooked meals which cost less.

Something like that. Not sure how this all works in a combat area, though. I don't know if soldiers who were receiving BAS while in the States still get it while overseas in a combat area. You'd have to ask one of the members here who are currently serving.