Commissary And Exchange Privileges

[Kelly]

I have started a petition to forward to our elected officials to urge them to get off their sixs and get this legislation passed. Please sign this petition and let your fellow vets know the petition is out there. Thanks

http://www.petitiononline.com/vetpet/petition.html

[Guest allanopie]

>These are called retirement benefits for a reason.

Hello Rick,

the VA should make it easier to understand than. If disabled vets are not entitled & this benefit is based on yrs of service & just for retiries, than thats the way it is. I can see how someone who dedacated 20+ yrs could be offended. It doestn't seem like a bill like this should be allowed to be submited if the law doesn't allow for disabled vets.

I'm thinkin the base commesaries could use the sales & the vets could use a break, if there's one there. I wouldn't loose any sleep over it one way or the other Rick. It won't pass. It never does.

Allan

[Guest Dataman]

It would never work. I say No. If passed it would just have DOD one day say "Active Duty Only". They are not equiped to handle the crowds. Imagine just getting on base.

If they are that concerned raise the money amount paid for all percentages.

[Jim MAC]

It would never work. I say No. If passed it would just have DOD one day say "Active Duty Only". They are not equiped to handle the crowds. Imagine just getting on base.

If they are that concerned raise the money amount paid for all percentages.

Greetings All

As a retire with 24 years of service I may be in the miniorty but I am all for it. First of all the PX/BX makes a profit and the profit is plowed back into the MWR funds on base. So in reality by letting disabled Vets shop in the BX they are supporting the troops with more money for on base activites. Its not the retires that would raise hell about it its the local stores downtown who would. As far as the commiseries go who would it hurt to allow a disbled vet to shop there. The 5 percent surcharge pays for the operating of the commisery. Space A travel thats a no-brainer retires are priorty 6 make disabled vets a priorty 7. The only thing I would like to see is to make it like the VA when you hit 50 percent with the VA you get all your medicall coverd. I would like to see it if you are 50 percent disabled you get the bennies.

Just my 2 cents worth

Jim

[Pete53]

I don't use the stinking PX?BX privledges and don't intend to. However, I find it offensive to see a veteran trying to say someone is or is not entitled to a benefit. We get enough of that crap from the VA.

I make it a policy to back Veterans as it is my opinion we play against a stacked deck in the first place. If they ever add the free plane rides I will be glad but I will never use it either.

[Kelly]

I've said it before I'll say it again. If you did not retire you should not be entitled to these benefits. This is just my opinion, but retirees worked for 20 plus years (in most cases) to be entitled to these and other benefits. I do not think someone who does two or three years should get these or other benefits, I don't care how disabled they are. These are called retirement benefits for a reason.

They are not called retirement benefits and have no idea where you got that from. You san that someone who served two or three years did not deserve the right. If a servicemember is medically retired with less then 20 they are entitled to PX and commissary privileges.

I case you have not seen the prices in either the commissary or exchanges, they are higher then on the economy, so shopping on base is not saving the vets or for that fact the retirees in the commuity any money. Funds faised are fed back into MCCS which is a benefit for active duty servicemember serving now. Seems like a win, win to me. I am a disabled vet and a DoD civilian and work with MCCS and know for a fact that they can use all the funds they can get. I work on a small air station and go in our commissary regulary and have never seen all of the registers open, not even on paydays.

There is no justifition for not allowing vets who may or may not have pulled the trigger in defense of this country the right to patrons in the same facilities they utilized while wearing a uniform.

[Kelly]

Jim, you are a wise man. I like you thinking. I have seen many variations of this type of legislation. From all disabled vets to 70% vets. With and without space A travel. I do not really care what level disability level they decide on, as long as the disabled vet is recognized as earning something more the a pat on the back on the way out.

My father retired after 26yrs. I have been in or around the military my whole life and know for a fact that benefits for retirees has dwindled to almost nothing. If we do not fight back a little harder, you can bet retirees will end up getting the shaft even harder. Tricare, in a few years it will stand for "Tri and get Care" as a retiree.

Concurrent receipt has been on the front burner for a while now. I am guessing that if retirees helped the disabled vet that does not have 20+ years out with a small bennie, there would be more non-retirees standing up for those that should be getting concurrent receipt. Right know, do you think any non-retired diabled vets care whether a retiree gets concurrent receipt, not likely. We all need to stick together like we thought we would if we were in a fighting position watching each others backs. I don't know how the retirees and other vets became enimies with one another. We all shared a bond that a civilian will never know, that bond now broken because we are fighting different battles with the VA and the federal government. They are different battles, but the same war.