Disgusting: Pentagon Refusing To Pay Death Benefit To Relatives Of Military KIA

Disgusting: Pentagon Refusing To Pay “Death Benefit” To Relatives Of Military Killed In Action, Blames Shutdown

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Congress passed the bill paying the military, and Obama signed it. Yet the Pentagon is interpreting this to deny the families the benefit, and telling the families it is because of Congress. This is beyond obscene, a part of a continuing attack on the military to diminish and divide.

RIP Pfc. Cody J. Patterson, Sgt. Patrick C. Hawkins, 1st Lt. Jennifer M. Moreno and Special Agent Joseph M. Peters, killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan on Sunday.
The NBC article continues the lie, quoting a grieving relative blaming the Tea Party.

Via NBC:

In what veterans groups call an outrageous slight after the ultimate sacrifice, the shuttered federal government is withholding a $100,000 payment normally wired to relatives of soldiers killed at war.

The payment, known as the death gratuity, is typically sent to families of the fallen within 36 hours to help them cover funeral costs or travel to meet the flag-draped coffins of their loved ones.

The families of five American service members killed over the weekend in Afghanistan have been notified that they will not receive the payment.

“Impacting grieving families when they are at their absolute weakest point is just disgusting,” said Joe Davis, a spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the largest organization of combat veterans in the United States.

“Veterans, military personnel and now their families are not to be used as leverage in this political game of blame,” he said. He called on leaders in Congress to “put the country ahead of their politics.”

Congress passed a law last week to pay the military during the shutdown. Pentagon officials studied it to assess whether it might cover the death gratuity and determined that it was not possible, a defense official told NBC News on Tuesday.

Keep reading…

http://weaselzippers.us/2013/10/08/d...ames-shutdown/

'Just disgusting': Outrage after shutdown delays payment for families of fallen

Story at the Page Link:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...of-fallen?lite

925 comments

6 Hours Ago by Suzanne Hamner

Obama Denies Mother of Fallen US Soldier Death Benefits

110 Comments

Does anyone remember the dance game, the Limbo? It was a contest to see how low you could go under a pole, without falling, that steadily kept lowering each round. You could liken this game to the one Obama is playing with the American public. So, just how low can Obama go? Well, it seems pretty low. According to Today.com, "the shutdown of the federal government is now affecting some families when they are most vulnerable, denying them a $100,000 benefit to help with funeral expenses of loved ones killed while serving the country."

If my grandmother were alive, she would say that was lower than a snake's belly slithering across a hardwood floor.

Today.com reported:

The families of five U.S. service members who died over the weekend in Afghanistan have been notified that they won't be receiving the "death gratuity" normally wired to relatives within 36 hours. The benefit is intended to help cover funeral costs and help with immediate living expenses until survivor benefits typically begin.

The money also helps cover costs to fly families to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to witness the return of their loved ones in flag-draped coffins.

"The government is hurting the wrong people," said Shannon Collins, who lost her son over the weekend in Afghanistan.

"Families shouldn't have to worry about how they're going to bury their child," she told NBC News.

"Families shouldn't have to worry about how they're going to feed their family if they don't go to work this week."

Shannon Collins lost her son, 19 year old Marine Lance Corporal Jeremiah M. Collins, Jr., on Saturday when he was supporting combat operation in Afghanistan. Collins was one of five service members killed in Afghanistan over the weekend, "including four troop members who died Sunday in an IED attack." Ms. Collins is unsure when her son's body will be returned to the family for burial. Her son's remains are at Dover.
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon of the Council on Foreign Relations said, "Washington may be shutdown, but it's still asking people to go to war. When people realize they can serve and fight for their country, but that their family will get an IOU until the shutdown is over, I think they're just shocked."
While Collins has a job and supervisors who will allow her to take paid time off to attend to the care of her son's return, others may not be as fortunate meaning the "death gratuity may be critical to their survival and sense of closure."

"While that benefit may not be urgent for me, it's urgent for somebody. There's somebody who needs to fly their family home. There's somebody who needs to have expenses covered, or be able to take off work to handle the affairs of their loved one," Ms. Collins told Today.com. "And to know that the government shutting down will delay their ability to handle their business, some people just won't be able to do it."
Ms. Collins indicated she had the money to address her son's return but could use help with the funeral expenses as she did not necessarily have the $10,000 to bury him. She is working with the funeral home to make arrangements but wonders if she'll be on a payment plan the rest of her life.
While a law was passed last week to address the continuing payment of civilian military members during the shutdown, no provision was made to address the payout of the death benefit to families of soldiers who died during service to their country. According to Today.com, "Republican aides told NBC news they are currently drafting legislation to address the issue, and that it could be considered as early as Wednesday."
One can bet the lamestream media will lay this at the feet of the Republicans while discounting the childish temper tantrum being displayed by Obama, Harry Reid and other Democrat cronies. Was it not the Republican House that passed a piece of legislation to fund the entire government, except Obamacare? Yes, I believe it was. Who rejected that? Why I do declare it was Harry Reid and Obama.
Was it not also the Republican House who passed a piece of legislation that funded the entire government with a stipulation to delay the individual mandate on Obamacare for one year? Again, the answer is yes. Who shot that in the foot? Again, Harry Reid and Obama.
Republicans passed funding for the NIH so children with cancer could get treatments. Harry Reid would not allow that to go through saying, "Why would I do that?" He went on to cite the thousands that were out of work in his home state of Nevada because of the shutdown.
Obama stated he would not even negotiate with Republicans but yet could call the Iranian President to negotiate on the nuclear capability of the Islamic country, could negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Syria's chemical weapons and negotiate providing arms to Islamic terrorist groups in Syria who are known enemies to the US.
This same Obama has spent money to shutdown open air memorials, throw individuals out of their homes on federal land due to park closures, and prevent Americans from seeing Mt. Rushmore by having cones placed alongside the road to prevent cars from stopping. Obama will shutdown the WWII open air memorial to the distinguished veterans who fought in that war to maintain our freedoms but will allow it to be open for an illegal immigrant rally. And to top it all off, Obama even ordered the cemetery in France closed where many American soldiers who stormed the beaches during WWII are laid to rest. I'll just shake my head and do the face-palm maneuver on this.
You won't hear the lamestream enemedia reporting these incidents that show Obama as an incorrigible child throwing a tantrum because he didn't get his way. Nor will you see the same enemedia portraying Harry Reid as a sadistic child killer for denying NIH funding for children suffering from cancer to receive their treatment. That doesn't play into their little liberal agenda. Everything has to be the Republican's fault for not going against the American people who do not want Obamacare. In other words, the lamestream enemedia would rather help install a dictator than engage in responsible journalism by reporting the truth or even both sides of the issue.
My grandmother never put up with childish tantrums. Her response was to get the leather razor strap and show it: that usually stopped the tantrums. If it didn't, all it took was one spanking with that 3 inch strap to set one right again. My grandfather had quite a different approach, but one that was equally effective. His deal was to take one to the spring. Trust me, you never wanted to have to go to the spring – my dad can attest to that fact.
So, I say to all Republicans, it's time to take Obama and Reid to the spring!

http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/10/ba...eath-benefits/

Rep. Duncan Hunter: Obama giving middle finger to military families by witholding death benefits

Posted on 9 October, 2013 by Amy
via nomorecocktails

Rep. Duncan Hunter, a former marine who served in Iraq, is fighting to get death benefits reinstated for the families of slain military. He said that Congress saw this coming and made sure that when they passed the Pay Our Military Act that this very thing was covered. So despite the denial by the DoD that this wasn’t covered, Hunter says it absolutely is covered. Hunter also recounted how the military at one point was using a forklift unload the caskets off the plane. Now technically Megyn said it about the finger but Hunter agreed.
Hunter added that there is no better person than the one who gives their life for this country and they and their families should be treated with the utmost respect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...;v=cLihRYrusZ0

http://gopthedailydose.com/2013/10/0...eath-benefits/

Government Shutdown Puts A Hold On Death Benefits For Fallen Soldiers Families

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Bulldog1

According to NBC, the Government shut down has placed a hold on death benefits to families of our Fallen Warriors. Usually within 36hrs of a Military members death, the family is sent $100,000 to help with immediate expenses, this includes the cost of going to Dover to witness the return of their loved ones in flag-draped coffins.

Five US Service members were killed over the weekend in Afghanistan, and according to NBC, they were notified that the benefits could not be paid at this time.

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The coffin of Marine Lance Corporal Jeremiah M. Collins Jr. is brought home from Afghanistan. (Courtesy: AP)

Marine Jeremiah M. Collins Jr. was KIA in Afghanistan this past weekend along with four other service members, pictured above is Jeremiah being brought home.
These Soldiers and Marines died fighting for us, and we are going to deny their families this benefit? If any of these families need help getting to Dover, or with anything else, please contact us. We will do what we can to help them, and to let them know that the sacrifice’s they have made are not in vain!!

This is a slap in the face to not only these Warriors, but also to the families. I will gladly give my paycheck to these families if that is what it takes!

The video below is from NBC Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, she says the families got a phone call saying that the Government could not pay the benefit. I am just disgusted!

Video at the Page Link:

Again, If anyone knows the families and knows if they need help, please contact us and we will do everything possible to help them through this.

http://guardianofvalor.com/governmen...iers-families/

The “Salute Seen Around The World” Wounded Ranger Salutes Commander Despite Injuries

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Bulldog1

Josh Hargis, a Ranger with the 3rd Ranger Battalion, was wounded last week in the attack that left four other members of his team dead. The 3rd was conducting a mission to try to capture a HVT (High Value Target), in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan.

With the little info we know so far, 36 members and a canine unit were attempting to capture a high value target in Panjwai in southern Afghanistan. When the troops arrived at the home, U.S. military officials said, the unit did a typical “call out” asking for those inside to come out.

One man appeared. Reports from the battlefield suggest he dropped to his knees and lifted his shirt to show the U.S. forces that he was not wearing a suicide bomb vest.

As several members of the Ranger unit moved toward the man to begin questioning him, a woman wearing a suicide vest emerged from the house and blew herself up, killing several members of the unit instantly, along with the dog, and injuring others.

Another Afghan male tried to escape from the compound.

As U.S. army medics, explosives specialists and others in the unit moved in to help the wounded, 13 improvised explosive devices went off, killing and injuring more U.S. forces.

Josh was one of the wounded and was evacuated for medical assistance. The photo below is Josh in a hospital in Afghanistan, right after the doctors stabilized his injuries. His wife posted this picture, along with what she received from Josh’s commander, this is a true warrior! No matter the pain we know Josh is in, he render’s the most beautiful salute you will ever see!

We will call this “The Salute Seen Around The World!” as it should be, and it should show what a true Warrior’s Spirit looks like! RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!

This is what Josh’s wife Taylor posted to her FB:

I received this picture today along with a letter from the commander of the team Josh was a part of on the night of his injuries. A letter to explain to me what kind of man I have the privilege of being married to. He explained to me what happened and what was going on in the picture.

“Josh was seriously wounded as you know, and survived for almost two hours after his injury before arriving to the hospital. Josh was immediately pushed through a series of surgeries and emerged hours later into an intensive care unit here at our base in Afghanistan.

Despite being in intense pain and mental duress, Josh remained alert and compassionate to the limited Rangers that were allowed to visit his bedside. Prior to Josh being moved to Germany for his eventual flight to America, we conducted a ceremony to award him with the Purple Heart for wounds received in action.


A simple ceremony, you can picture a room full of Rangers, leaders, doctors, and nurses surrounding his bedside while the Ranger Regimental Commander pinned the Purple Heart to his blanket. During the presentation the Commander publishes the official orders verbally and leaned over Josh to thank him for his sacrifice.

Josh, whom everybody in the room (over 50 people) assumed to be unconscious, began to move his right arm under the blanket in a diligent effort to salute the Commander as is customary during these ceremonies. Despite his wounds, wrappings, tubes, and pain, Josh fought the doctor who was trying to restrain his right arm and rendered the most beautiful salute any person in that room had ever seen.

I cannot impart on you the level of emotion that poured through the intensive care unit that day. Grown men began to weep and we were speechless at a gesture that speak volumes about Josh’s courage and character. The picture, which we believe belongs on every news channel and every news paper is attached. I have it hanging above my desk now and will remember it as the single greatest event I have witnessed in my ten years in the Army.”

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Josh Saluting His Commander After Presentation Of His Purple Heart. (Courtesy Taylor Hargis)

I agree with the commander, this should adorn the cover of every newspaper, magazine and news show. This shows the true meaning of the Warrior Spirit! Josh you are a true American Hero! Our thoughts and prayer’s go out to you, your wife, and all your Ranger brothers and those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the attack.

Get well soon brother! You have America behind you! We love you brother!

http://guardianofvalor.com/salute-se...pite-injuries/

http://www.alipac.us/f19/ranger-mass...er-sky-289407/