FYI: Veterans enrolled in the VA medical system are considered covered, and do not have to enroll in the obamacare program. You can do this at any VAMC.

Since everyone else was too busy running to their VAMC to thank you, let me take this oppurtunity Big Bob; THANKS!

All ya'll are quite welcome, that's why we're here!

I will be calling tomorrow to make sure I am still enrolled.

Been enrolled since 2006 . VA Medical benefits are one of few things I can say government has exceeded my expectations. I pray they don't change a thing to make our care more like Obama Care.

you mean.... you guys want FREE healthcare from the government???? i thought you were against that?

FREE????? My tired aching Butt!
Every Vet has EARNED it. Approx 25%of the Male population.

At one time welfare patients care far exceeded your VA benefits. I belive that has changed. I have yet to hear my son complain about the care he has recieved,

I have heard so much about the Obama care- for instance it is going to cost companies 800-2500 per employee "fine" ... Then the other day I heard it only pertained to companies with 50 or more employees ... then I have heard that part time employees have to be covered

All I know for sure right now is that it is scaring the heck out of me...

Think about it - if you have 6 employees including yourself and you have to pay 3000 per employee fine at the begining of 2014 ... when it all kicks in...

Thats 18 grand ..

Now I dont know about you guys.... but I dont have that and starting 2013 I will have to raise my prices on average of 50 dollars per ticket ... so by January of 2014 ... I have the 18 grand needed to pay the goverment

Wiggler

WE actually earned that. We are entitled to it like many US Dept of Defense veterans .

We paid for it by protecting your rights to FREEDOM. There was nothing FREE about it either.

I just think it should be earned and not given away EZ like a cheap date on drugs.

I believe every man or woman should actually serve this nation when given the opportunity . I don't think we owe spineless twits anything but a swift kick in the Arse !!

I also believe military service is a excellent path to US citizenship instead of a good pair of walking shoes.

Its also a shame our government did not protect our solder's right to vote overseas . Anything is OK as long as its for the D. http://www.washingtonguardian.com/ballot-buck-passing.

For the record the election was not a mandate it just proved we are outnumbered by too many ignorant morons.

To my fellow Veterans thank you for your service

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2L3skZ7FEw&feature=share&list=PLE362F4DD52254937

now wait a minute.... first its spineless twits ?? and your talking about the guy who you guys voted for that would never go into the service? did you do you 20-30 years of service? I do thank you for your service to this country... i never thought any different. BUT... if you were wounded or suffered injury while your time is service... than H-Yes you should have full benefits for the rest of your life.. But if you went in and did 2-4 years of service and walked out with all your limbs etc... why should you get free insurance for the rest of your life? Isnt that entitlement? Im not knocking what you guys did... im asking a simple question. were having a discussion not a fight.. its like the senators who get voted in and work 4 years and than are ENTITLED to full benefits for the rest of their lives.

I have the highest regard for anyone that served to defend this country, regardless of the quantity of time. Taking a risk should be rewarded. As a service man, that risk is with your life. As a business man, that risk is your capital. Risk is rewarded.

No respect for service connected injuries .. it figures !!

I did 16 years, 7 monthes and one day honorably, and did everything my country asked me too.

I had a medical insurance company call today and ask what my companies plans are for medical insurance and I told them it is now company policy to only hire VA enrolled Veterans. She hung up.

FYI this is what spineless twits liberals now think about Veterans and of those serving now in our armed forces .



Obama administration seeks to dramatically cut health benefits for active duty, retired military while not touching union worker's benefits.

http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-to...t-union-workers

seems.. you forget about the other spineless twit... the one who got FIRED!!!! seems his whole family crap their pants to stay out of the service... but anyway... i say it again Robb.. thanks for all you did for this country. i never said this as an attack on you or anyone else who served. just a Entitlement question. and i believe the republicans voted down the jobs bill for vets.. I know.. they didnt think of it first... so they HAD to vote it down. i think they said... vets already have enough.. and THAT spineless twit is your commander and chief. show some patriotic support.

My son served only 3 years and came back injured ... he cant work, with his life expectency shortend considerably

Would you deny him health insurance the rest of his life... would you deny him or his family the benefits he currently recieves

He did whst he had to do... and he did it no matter what the cost was

He is not the only one .. I suspect Robb and other veterns share the same traits as my son does...

What amazes me is how you can be so quick to take that away from our people that would willingly take a bullet just to protect your freedoms

If you want to pick on anyone... pick on the NYS teachers or the union members that have life time Bene's....They somehow were able to recieve a kings ransom and never have to shed on ounce of blood for it

Once there is an agreement between you and the government, as long as you fulfill your part of the agreement the government needs to do the same.

In the future though, as fiscal austerity becomes even more necessary, I doubt we will be seeing this kind of benefit offered. Same with the retirement programs. The people just can't afford it any more.

I think soldiers wounded in action will always be taken care of and rightly so but the other lifetime bennies are going to be a thing of the past pretty soon.

yup..

He is not my or your Commander In Chief . He was the Commander In Chief of Spc. Ryan P. Jayne, of Campbell, N.Y., at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Nov. 6, 2012.

Spc. Ryan P. Jayne was assigned to the 178th Engineer Battalion, 412th Theater Engineer Command, Oswego, N.Y.


While we all voted Tuesday his family was doing last minute plans for his burial.

If Sp Jayne survived he would of been entitled to VA Medical care & other benefits even though he did not retire and just got hurt on the job.



I served under four Commanders in Chief [CINC] who all served in uniform during World War Two.

Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush I. All four of these Commanders in Chief knew US Flag Code etiquette long before they ever stepped into public service.

They honestly had the training and background to be a CINC. Some more then others <grin>

Not one of these four CINC's would of ever took claim for the raid and death to Osama either.




and I bet you don't see anything wrong with this picture either !!

All four of them should of been standing at attention with their eyes in front of them per US Flag Code etiquette when the National Anthem, was being played.

****************************

I own many web sites and one of them is a web site for my first unit military assignment as a border guard and medic. http://www.dragoonbase.com

I pay a outside company to secure this forum out of my own pocket.

To an outsider we would appear to be a bunch of angry white men and we are not that. haha

We have lots of brothers, latinos and people from every walk of life who have served .

America's oldest continuously serving Cavalry Regiment since the 1830's . My home town Fort White Florida is connected to the earliest days history of the regiment. Back then it was the largest US settlement in Indian Country with a population of about 36,000 military and civilians back then and less then 800 today.

TOUJOURS PRET - ALWAYS READY!

I have honestly lost track of how many times [12-16] we have sent these boys serving in our same military units today with frequent tours in Iraq and Afghanistan even Desert Storm..

We bend over backwards for our Cav Troopers who serve today or have served yesterday.

We help create scholarships for their families.

****************************

I have a gf 100% disabled and service connected vet. Since Sep 29th she has died and was brought back to life in a VAMC twice. Some of us are still paying for that benefit and right to medical care.

I spent 3 hours at Gainesville VAMC today getting her meds straight with the Pharmacy for the 37 meds she takes a day to stay alive. Anyone who ate with Rick Federation, Ron Jones after hours at the Rondi at Fuller's Catfish House has met her.

You want a humbling experience spend a day talking to and helping vets at any VAMC. You will find many guys and gals who got hurt on the job and did not retire that need our help. All of them are still paying for that price of FREEDOM long after their uniform comes off.

****************************
Here are two links and after reading them you will know more about me then any of us know about our own POTUS today.

http://dragoonbase.com/profile/RobbRussell

http://thewildlifepro.net/forum/topics/my-take-on-nbc-patient-decon

Some of you guys just don't get it. It is not just a job its a total invasion of any normal life growing up back home near mom & dad.

It was dangerous to be any American overseas and not just a soldier in Europe during the Terrorism Days of the 70's and 80's. I knew more about the Bader Meinhof Gang and the German Red Army on a daily basis then I knew about my own hometown in Florida far away.

My then kindergartner "Robby" went to school at a bus stop and rode a bus with armed soldiers with automatic weapons. He was taught not to go in public without the protection of a armed guard.

Back then terrorists would find a lone GI male or female and kill them for their military ID to be used later to blow up a Army Barracks or a club frequented by the military.

Duty called I left my family in harms way and then seen nine countries before I came back home to them again in our German home overseas. By the time I returned my son was taught it was OK to go to school with out armed guards like normal children with one exception Dad was gone too much. The threat of chemical weapons use in the middle east and the nuclear accident in Chernobyl made for some interesting duties including dismantling our own chemical inventory in Europe.

Back then the TV said the US Army was not a job it was an adventure. My own family as civilians, my then five year old son paid a bigger price then those who feel they know what is better benefits for this countries finest.

I meet veterans with similar or even different experiences all the time.

Oh yeah I have had pneumonia 3 times myself since August this year.



FREEDOM is never FREE

OO-Rah Rob

Well said, " Freedom is never Free ".

Heard that many times but when said by one who paid a price, it has weight.

I did my time which included three years away from my family between 2 tours in Iraq and 1 in Korea. My wife is the one who decided it was time for a normal life and we left the military. I was away for some very important things in our life and I will never get those things back.

So if my payment for my service to my Country is some money for college and some medical benefits I am going to use it. I will also go enjoy my free dinner Monday night at Chili's like we do every year.

I could be totally wrong (I doubt it) but it sounds like Wiggler would rather see the people in this society who "choose" not work, they sit home collect welfare, use housing assistance, child care assistance, and government provided health care be entightled to these benefits than service members who actually put something on the line for this Country.

Every service member no matter how long they served will have a condition from serving. Some of us are luckier than others. While I only have moderate memory loss and the inability to sleep I know others who are far worse off than I am. These conditions do not just have to come from combat.

Lets use some common sense (not very common at all) and take care of those who put there lives on hold to serve this nation, regardless if it was in combat or on the home front.

Nate and Big Bob thank you for your service. Critterman please thank your son for us.

Everyone who lost their lives for Freedom paid the biggest price. Those who served in Vietnam, WW II, The Cold War, Iraq, Afghanistan and all of our wars have all paid the price . Each of them did what there country asked of them.

Many more will die this weekend and this next week in lands far away from here. It has been that way since cavemen began throwing stones and then spears at each other. War will never go out of fashion.

Patriotism is not an arm chair sport Wiggler. Those who have served our nations armed forces deserve each and everyone of their benefits.

Have you ever put ID tags on your friends toe, zippered him up in a body bag and said goodbye? Did it three times before I was 20 and they were just training & movement accidents. Body bags was part of the job as the medic or corpsman. I attended too many memorial services in my 16+ years of service to ever want to count them. I still go to them.


Tomorrow is Veterans' Day make a point to remember those who who gave you the Freedom to vote this last week.





Freedom is never Free

Parts of Korea, especially along the DMZ, are now considered an Agent Orange zone. You might consider going to a VAMC for an Agent Orange review.

The average American takes their everyday freedom for granted. I would not expect anything more from the ones that have not served. Every self sacraficing man or woman who has served our country and protected our freedoms deserves our respect snd thanks. With that said, THANK YOU VETERANS. SEMPER FI

In 1961 we still had the draft. We were not officially engaged in any combat, so many of us joined the Federal Reserve. ( Now defunct ) We had six months of active duty and either 3 years or 5 years of active reserve meetings.

I remember one drill sergeant making fun of us for spending the least amount of time possible in His Army. One of the guys in my platoon stepped up and said, "Sergeant, you joined this army to make it your career. How would you like it if someone sent you a government letter that said 'For the next two years, you are going to be a plumber!" I am glad those days are over. Half the guys in every platoon were given a choice by the judge; either go to jail or the Army. I think a lot of these guys knew how to kill long before the Army got a hold of them.

Paul you did what your country asked of you. Paul and Red 1 Thank you for your service.

During that federal service obligation you seen the iron curtain built and Berlin locked behind it, Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs Invasion,the President of the USA assassinated and the beginning of the draft for Vietnam.

My late uncle went in the Army in 1961 and spent all of his service obligation in Munich Germany. It was his stories serving overseas that caused me to enlist out of high school and the fact that the County Sheriff had a problem with me dating and was convinced I had carnal knowledge of his favorite niece.

I got one of those deals from a judge and it was all I needed to grow up. Too bad they don't do that anymore.

"Patriotism is not an arm chair sport Wiggler." patriotism also is standing up for your commander and chief and not trying to destroy him. My family also went in the services.. marines.. army... navy .. im pretty positive none of them use the Government Insurance from their service to their country. Some people need it... and they should have it. let the fireworks continue...

wiggler, that doesn't make your family patriotic, it just makes them stupid like me. Much of my hearing loss is attributed to the loud explosions in the service, without any hearing protection. But I'm too proud ( and mainly too stupid to go and get what's coming to me; maybe that will change )

You make it a sound like it is a crime for veterans to use their benefits. Your relatives have the right to do something you don't - period! Personally I bet your relatives take the VA Enrollment over a chance of health care being dropped into the Obama Care bucket. They earned that RIGHT !!

VA Medical care is first of all it is a VA BENEFIT - and its not free. We have co-pays just like other medical plans.

I find it is very ironic that the D's helped pass a law that affected you - the liberal and not me - the conservative.

The increased taxes you and I will be paying will continue to anger you.

Get used to it Al.

Enough of this philosophy - the law of the land says....

You never served. Your not entitled to nothing nada. Got it.

You want to do something patriotic for your commander in chief go ahead & buy Sandra Fluke some contraceptives before this country goes broke keeping that woman in stock!

Enjoy your arm chair and as a businessmen enjoy your new obamacare tax!!

man.. i really glad we had an adult conversation.. glad you could be a man about it.. i never had to have health insurance I EARNED IT AND WORKED FOR IT~!!!!

you have no idea who or what i am... your just pee'd because... well ... no sense dragging it up.. now just pay... like the rest of us....

ATTACK!! ATTACK!! WHEN CORNERED ATTACK!!! there is no surprise here.

C'mon Al I know you. I have been watching you bang your head into your keyboard on here for like 6 years now.

I even seen your video . Enjoy the new middle class taxes.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/29/Seven-new-taxes

...and the third to last paragraph explains why stocks are headed down until yearend.

Some of us earned it it by paying an even bigger price.

They sell postcards at the VA hospital would it make you feel better if I sent you some to let you know when I am spending your hard earned dollars.

$250,000 and more, beginning in 2013, will raise the Capital Gains Tax from 15% to 23.8% on investment income for these households and will raise Taxes on Dividends from 15% to 43.4% for the same households. Aside from the impact on retired citizens dependent on dividends, this provision will pull income from the private economy.

This is gonna kill stock market

Ya think!?! The selling already started...

Thanks BibBob. I was right along the DMZ. We were unfortunate enough to wake up each day to a North Korean Flag and propoganda music coming from the North Korean base on the other side the hill from us.

Definately worth getting checked out.

well, the thing about the President getting re-elected, man did he inherit a mess ... The way things have seemingly gone down hill, I dont know how much we are going to have to worry about Obama care ... we might be fighting just to feed our families

We all have money and time invested in our businesses.. we all have some type of dependency of the income it brings in ...

If that income stream stopped today would you be able to survive? I would have to say no ..I mean I could for a while but not for long ... 6 months tops After that I am living on love ...

No matter what- we all need a back up plan if things do collapes ... Then Obama care is kind of a mute point ... survival is first and formost

but till then if you are as concerned as I am, You have to get ahold of your state and find out more about it ...there has to be some kind of educational seminar on what is expected I hope

Thanks to all of you vets today on Veteran's Day and all of the other days every year.
You've EARNED your benefits.
I didn't serve after the Viet Nam era draft missed me and regret it to this day.
My oldest son serves in the Air force and has 10 deployments under his belt, all in or near places with "stan" in their names
Another son (inlaw) has spent 16 years in the Army. Currently a JAG lawyer in GA, he met the elephant in Iraq.
I could not be prouder of both of them!

Every now and then I run into Veterans from WWII at VAMC. They got cool little hats and the big letters WW II. The healthy ones full of spirit I think look forward to a doctors appointment and a chance to be back with veterans. Sadly these heros find fewer and fewer WW II vets running the hospitals halls these days.

Can you imagine the PRICE they paid if you really think about it. We all seen the movies. They fought overseas and kept our home land free and back then they thought it was against all odds.

What a generation? Won't be long and they will be forever gone.

This is our Regiments WW II veterans who attended the 2006 2d Cavalry Association one of them is now alive today

Robb
If I am not mistaken yesterday was the Marine Corps. 237th birthday! If today you would ask any WWII vet if they
could serve there country today, most would say yes and only ask where and when.
If we could just instill the pride etc. in our young people that the Marine Corps. has in there men/women
what a world we would have!! JMO

Most Vets I know feel that way. The saddest day of my life was when I took off a uniform.


911 Called and it kind of hurt to hear I was too old.

I got out twenty years ago this last Jul . Now they say I am way too old.

I am pretty sure those WW II Vets hear it too.


World War II Era Vets are no doubt the Greatest Generation I have seen in my life.

The Korean War has never really stopped and those who fought or have served there since know the real deal.
History was not fair to Korean war vets it was not WW2 and it was just a police action.
Tough battles. Porkchop Hill was no picnic either .

Vietnam veterans were awesome and guys from Latrapper's generation trained me.
Vietnam vets got a pretty bad deal from society, the press and anti war demonstrations.


At the same time I think Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines

who served in the Middle East in the last 20 years

have seen a very different kind of war

that my own generation has never seen before.

When I think about it I know I am probably way too old.



Its never been easy but the job always gets done.
Freedom is never free.

God bless and protect troops.

Thank you Robb