Married Military Deaths

"Extremists in vice or virtue either go to Hell or Heaven. Moderates who practice a little vice or virtue have no place to go". Charles Tolleson, Bloviator

An AP story on March 3,2007 by David Crary described how 47% of the military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan were married. In the Vietnam war 30% of the military deaths were married." Addressing some of the concerns, the Defense Department updated its guide to survivors' benefits, which have increased substantially since the Iraq war began. The so-called "death gratuity" for next of kin has climbed from $6,000 to $100,000; military life insurance payments have risen from $250,000 to $400,000.

Brad Snyder, a benefits expert with the Armed Forces Services Corp., said "The package compares well to private-sector plans and can exceed $60,000 a year for a sergeant's widow with three children. Children of fallen service members now get military medical coverage until adulthood, rather than losing it three years after the death. A bereaved family can now stay in military housing for a year, not six months. These benefits are great, but, costly."

Where are the young unmarried men who usually fight wars? Could it be they do not believe in this war? Are these benefits to widows and children necessary to get people to fight?

In 1985 the United Airline Pilots went on a labor strike. The union had a Family Awareness program. This involved meetings with wives to keep them informed and solicit their support. This was vital.

The National Guard, which has older and more marred personnel than a regular army, is heavily involved in Iraq. To keep up morale the Pentagon must assure wives they and their children will be cared for. This bribe influences the decision to stay in the military more than the justice of the war. Imagine how high the bribes are for the private mercenaries working in Iraq!

I can see a 30 year old mother of 2 children seeing all the benefits her children will get if she joins the military. I can see a 35 year old sergeant sitting around the house with his wife and pointing out the benefits and saying, "What do you want me to do?" She sees the $400,000 insurance policy, $100,000 death gratuity, annual widows pension, medical care for her children until they are adults, then says its O.K. for him to stay in the military.

If 47% of the deaths are married personnel, then it stands to reason about 47% of the thousands of seriously maimed are married. This adds to the economic and social cost of this foolish war. The horrors of this foolish war lives daily, for years, in the lives of the wives and children of the maimed.

Bilbo Baggins