Wounded troops must pay for meals!

[JDY]

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=16858&archive=true

You would think another $87 billion would include the cost of feeding the troops injured in combat.

 

[jamsmom]

I did not read throgh the entire article. However, I am hoping that I am just not understaning something. There is NO WAY our soldiers should have to pay for anyhting when woulded fighting for our military. I understand the statment they should not reeive the money and food, too. But, aren't our military enlisted not paid much to begin with?

 

[Aprille]

Well, I did read the entire article. Let me just quote the relevant part:

“Deployments aside, if any servicemember is in a military hospital, they are getting meals paid for by the military. If they were regularly collecting BAS, Basic Allowance for Subsistence — the monies received monthly for personal subsistence — they are obligated to pay for the hospital meals. If the servicemember is not receiving BAS, they will not be charged for the meals.

 

[JDY]

If they were regularly collecting BAS, Basic Allowance for Subsistence — the monies received monthly for personal subsistence — they are obligated to pay for the hospital meals.

But, wouldn't you think (and maybe that's my problem) that a service member who is injured in combat is entitled to a little perk...like free food.

I just found it unusual, shocking even.

 

[jamsmom]

I still think the enlisted are not paid what they should be paid (unless that has changed) and I feel that even if they are receiving BAS, if they are injured, should get their meals in the hospital.

 

[jsmith]

I think maybe you all don;t understand what BAS is-they are basically recieving meals for free. When a service member is TDY-(temporary duty) away from his unit, the home unit continues to recieve the funds the government has designated for that individuals meals. The process of that unit transfering the funds to the unit where the individual is stationed is, as most government paperwork is, quite complicated. So to simplify the process the servicemembers home unit pays him a Basic Allowance for Subsistance-which is basically giving him or her the funds that would otherwise be used to provide his meals-and he or she can use that money to pay the unit he is temporarily with for meals-thus simplifing the transfer of funds. This is what is occuring with paying the hospital for meals-it is a method of transfering funds from one unit to another. If a solider is recieving BAS and not paying for meals where he is TDY you the taxpayer are basically buying his meals twice-once at the unit-or in this case the hospital-and once at his unit.
So it really is not as horrid as it sounds-just a silly government policy more than anything

 

[pokiemomo181]

I don't care what they receive or how much it is. ANYONE willing to lay down their life to fight for this country should not be charged for their meals after being injured fighting for this country. Thats an insult to them as well as to the american people. They deserve anything they need to recuperate from those injuries, including their meals.


Pokie

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

They are really not paying for them. They are GIVEN the money for the meals, and then it is taken for them. They do not incur a deficit for their meals. During war time and other seperations, military members are also given seperation pay and hazard duty pay.

 

[katerkat]

I agree with jsmith and BBB - the military pay is incredibly complicated and really, they are paying for the meals out of what the government pays them.

To give an opposite example - we live on base here, and DH likes to say it's free housing. Well, it's not - we don't receive our Basic Housing Allowance (or Basic Allowance for Housing? Darn acronyms!) because we live here. If we chose to live off base, we would get the BAH. So the cost of our "free" housing is whatever the BAH is for an O-1 with a dependent.

Now, if the meals in the hospital cost MORE than a servicemember's BAS, I could understand people being upset.

 

[MJames41]

I don't believe there is any attempt to be outrageous, just something that is now being looked at. If it had come up earlier (say prior to 2001) then many would have been outraged at the attempt at double dipping, and many would have been amused that such a little thing was causing a stir. I also don't think they should be forced to pay for their hospital meals, but then what about the soldiers who are there who do not receive BAS? They then do not receive the extra money - is that not an unfair situation for them? And, another side, I remember when I received BAS it didn't just pay for my food, but also for my wife and children. Just my thoughts.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Also how would it look if those in the hospital got the food free and reaped the $250 a month food allowance while the soldiers still fighting the war did not get this added amount? Something to think about.
BTW, DH was a 0-3 during the first Gulf war and their were several monotary "bonuses" for his being there. No, it does not amount to a whole lot, but he spent next to nothing while there.

 

[pokiemomo181]

My son lives off base because there is no base housing here. The government gives him money for housing and food. Well the government pays him what they say it costs to rent housing and pay for food in this area. The government must not check out the costs very well. What he receives wouldn't rent a shack in this area. If he would have gotten injured while in Iraq and Kuwait, the money would have had to come from an area of support that is already too little to do the job. I can't see where he or anyone should have to take away money from what little is received to pay for something he should get for free. Yes I think it is a big deal. To have to give back money that is so needed by the family is a crime to me. We should be more supportive of our troops needs and not so quick to take back what they get to support their families. JMHO

Pokie

 

[DizzieDizney]

oh top of the separation pay and hazardous pay..troops sent overseas to fight in a war are suppose to have tax free pay....my husband was overseas and did not receive the tax free pay or hazardous pay..the only thing he got was family seperation pay and that was $500...but I agree in that they are receiving BAS so it wouldn't be fair to receive free meals.... and if they are to go TDY some place like another base they are recommended to eat at the chow hall which is a cafeteria for military members who get their food at a discount...from what dh has told me you can get a whole meal for about $3...but don't count on it being very tasty.. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to eat there

 

[DaveH]

Ok folks, take a deep breath. Here is the basic way it works. A service member get 2 meals a day in the dinning facility. Now uder certain conditions, for example married and not living in the normal barracks they are given a BAS allowance for meals. They are now getting money instead of food. If you go into a hospital you are now fed 3 meals a day like in a dinning facility. So if you are recieving BAS and getting meals in the hospital, you are getting them twice. So the service member has to pay back the BAS for those days. Now my question is why a soldier is getting BAS in a combat zone? If they were not then this would be a non story. I hope this helps.

 

[AirForceRocks]

If they are receiving BAS, of course they are paying for their meals while they are in the hospital. It's been that way ever since I've been in, and applies to anyone that is receiving BAS. When I had my second child in the military hospital, guess what? I had to pay for my meals, because I was receiving BAS in my monthly check.

What amazes me is that a soldier in the military didn't know this and felt like he was somehow being mistreated enough that he had to complain about it.

 

[AirForceRocks]

My son lives off base because there is no base housing here. The government gives him money for housing and food. Well the government pays him what they say it costs to rent housing and pay for food in this area. The government must not check out the costs very well. What he receives wouldn't rent a shack in this area.

BAH isn't supposed to cover the entire cost of off-base housing. It is currently structured to pay about 85% - 90% of off base housing expenses, depending on rank. Increases are projected such that by 2005, 100% should be covered.

But that 90% figure doesn't mean 90% of what it costs to live in the biggest or nicest place possible - what the military will pay is based on the average cost in the covered zip codes for what the government considers adequate housing for a military member of a particular rank.

As for BAS, it is the same for all enlisted members, regardless of rank or where they live, and is based on what the meals would cost if purchased at the chow hall. It isn't meant to cover the cost of food for family members, nor is it meant as a supplement to help cover the car payments, cable TV or internet service. It is for the member's daily food, period. Of course, it can be spent on anything, but it would do people well to remember what it is for before they start complaining that there isn't enough of it.