“By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder — infinitely prouder — to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys.” - General Douglas MacArthur
Sacrifice
You won’t see any controversial subjects or email debunking in this post, just a note of appreciation to all fathers, both civilian and especially military. The sacrifice of being away from family members and newborns while deployed is something that most of us can hardly comprehend. While I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be around for the beginning of my boys’ lives, and look forward in the coming days to the arrival of my first girl, I see and hear every day the pain felt by long deployments and family separation.
To the fathers at home and abroad, thank you for your sacrifices and your commitment to raising a new generation of leaders. A new wave of children born of the digital age and destined to see events as wondrous and monumental as we have and as our parents did before us.
Chandler the Brave
I would like to direct your attention to a touching story of family sacrifice and love through the eyes of a nine year old girl named Chandler Dix. With her father deployed to Afghanistan, she holds the type of courage that illustrates the American spirit. Available at the TheMOAAChannel on YouTube and produced by MOAA’s multimedia guru Haley Crum:
Help Everyone Out
Besides contributing to MOAA’s Educational Assistance program (members will need to sign in, guests are welcome to sign our guestbook), you can take some time and send your representatives in Congress a message asking them to support the Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4899). See this pdf document for the letter that was sent by MOAA’s President VADM Norb Ryan (USN-Ret.), a proud father as well, to every member of Congress for details about why this is so important to get passed without delay, especially before the July 4th recess. Find your legislative representatives at MOAA’s Legislative Action Center here.
Discussion
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Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But to God – Gravestone Marking, Arlington National Cemetary
OFFICIAL MOAA STATEMENT ABOUT THE ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY SITUATION
From the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)—June 11, 2010
MOAA is deeply disappointed about the findings of the Army investigation into the operation of Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington is hallowed ground, and the nation trusts that servicemembers and their families will be honored and cared for appropriately in their final resting places. Because their work is so important, we join Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh and all other Americans in demanding that the operation of Arlington National Cemetery be held to the highest standard. Anything less is unacceptable.
CONTACT: Col Marv Harris, USAF (Ret) 703-838-0546 or marvh@moaa.org
Battle of the Bilge Statement (not an official MOAA statement)
On June 10th, MOAA watched along with the rest of the nation as the term ‘unknown soldier’ at Arlington National Cemetery took on new meaning. The release of the final report regarding operations at ANC and the accompanying reprimands stir our hearts and anger our sense of reason and accountability.
In summary, the findings of the US Army’s Inspector General during its investigation of ANC are that operational management failed in a number of areas. Graves were marked improperly, maps were not accurate, grave sites were unmarked and a list of other offenses. In a location that is nothing short of hallowed ground, the treatment of the cemetery is a disgrace.
Mr. John Metzler, Jr., has served as Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery for nearly two decades. He has been reprimanded and will retire from public service on July 2nd, 2010. Metzler has to his credit implemented many positive policies and actions at ANC, but he failed to reign in his deputy, Thurman Higginbotham, who appears to be at the center of this debacle (please take the time to go over the documents at the link at the bottom of this article to see the full details).
If there is any good that can come from these events, it is that the nation has been forced to focus their attention on the fallen. In the coming weeks a new team will start the restoration of the cemetery and the reconstruction of its management. We will watch with many others the progress that will have to be made. Tragically, the cemetery is growing at a fast rate. We owe it to everyone who now and will someday rest there to ensure that Arlington is never again neglected.
As there were questions raised by the previous post regarding an increase in taxes due to health care costs being required on the next W2 that we rated as false, we have been waiting for other outlets to discuss the email.
From PolitiFact, which rated the email ‘Pants on Fire’:
The chain e-mail is correct that employers will be required to start listing the cost of insurance. The requirement starts for the tax year 2011, so employees will see it on the W-2s they receive in 2012.
But that amount will not be taxed. Current law excludes health insurance from taxable income, and there’s nothing in the health care law that changes that.
Several experts on health care benefits and the workplace confirmed that. “It will not affect your taxable income under the new law,” said Dallas Salisbury of the Employee Benefit Research Institute in an e-mail interview.
Since the health care law actually continues the tax exemption on employer-sponsored insurance, why include a requirement that employers report the value of health insurance on the W-2? There are several reasons.
The new health insurance law will eventually penalize people who are not insured with a tax penalty. The W-2 reporting requirement will help the Internal Revenue Service verify that people have coverage, both for themselves and their dependents.
We’ll keep you up to date and add to this post as other fact check outlets examine the issue.
Discussion
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A new viral email has hit the streets that discusses new taxes on health care provided by private and public employers. While it is rooted in fact, the email leaves out an incredible number of pertinent items, most of all the fact that it won’t go into effect until 2018 and that the actual tax only applies to so called ‘Cadillac’ health insurance plans – those that cost more than $10,500 for individual plans and $27,500 for family coverage. And the tax would only be applicable to anything that exceeds the $27,500 threshold. It also contains a very clear misstatement that the cost of health care will be added to your gross income next year. A response from our Government Relations team follows the viral email.
The Email
You really need to read this……starts nextext year …This is part of the new Health Care Bill.
Contacted my Congressman about House bill HR3590 the health care bill just passed. I asked for a summary of changes.
The aid directed me to go to www.thomas.gov ; enter HR3590 in the search Box and look for summaries.
Starting in 2011 (next year folks) your W 2 tax form sent by your employer will be increased to show the value of what ever health insurance you are given by the company. It does not matter if that’s a private concern or governmental body of some sort. If you’re retired, so what; your gross will go up by the amount of insurance you get.
You will be required to pay taxes on a large sum of money that you have never seen.
Take your tax form you just finished and see what $15,000 or $20,000 additional gross does to your tax debt. That’s what you’ll pay next year. For many it also puts you into a new higher bracket so it’s even worse.
This is how the government is going to buy insurance for 15 % that don’t have insurance and it’s only part of the tax increases.
Not believing this I researched the summaries and here’s what I’m reading:
On page 25 of 29:
TITLE IX REVENUE PROVISIONS- SUBTITLE A: REVENUE OFFSET PROVISIONS-(sec. 9001, as modified by sec. 10901) Sec.9002. “requires employers to include in the W-2 form of each employee the aggregate cost of applicable employer sponsored group health coverage that is excludable from the employees gross income.”
Joan Pryde is the senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters. Go to Kiplingers and read about 13 tax changes that could affect you. Number 3 is what I just told you about.
Why am I sending you this? The same reason I hope you forward this to every single person in your address book. People have the right to know the truth because an election is coming in November.
MOAA’s Response
This is a classic case of someone taking a fact and twisting it into something else.
Yes, the new law requires an entry on the W-2 showing the cost of employer-provided care.
But that doesn’t mean the employee will be taxed on it. the purpose of including it on the W-2 is mainly to show the employee what the value of the benefit is. As for the tax aspect:
First off, there isn’t any tax on health benefits value before 2018.
Second, there won’t be any taxes imposed on plans that aren’t deemed “Cadillac” plans (which are defined as those costing more than $10,200 for individual coverage or $27,500 for a family plan)
Third, it’s not the employees, but the insurance companies that provide those plans that will be taxed on part of such value – starting in 2018.
Fourth, the tax won’t be on the total value of the plan. Insurers will be assessed a tax equal to 40% of whatever share of the value exceeds the $27,500 threshold. i.e., if the value of a plan is $30,000, the insurer will be taxed 40% of $2,500 = $1,000.
Discussion
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“Fairness, diligence, sound preparation, professional skill and loyalty are the marks of American military leadership.” - General Omar Bradley
Addressing the Army’s Future Leaders
President Obama gave the commencement address at the ceremony for graduating officers of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, held at Michie Stadium, West Point, N.Y on Saturday, May 22. Below you will find the video of the speech and a link to the transcript, followed by a few key quotes.
On the trials of the West Point and the uniqueness of their training:
You have pushed yourself through the agony of Beast Barracks, the weeks of training in rain and mud, and, I’m told, more inspections and drills than perhaps any class before you. Along the way, I’m sure you faced a few moments when you asked yourself: “What am I doing here?” I have those moments sometimes.
You’ve trained for the complexities of today’s missions, knowing that success will be measured not merely by performance on the battlefield, but also by your understanding of the cultures and traditions and languages in the place where you serve.
On the role of women in the military in a year in which they took center stage of the graduation class:
This includes your number one overall cadet and your valedictorian – Liz Betterbed and Alex Rosenberg. And by the way, this is the first time in Academy history where your two top awards have been earned by female candidates.
This underscores a fact that I’ve seen in the faces of our troops from Baghdad to Bagram – in the 21st century, our women in uniform play an indispensable role in our national defense. And time and again, they have proven themselves to be role models for our daughters and our sons – as students and as soldiers and as leaders in the United States armed forces.
On Afghanistan:
And as we end the war in Iraq, though, we are pressing forward in Afghanistan. Six months ago, I came to West Point to announce a new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. And I stand here humbled by the knowledge that many of you will soon be serving in harm’s way. I assure you, you will go with the full support of a proud and grateful nation.
We face a tough fight in Afghanistan. Any insurgency that is confronted with a direct challenge will turn to new tactics. And from Marja to Kandahar, that is what the Taliban has done through assassination and indiscriminate killing and intimidation. Moreover, any country that has known decades of war will be tested in finding political solutions to its problems, and providing governance that can sustain progress and serve the needs of its people.
On hope beyond the wars:
Now even as we fight the wars in front of us, we also have to see the horizon beyond these wars – because unlike a terrorist whose goal is to destroy, our future will be defined by what we build. We have to see that horizon, and to get there we must pursue a strategy of national renewal and global leadership. We have to build the sources of America’s strength and influence, and shape a world that’s more peaceful and more prosperous.
And on the ‘long war’ we are facing with militant Islam, which the president seemed to be channeling President Bush:
More than anything else, though, our success will be claimed by who we are as a country. This is more important than ever, given the nature of the challenges that we face. Our campaign to disrupt, dismantle, and to defeat al Qaeda is part of an international effort that is necessary and just.
But this is a different kind of war. There will be no simple moment of surrender to mark the journey’s end – no armistice, no banner headline. Though we have had more success in eliminating al Qaeda leaders in recent months than in recent years, they will continue to recruit, and plot, and exploit our open society. We see that in bombs that go off in Kabul and Karachi. We see it in attempts to blow up an airliner over Detroit or an SUV in Times Square, even as these failed attacks show that pressure on networks like al Qaeda is forcing them to rely on terrorists with less time and space to train. We see the potential duration of this struggle in al Qaeda’s gross distortions of Islam, their disrespect for human life, and their attempt to prey upon fear and hatred and prejudice.
So the threat will not go away soon, but let’s be clear: Al Qaeda and its affiliates are small men on the wrong side of history. They lead no nation. They lead no religion. We need not give in to fear every time a terrorist tries to scare us. We should not discard our freedoms because extremists try to exploit them. We cannot succumb to division because others try to drive us apart. We are the United States of America. We are the United States of America, and we have repaired our union, and faced down fascism, and outlasted communism. We’ve gone through turmoil, we’ve gone through Civil War, and we have come out stronger – and we will do so once more.
Summary
While there can be no doubt that the president is an excellent orator and this was a great speech, we didn’t see much in the way of new information or news. It was a pep talk, and a rather good one, which is what these fine graduates need and deserve.
Discussion
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