This debate has lost sight of who this bill is supposed to help. Some E7s, senior NCOs, and officers with 15 or more years of service are demanding 75% as if they completed a full 30-year career. I understand why they want it. Everyone wants the highest benefit possible. But the reality is that 75% was always the outlier. The original concept was based on years of service, and getting to a 50% retirement floor is already a major improvement for thousands of disabled retirees. What about the E4 who lost an arm in Iraq after only three, four, or five years of service? What about the young Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Guardian whose career ended because of combat wounds or service-connected disabilities? A 50% retirement benefit would be life-changing for them. Yet some people seem willing to torpedo the entire bill because they want more. Nobody is losing money. You cannot lose money you are not receiving today. What some people are really saying is that they want a larger benefit than what is currently being offered. That’s a fair position to advocate for, but it is not the same thing as losing money. What frustrates me is that many of the loudest voices seem focused on protecting the interests of the highest ranks while claiming to speak for everyone. The rank-and-file disabled veterans—the E4s, E5s, and E6s whose careers were cut short—matter too. They deserve consideration just as much as someone who was a few years away from a regular retirement. Take the win that is on the table. Help the veterans who need it now. Then keep fighting for improvements later. Rejecting a meaningful benefit today in pursuit of a perfect benefit tomorrow could leave thousands of disabled veterans waiting another decade for relief. If you’re fighting only for the highest ranks, then just say so. But don’t pretend you’re speaking for every disabled veteran when many of us would gladly take a fair deal today and continue the fight tomorrow. #majorRichardStarAct #majorstaract #54kveterans
