Please Tell Me They Do More

Avatar for ddnlj
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Please Tell Me They Do More
12
Thu, 12-03-2009 - 1:07pm

This isn't exactly in the news, but relative to many different news issues.


A co-worker was telling me this morning about her neighbor, a young mother with a 3 year old and a 5 month old baby whose husband was killed in Afghanistan. The baby was born 3 weeks after its father's death.


This woman, not only struggling with the death of her husband, is now facing a difficult time financially. She says the death benefits for the military are terrible and now she finds herself a widow with two children and little to go on.


I was shocked. I thought our military did better by our soldiers; especially those who have given their lives in the line of duty. I did a little research and found that beneficiaries of soldiers are provided a 200,000 life insurance policy, any unpaid pay and allowances, and a lump sum of $255.00 in social security, and one year of medical benefits. If your spouse was lucky enough to have been in the Air Force, you will receive an additional 100k if he/she was killed in combat.


Now 200k might sound like a lot, but it's certainly not when you  have a home to take care of and children to raise. Who will pay to send these children to college now? Who will take care of their medical needs after that one year is up? Who will help this woman get on her feet, find a job, assist with her needs? Imagine finding yourself a widow with babies, mourning your husband, and at the same time knowing you're facing having to find a job and daycare.  Does anyone in the military ever consider the emotional, mental and financial stress this puts on surviving family members?


I'm appalled that the surviving family of our service men and women aren't better provided for, especially during war time. I was glad to hear that my co-workers neighborhood has pitched in and taken up a collection for this family for Christmas. But after this man sacrificed his life for his country, one would think the government would take better care of his wife and children.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-30-2002
Sat, 12-05-2009 - 12:29pm

Hey, at least they are given SOMETHING.


So my partner doesen't serve in the military but he pays taxes. He CAN'T serve



Avatar for lucy4980
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 12-07-2009 - 4:20pm
I believe that if a soldier dies before using his or her GI Bill/Montgomery College Fund money, then those benefits can be used by the soldier's children when they reach adulthood.

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