Thank You For Your Service - But You Shouldn't Be Allowed to See Santa

Today's topic is one that recently came to my attention by a submission and as I corresponded with that person as well as a few other people, it literally got my blood boiling.

There are topics I write on here that while I may be slightly irritated with the situation (numerous requests for Wrap It parties for example), not a whole lot actually truly upsets me. I'm one of those who kind of just goes with the flow and fight my battles wisely. If it doesn't immediately affect my life to the point that my happiness is hindered, then I'm not all that worried about it. Example, on Wednesday I went to the commissary and got some groceries. I waited in line for almost 15 minutes because everyone else was buying their groceries as well since the following day was the holiday and the commissary would be closed. Finally, it was just about my turn. Just as the customer in line was paying for his stuff, a woman with a toddler pulls her cart up to the checkout and starts unloading. Nevermind the line that was waiting and had been waiting. When told there was a line she said “I have a baby” and continued to unload her stuff. Part of me wanted to say “Well, that may be the case but I have a rack of ribs and a half gallon of buttermilk that has been waiting for 15 minutes” but I didn't. My life did not end because this woman skipped the line – sure it was irritating but it wasn't life altering. The extra minute wait for another line to finish just didn't alter the cohesiveness of the universe and so life goes on. I could have gotten quite OSMW on this woman but what would it have accomplished? This is what I mean when I say I pick my battles carefully.

However, there are times when grave injustices are brought to my attention – sometimes through observation and sometimes from word of mouth from others. Today's topic is one of these cases. Much of this blog is random venting of mine that is mostly just to entertain. If you learn from it, then I'm happy but I do understand that many people are reading it just to see who or what I go off on in my writing. Most of the time, I'm not really all that upset about the topic, just slightly irritated and want to blow of steam. This time, I hope that many of you take notice and actually learn, change and grow from what I'm about to write.

So here we go.

It was brought to my attention that when it comes to the retired military community, there's a line drawn by the wives of active military members. Basically, there are a number of wives who believe their families are above the families of retired personnel solely based on the fact that their husbands are Active duty. I have been told stories about how spouses of active military have degraded wives of the retired, telling them they shouldn't be allowed to attend base functions because their husbands aren't active duty. I've been told how some of you snotty bitches have refused to sell crap you have advertised at yardsale sites because their husbands were retired and not active duty.

First off – HOW DARE YOU! Some of you bitches really need to pull your head out of your asses and have a serious reality check. What in your puny little brains has given you the impression that you are above these people? What on God's green earth has giving you the impression that because your spouse is currently serving (and has maybe been in for only 5 years or less) you have more entitlement than someone who's spouse has served 20+ years. Twenty years that covered the expanse of Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the Iraq war. Twenty years that saw the 9/11 disaster (which many of you wives are too young to actually remember when it happened but instead learned of it in text books and 9/11 anniversary specials on TV each year) and the start of the war in Afghanistan as a result of 9/1l. You whine and bitch about your husbands doing a one year deployment in Korea where you get to Skype with your husbands every night while these women endured 18 month deployments where their husbands were lucky to get to call them for 10 minutes once a month and you feel you are entitled to treat these families like shit because your husband currently serves while theirs is retired?

Sad thing is, that's only covering the most recent twenty years. The Vietnam war ended less than 40 years ago and many of those veterans are the very same retired men and women who take advantage of their retirement benefits today. These are men (and some women) who were exposed to horrors that today's generation cannot even begin to imagine and to this day are still dealing with health repercussions from exposures to things like Agent Orange. Marines who were stationed on Camp Lejune from 1957 to 1987 are having health issues after being exposed to water contaminated with chemicals known to cause cancer. These veterans not only sat there and watched their brothers in arms die horrible deaths but then came back only to have the children they fathered after being exposed to Agent Orange be born with birth defects or die of various types of cancer. The Marines of Camp Lejune have had to watch their spouses die of cancer from drinking contaminated water and watch their children die the same deaths years later because they used that contaminated water in their baby's bottles. They have had to suffer knowing that their daughters miscarry baby after baby years later, knowing that their service has brought such heartache to their loved ones. Yet, you begrudge them a simple thing like attending a Christmas party on base? Sorry bitches but those wives ID card has a lot more meaning that yours does.

These men and women served proudly for two decades only to retire with only half the pay they were earning and to have to pay out the wazzoo for their health care benefits (or get sub par medical treatment at a VA facility). Many have to obtain jobs in the civilian workforce to make ends meet, many times working until they retire from that job and then collect two pensions. They endured their service before the invention of Skype and broadband internet, sometimes only communicating by written letters through the mail or the occasional email at a dial up tent in the middle of the desert once internet technology was available. Their wives checked the mail religiously for a letter to let them know that at least two weeks to two months prior, their husbands were okay. They waited by the home phone, since 20 years ago cell phone technology was pretty sparse and before that it was completely non existent, for that 5 to 10 minute phone call that was barely audible over the static and praying that the call didn't drop (as they so often did). You bitches sit there and complain about how bad you have it – you've got it easy compared to the spouses that were before you. Yet you want to degrade them, treat them like shit, and basically shit on their husband's service record. Bitch please! There comes a time where you just need to sit your happy asses down and just shut the fuck up and this is indeed one of those times.

I ask you this – those of you who think retired families are beneath you – how long has your spouse been in the service? Unless you're husband has been in for 17 years or more and is getting ready to put in his own retirement papers, you are not shit compared to these families. Their husbands put their time in, endured the blood, sweat and tears of 20 years of putting up with the Government's crap. Those wives stood beside their husbands through thick and thin when 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Think about that – 20 years later and she's still there. However, since the military has a higher divorce rate than that of US Civilians, it means that more than likely in 20 years you'll probably be on your 3^rd or 4^th marriage (since 75% of all second and third marriages end in divorce).

You never know when you might need this info

Lets put the shoe on the other foot. First, how would you feel if the community of retired military members who fought in the numerous wars over the course of the last oooh, 60 plus years, looked down upon your family because your husbands didn't fight in wars but instead sat in an air conditioned room with his feet firmly planted on safe US soil? What if they said your husband's service doesn't count because he has only served for 8 years? What if their opinion was that you didn't “earn” any benefits until your husband served a minimum of 17 years? You'd probably get your panties in a wad and throw an absolute shit fit. I mean, hell, many of you believe that you yourself are in the military just because your husband is so therefore you would take this as a personal insult towards you and your husband.

However, you feel it's perfectly acceptable to turn the tides and pull this shit on the retired community? Would you treat your parents with the same disrespect you show these people? (Actually, knowing some of you, you probably do.) Would you disrespect your husband's First Shirt in this manner when you are face to face with him? What about the Generals on this base? More than likely, you would show them a great amount of respect because of who they are and what their rank is. However, many of these MSgt's, SMSgt's, Col's, and Gen's are about to retire. Does signing those papers to collect a pension mean they lose all the respect they were given while serving? Sorry to inform you darling but you're SSgt or Butterbar husband do not hold a candle to these men and women. Get over yourself. Pull your head out of your asses and give these people the respect they deserve. Believe me, hunny, they have EARNED the respect that you should be showing them and do not deserve the disdain that you show them on a regular basis.

You are not above the retired community. If you think you are then I am sorry to tell you but you are a self centered, egotistical bitch. If your husband has given you the impression that those currently serving are above those who have retired then I believe I am safe saying your husband is an asshole. However, I seriously doubt your husband has the same mentality as you do. Your husbands understand how good today's military has it compared to the troops of yesteryear. Most of them are thankful for the invention of the MRE and would never want to pry open a C-ration that the veterans of Vietnam did. They are grateful for the M16 as opposed to the M1 Garand or the M14. They appreciate the F-16, the F-22, the F-35 over the F-14 and the F-105. They are grateful for the satellite technology that our military currently have and the warning systems that protect this country from attacks like that on Pearl Harbor. But most of all, many are grateful for the fact they were able to volunteer to serve this country rather than being forced into service by the draft as many veterans who served in Vietnam were.

The Beef Enchilada MRE doesn't look so bad against this

Some of you bitches should brush up on your history – rather than buying another Coach purse, you should go out and buy a book. Hell, go to the library and borrow one if you can't forgo your weekly manicure or fat wrap. Either way, educate yourselves on what our veterans and retired community underwent before you sit there with your self righteous attitudes and treat these valuable members of our military community like dog shit on your Gucci shoes. You even take their holiday away from them year after year – Veterans day rolls around and you post pictures of your husbands in their uniform and thank them for their service to this country, post about how proud you are of them for being in the military yet it never dawns on you that Veterans day is about those who served in the past and not the present. It's about the men and women who came before your spouse, who put their lives on the line to serve this country and protect the rights you are so quick to invoke. If it wasn't for those men and women who served in the past, our military would not be what it is now. Think about that before you sit there and treat them like crap.

So next time you're sitting in a long line with your kids to see Santa Claus and that retired family is in front of you, think about that. Instead of bitching because the line would be shorter without them there, maybe you should thank them for what they endured. And by all means, unless your husband is going to be a career military and put his 20 years in, please do not act like you are high and mighty over these people – You're not. They decided to give 20 years to their country, sacrificed any possibility of anything that resembled a normal life and marriage. If your husband is only in it for the educational benefits and a paycheck until he's able to support your dependabison ass in the civilian world then you have absolutely no right to dismiss that sacrifice. And even if your husband is a career, get off your high horse and show some respect. Because one day, you might be in the same exact situation with some 19 year old bitch who can't even order an alcoholic beverage yet treating you like she's better than you.

Until Next Time...