Charles Chavez: Military medical, housing isn’t really a benefit

Re “Military gets more than just pay” (Letters, March 16): The writer needs to actually talk to a veteran to understand that the “added benefits” he spoke of are not actually part of the military pay. In the civilian world, those are called “benefits.” Trust me, they aren’t always the best. They involve waiting long periods to see anyone then getting the red tape treatment for anything resembling a specialist.

Our veterans wait months, even years for determinations and compensation for injuries sustained in combat or in combat zones. And in the pay grade they were in at the time, not current rates.

So before you compare military pay as being better than minimum wage, you need to consider something that no one outside the military has as a job requirement – their life. The veteran has freely written the American citizen a blank check that is payable with their life. They willingly go headlong into harm’s way to give you the right to express your less-than-informed personal opinions. A very proud 60-year-old U.S. Army veteran,

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Charles Chavez: Military medical, housing isn’t really a benefit."