Show mm 1 mm It Seems To M Me MeBy e efly By fly Joseph It n. Roberts Military ry unions I dont don't believe in Ir unions for military personnel I 1 cannot think of oC anything that would be bemore bemore bemore more devastating to discipline and esprit de corps corp than a labor union representing members of the armed services The very idea is unthinkable especially in combat but if recent anti anti- people actions taken or contemplated contemplated con con- by Congress against military personnel arc are successful successful successful suc suc- we will see the military services unionized before 1987 1907 Permit me to quote from a report by the Retired Officers Association TROA on the latest In a series of Congressional actions that have eroded the medical commissary commissary commissary com com- post exchange and other fringe benefits traditionally provided military personnel On June 10 la the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee announced approval of three recommendations recommendations recommendations that could have major negative impact on the active duty forces Corces as well as on the retired military com com- One recommendation would deny all military retired pay to retirees entering civil service employment effective October 1 1978 The second proposal calls caUs for Cor a phase out of the subsidy over a three year period The third would replace with civilians some military personnel now serving in Non- Non appropriated Fund activities such as as post exchanges and officers clubs The military community active and retired would have to pick up the payroll tab for the civilian employees employees' if the last two recommendations were adopted leading to the possible death of oC the commissary system and to even higher prices for other activities The House Defense Appropriations Appropriations Appropriations Ap Ap- Ap- Ap Subcommittee had earlier recommended that military retired pay be denied to all aU retirees entering civil service during fiscal year 1978 beginning October 1st Especially shocking was Chairman Mahon's justification for the recommendation He lie cited the high unemployment rate as a primary reason and thus equated federal civil service with a jobs creation or welfare program Now what this all means is that in the name of economy or welfare Congress continues to chip away at the rights and privileges promised to military personnel who will elect to tomake tomake o make military service a career career The TROA report says an important cross section of the Congress has said that it either no longer considers people an important element of defense or that it simply does not understand understand un un- un the impact its actions will have on the continuing efforts to obtain and retain dedicated qualified people inthe Inthe in inthe the Armed Forces The tragic fact is that the real dollar savings of these and other recent people anti-people actions is relatively insignificant But their Impact on the people against whom they are directed is devastating for they are by them to reflect a lessening of oC appreciation by the Nation they serve for the extraordinary extraordinary extraordinary ex ex- ex- ex demands made on them and their families Of or course we are going to continue to have well equipped military forces to defend our nation and its international commitments The question is What kind of military forces will they be It seems very likely if we cannot find some powerful voices in Congress to defend the traditional promises made to careerists in iri the military that we are going to end up with the American Federation of Government Employees or a similar organization representing our military personnel When that happens the concept of duty honor country will be considered passe and replaced by higher pay shorter hours and more benefits Is this what Congress wants |