Navy seal who killed Bin Laden gets rewarded with poverty!

Something is very wrong with how we treat our vets.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/navy-seal-osama-bin-laden_n_2661971.html

He was wrong to kill Bin Laden in the first place.
I am deeply concerned.
Barack did all of the work and made the big decision. This guy is just collateral damage
Would someone be kind enough to post the original link?
Bin Laden should have been captured alive - people forget that.
i read about this today, if he stayed had for 20yrs, he would have gotten the pension, benefits etc but he left before the 20yrs requirement.
Ah, thanks OP! My browser is still messing up, it took me three tries just to post the HP link on the other thread. Much appreciated! I wanted to discuss this because I'm smelling a rat in this story, and I'm even wondering if this guy is really the sniper who killed Bin Laden. I thought that they agreed never to reveal who did it? You can only get full retirement benefits if you do the full twenty years, and not a day less. This is repeated over and over and again throughout a service person's career, and it's not something he can claim ignorance to. He took a gamble and lost.
Original Esquire story for R4 at link.
http://www.esquire.com/features/man-who-shot-osama-bin-laden-0313%3Fsrc%3Dspr_FBPAGE%26spr_id%3D11854
r7 I thought the guy who killed Bin-Laden wrote a book about it? Was it not this guy? I assume the book sold many copies and he would have some money.
So Barack Obama is no better than Bush and Cheney. Sad for this guy.
Anonymous
Big deal. He's applied for disability, and that always take a few months. Once he gets it, he gets it retroactive to the time he left the military. He has this all planned.
Aside from the honor of keeping an oath of silence, the real reason for the SEALs to remain anonymous is to prevent Al Qaida from hunting them down to seek revenge. This won't end well.
He should've stayed in for 4 more years and earned his retirement. Killing bin Laden was part of his job.
military%20guy
Because Bin Laden was dead for years when Obama claimed death. If he wasn't you'd see proof in this age. Obama, cheap cheap cheap gov't trick. So cheap.
Maybe he can get Mark Boal and Kathryn Bigelow to make a movie about that.
R10 you're being ridiculous. How in the hell is this Obama's fault?
It isn't really Obama's fault, I'm just an old fool.
R10
I can see how his close involvement in a major military operation could result in a need to get away. He probably intended to do the full 20, but after that event, couldn't go on. Hopefully he can get help from the V.A. but they're woefully understaffed and overworked.
[quote]Even if the SEAL had served a full two decades, Bronstein told "Today" that he would have received just $2,197 per month. A Navy chorus member with that time of service is eligible for the same package. Oh fuck that. They volunteer to be SEALs, so there's no reason their pension should be a nickel more than the guy peeling potatoes. It's the same military.
Idiots. You too, OP. Why does this country owe absurd tribute to people who enlist in the military in order to get their bully rocks off, get a free education, earn benefits for life, obtain bucks for their brats, or fill their time because they don't have a life in the first place? The fake hero-worship of military creatures in this country is sick. They took a job. In some cases a brutal, evil job. And they get paid in numerous ways? Why do we owe them our tongues up their asses?
I think this story is fake. These units are tight enough not to let this happen.
R21. Bullshit.
Most SEALs wind up with dick jobs in law enforcement or private security, and that pension is just icing on the cake. Notice he doesn't go into any detail about just what the disability is. Probably some bullshit undefined "bad back" or something.
Turns out there were missing parts to the story that the author of the piece in ESQUIRE chose not to disclose-like the fact that this guy is indeed eligible for health care. Not great access-only five years- but he has it.
http://gawker.com/5983541/despite-esquire-storys-claims-the-seal-who-shot-osama-has-access-to-health-care
While I strongly agree that Veterans don't receive the care they deserve when they return to civilian life, this guy is wrong. He is the one who left after only 16 years of service knowing full well he wouldn't receive those benefits unless he was enlisted for 20 years. He's seeking special treatment.
It's America, what did you expect? Why does anyone even go into military service? I understood when there was a draft but now...I figure you just want to kill people. But do I feel sorry for this person? Yes. I guess I do. Our country makes enemies of everyone, even it's own soldiers.
[bold] MSM serves up big, steaming pile of BS about former Navy SEAL who shot Osama bin Laden [/bold]
http://twitchy.com/2013/02/12/msm-serves-up-big-steaming-pile-of-bs-about-former-navy-seal-who-shot-osama-bin-laden/
...knew there was something stinky about this story...
sharon%20stone
I agree with r20 and r26.
[quote]The writer, Phil Bronstein, who heads up the Center for Investigative Reporting, stands by the story. He said the assertion that the government gave the SEAL "nothing" in terms of health care is both fair and accurate, because the SEAL didn't know the VA benefits existed. What?! A Navy Seal in for 16 yrs. didn't know about VA benefits? That was the first red flag. Even civilians know about them.
EGGzactly.
He is a whiner, he already earned his GI bill and VA benefits. Why does he think he is the only war hero that gets to retire without serving 20+ years?
Active%20duty
I agree with all who are calling BS on this guy's story. Before you retire from the military, you are required to attend classes on retirement/separation that explain your benefits. Also, he is a fool for retiring four years shy of the twenty that would have earned him full retirement benefits. If he needed to have a desk job instead of engaging in combat, he could have done so, especially if he was truly the one who pulled the trigger on Bin Laden. The funny thing about Special Forces guys--they don't talk and brag about their exploits if they have truly been in the shit. It's the posers who tell tall tales.
Ex-Force%20Recon%20Marine
Remember when that komodo dragon bit Phil Bronstein's foot?
Sharon%20Stone
I do. It was a pretty serious injury.
1. He retired after 16 yrs in the military. The rules of the military are that you have to work 20 or 25 yrs. He knew this when he joined. He knew this when he retired. 2. You don't get continuing medical treatment when you retire early. He knew this when he retired 3. But he actually does have medical insurance. He can go to any Veterans Hospital in the country. But he doesn't want to. Why? Is he too good for a VA Hospital? this guy is a bullshit liar.
It's insane that military guys get to retire after just 20 years. Ludicrous. I work harder than they do and I will probably NEVER be able to retire. If this fool left the military after 16 years, how on earth could he expect to retire? He must be dumb as a rock... or he's lying.
he has plenty of time to get another job and retire from that with a pension.
[quote]Before you retire from the military, you are required to attend classes on retirement/separation that explain your benefits. Not true. It depends on your local command. Living near a military town, I know quite a few retired guys who never got classes or any info about benefits. There was a nice retirement ceremony and they left with their DD214, a salute, and a flag. Nothing more. [quote]I figure you just want to kill people. Small minds would figure that. Two of my friends never touched a gun once they left basic training. They spent 20 years with cameras traveling all around the world, never involved in danger. A young guy down the street from where I live joined the military because they had a job he wanted. Thousands of people have heard him sing "The Star Spangled Banner" all around the world. He's a soloist with one of the military bands. The military has people working computers, laundry machines, printing presses, barber equipment, kitchen equipment, plumbing tools, musical instruments, television stations, just like non-military people.
R39 you must live in a tiny military town because most bases have monthly retirement/separation classes. Navy Seals are based in Coronado and they most definitely would have these classes.
R39 is full of shit. Transition Assistance Programs are required by LAW.
mil%20guy
indeed
You can't leave the military without a separation physical, which requires that you know about VA benefits. Believe me, every military person knows the VA means money. Not to mention they go to mandatory TAPS for weeks to learn about all their benefits and options in life. The GI bill pays E-5 with benefits for us to go to school, as well.