When I published my article, Do Military Families Feel Entitled, I received a lot of comments from people who believed entitlement was a broader cultural problem and not a military-specific one. When times were good and the economy was humming along, I hadn’t given too much thought to this subject. But when the economy tanked and belts were necessarily being tightened, I began to pay more attention to how a weaker economy affects a wartime military and its relationship with the general public.
Over the past decade, I’ve been fascinated with watching how the one percenters have been viewed, portrayed, perceived and supported by the 99 percenters. By one percent (less than that, really), I’m referring to those who wear the uniform, not to be confused with this 1% vs. 99% battle. I’ve also begun to pay attention to the ever-expanding list of individuals and groups who are now advocating on behalf of the military community.
In an environment where every federal dollar is fought over, there may be 400 applications for one job opening and numerous programs, laws and agencies are being proposed to help military families, is the collective advocacy industry hurting or helping our community?
Just this week, two articles caught my attention. One a program to forgive student loan debt for public service employees and another to expand the leave time spouses can take to care for wounded service members. We have had countless programs instituted in the recent past, in many cases due to pressure from lobbyists and advocacy organizations. Everything from HAP to the Office of Servicemember Affairs.
From this story:
It is absurdly ironic that members of the military can go into harm’s way, fight in combat and yet return home only to struggle to escape the invisible bondage of student loan debt.
Really? The military lifestyle is indeed unique and we are often placed in less than ideal situations which cannot be avoided. We go where we’re told, move frequently and our spouses serve at the mercy of politicians. Those factors certainly require special considerations. However, we are also citizens grappling with a weakened economy like everyone else. Some of us make good decisions and some of us make bad decisions. Most of us do a little of both along this journey called life. Things like purchasing a home or enrolling in college or securing a loan are risks for everyone. While there are always deceptive people and corporations to be wary of, I’ve grown tired of being a member of a community where caped crusaders are constantly parachuting in to save us from ourselves.
Brian Deese, a National Economic Council deputy director, claimed on a White House press call Thursday that military families “by their nature are susceptible to deceptive practices.” How so? “Nearly half of enlisted service members are under the age of 25,” making them “less financially sophisticated than older Americans,” Mr. Deese said. They move a lot, have “less expertise with local lending institutions” and “take on debt.”
There’s the rub for me. Are we being viewed as victims by some advocates then in turn by policy makers and finally, the general public?
I take offense to military families being portrayed as victims. Victims of our Commander-in-Chief. Victims of big banks. Victims of scammers. Victims of war. Victims of employers. Victims of society. It’s a picture that is wholly unrecognizable to me.
Military victimhood has become both convenient and a trap for policy makers. I’m underwhelmed, to say the least, with politicians of all political persuasions. I’ve seen feel-good policy, toothless policy, policy to score political points and policy that carries unintended consequences which ultimately harms our community. Good for the advocacy industry is the understanding that virtually anything which appears to favor the military community will be supported, voted on and often passed, sometimes out of fear politicians will be accused of not fully supporting the military. And apparently they will. But there’s a puzzling exception to the rule. If Congress were truly serious about shielding the military from political posturing, what’s preventing them from passing the stagnant Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act? Where’s the high-profile advocacy for that?
*crickets*
You see, the military is the best pawn evah and neither side is eager to give it up.
Lest you think I’m advocating for zero intervention, nothing could be further from the truth. There are a host of policies, programs and reforms which are sorely needed and contribute to the overall well-being of our service members, their families, and ultimately our nation. What I oppose is advocacy which defines our community as helpless, hapless or hopeless. I also oppose the military being used shamelessly as bait in high-stakes political games, particularly during a budget crisis.
So, is the advocacy industry helping or hurting? The answer, not surprisingly, is both. I suppose people will define advocacy differently. Certainly no two organizations are alike and there are many, many organizations fighting the good fight and making a tangible difference. I commend all of them and thank them profusely for their efforts. I’m a direct beneficiary of their work. But I’ve seen a lot of individuals and organizations described as “advocates” for military families and when I’ve looked at their positions and the programs they push, I’ve concluded that in some circles being an advocate means asking for everything, treating military families as if they’re children unable to care for themselves and waging campaigns against those who may oppose certain positions for valid reasons. That’s not, in my view, effective advocacy. I believe that to be harmful both practically and in terms of the way the general public views our community.
Caped crusaders have been hit hard by the recession. Here’s hoping this forces us to choose our collective priorities appropriately, allocate our funds wisely and advocate based on real need and targeted, sensible reforms. Besides, we don’t need no stinkin’ caped crusaders when we have Navy SEALs and “badass” Rangers….
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I was just thinking of this topic the other day, as I filled out a DOD survey for Guard and Reserve families. The survey kept asking questions about all the wonderful support programs they provide. I kept thinking, "I'm the spouse of an Individual Augmentee, and it's my own personal network of family and friends that's getting me through this. 'Unit support? What's that?' 'Military programs? In my area?' " Helpless, hapless, or hopeless? Hardly! There are certainly good programs out there – perhaps more so for active duty military families, but you are so right: "we are also citizens like everyone else," and need to take some responsibility accordingly.
All of the raising awareness programs are a good start, but they are missing the point entirely. Andi hit it on the head, "raising military awareness" is a buzzword. It's nearly impossible to track if it is successful or not, and often times, it's just a campaign strategy. The focus needs to shift from "saving" military families to helping us help ourselves. We don't need people to erase our student loan debt, we need applicable money management classes and financial counselors available to us. We don't need more military programs that talk the talk and don't walk the walk. IAgal is right, during a deployment it's the friends and family that get you through. Military programs need to focus on supporting and sustaining those friendships. This is another topic entirely, but FRG groups (particularly in the Nat'l Guard because that's what I'm familiar with) need to be completely overhauled. Quit focusing on this or that fluffy program that is supposed to help but doesn't, and focus on the heart of the problem. FRG groups should be there to provide an outlet and resource to families, and they should be accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities. They should be holding regular activities that are appealing to wives and children to allow the families left behind on deployment make new friends and strengthen ties, thereby providing a better support system. I think that all of the "let's raise awareness" people have their heart in the right place, but helping people help themselves vs enabling them is what life is all about.
As the new head of a reserve unit's FRG. We need to remember-we are volunteers, we have other responsibilities. If other spouses don't step up and help, we can't put on activities. I have been in FRG's in several states. Been the head of most of them because no one else would do it. Then when some actually do show up for anything, they have whined because it wasn't what they imagined it should be. I handed over the FRG to one gal who didn't know who I was and was-shall I say-less than complementary about me. If it is not what you like, GET INVOLVED!!!!! You can change things for the better. It takes involvement and action on your own part.
and no bigger "false advocate" for the military family as a victim than the FIRST LADY herself!!! Everytime I see this "disengenuous faker" shedding crocodile tears for military families it makes me wanna puke. All the while her husbands supports cutting our forces, gutting our retirement, charging us more for the healthcare costs many incured while fighting for our nation. I can't believe you would talk about military advocacy and those who get wrapped up in in for their own benefits and NOT include our Commander in Chief's spouse
PITRO:I am AN ADVOCATE WITH THE UNITED STATES NAVY LEAGUE.I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE ABOUT THE FIRST LADY.
I think that all servicemembers, both enlisted and officers, Active, Reserve or NG, should go through a financial awareness class at least once a year. It should incorporate themes such as "staying out of debt" and "properly investing your hard earned money". Many young and even some older folk are woefully ignorant when it comes to their money, particularly saving it. Get Dave Ramsey to teach it. Many of these problems are fundamentally money problems, so let's address it.
This is really a well-needed article. While a veteran is the FIRST person who should be helped in a time of need, I still feel as if certain politicians are coercing military members and families into the "I am entitled" way of thinking. I am a veteran, I am also a spouse of an ADSM. In a time of economic wellness, we should be doing everything we can to help veterans and their families. In a time like now, we (military families) should be understanding that our country cannot create numerous programs to help us get jobs, have free college degrees, free this and free that. We need to be using the numerous programs already set in place to help vets, not creating more and using taxpayer funds that can be used for other things. We cannot expect people to cut funding to other wasteful programs if we cannot cut our own.
On the employment programs, we are just short of expecting someone to lay a career in our hands. We need to get out there and do the work to obtain one, if that is what we want. We are more than capable, and need to show others that it takes work to get what you want. Not an entitlement.
I see all these programs for jobs for vets however there is one problem that still exists. The public does not understand just how well trained our service members are. Educate the employers how the vets skills and training can help their company. I have been asked in one inteview why should I hire you when you service people only know how to shoot a gun. They have no clue what jobs skills the military has to offer.
Keep up the good work, stories like must be told. I feel that alot groups are helping and hurting the military too. Also feel that goverment is not help ever by backing some groups who in turn ask for money.
I agree we should all do our part for or fellow military and veterans, but there are those out there that are e stuck between any help, and are not able to help themselves. Im not talking about those that do not make the effort to help themselves, but those who truly fall through the cracks. Those that served as well as those that supported those that served, wives, and other family members. I do not believe any of them are looking for a handout, just a hand. A hand that reaches out, so them can help themselves.
I think our government allows FAP, social workers and behavioral health staff to exploit their jobs, I know a man who physically went into behavioral health with suicidal thoughts and they told him they couldn't help him, to go home and come back in 3 weeks for an appointment. I also know a family who had one argument in the first 2 months back together after 9 months apart and FAP was trying to force and EROD on the spouse. That's in less then 2 months of being reunited. That same FAP worker was also able to make clinical diagnosis when social workers should not have that power or be authorized to make judgments on someone they met less then 12 hours prior. I believe in my heart as an Army wife that we should only offer those jobs to service members who have seen war, who have witnessed others in the same position. Not spouses who have not went anywhere down range. There is no such thing and Unit support if we give so much power and control to people who have no place in the Military families shoes let alone sit at OUR tables. We need to stop paying civilians to do our men and women of services jobs. We do not need private contractors to pull gaurd when we have units who do that, we do not need anyone other then Reserve of Enlisted to do any of the jobs that we have been wasting money to pay civilians. All the crappy civilians we employ should be let go, and not our men and women, no matter if they make mistakes once in a blue moon. those civilian jobs should go to vets who ETS out of service, they should go to people who have been there, done it and have the scars and tee to prove they love their country. We should not empower the average person who went to college for a stint and now can say who stays and who goes, who gets help and who gets turned away, who makes false opinions and has access to spouses and service members medical records. Leave that to the doctors, not social workers, not civilians and certainly not a darn spouse. Those government jobs should be there for our men and women of service,for our vets and for Reservists. Spouses can find other work, there are tons of AFES jobs out there for us while at a duty station, Allowing civiliians and spouses is just like letting a pregnant woman run and FRG.
There can never be enough programs for military families. As I am pregnant with twins and my husband is in Afghanistan, I am struggling every day. If my husband were home, the medical issues I am having with pregnancy would be less as the majority of issues are being caused by stress. There are so many things that our spouses do that when they are gone we are left to pick up the pieces. Our worry about our loved ones being killed in the line of duty is a very real reality. What other job takes your spouse away for a year, risk their life, and may have long lasting medical and mental health effects? Should military spouses and families be entitled, I say yes. They should be entitled to a lot more. I don't think there are enough programs, enough support, or enough money for the families at home. Since we are in a war that has lasted so long, most every military family has felt the sting of deployment and many more than once. Do our soldiers mind? They are trained for it, they feel the call of duty and put their lives on the line so the rest of us can experience freedom. Should they be entitled? Yes along with their families. So are they entitled? Or should they be showered with help and support? I think the latter.