Bin Laden's shooter gets no pension or protection
The former Navy SEAL is having problems securing enough health care as well, according to a magazine report.
The Navy SEAL who shot and killed Osama bin Laden is having a tough time adjusting to civilian life. He left the military after 16 years of service and now has no pension, no protection for his family, a crumbling marriage and inadequate health care.In fact, he seems more scared now than he was when he eliminated the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks.
According to a heart-wrenching story in Esquire, the shooter -- whose identity is withheld -- suffers from a variety of physical and psychological ailments from his career in the Navy. They include blown disks, arthritis, tendinitis, eye damage and scar tissue.
But perhaps more painful than the physical degradation is his feeling that the federal government abandoned him after his heroic act.
The man referred to in the magazine as "the Shooter" wanted out of the military after killing bin Laden. And so he left, with more than three years to go before meeting the official retirement requirement of 20 years of service, writes Phil Bronstein, former editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. Because the shooter didn't meet the 20-year requirement, he did not get a pension or extended health care.
Esquire reported that the government would have provided another 180 days of health care if the shooter agreed to remain on active duty or become a reservist. Instead he chose private insurance for $486 a month.
He would be an easy al-Qaida target if his name and photograph were made known, and he can't afford to let his guard down. The member of the Navy's SEAL Team 6 has trained his children to hide in the bathroom at the first sign of trouble. He keeps a hidden gun that his wife knows how to use (though they are separated, they live together to save money). The family also keeps a set of bags packed in case they need to run for their lives.
This is no way for anyone to live, let alone someone who eliminated the biggest national security threat to the United States since Adolf Hitler. His uncle tried to help him capitalize on his notoriety by trying to get him work with Electronic Arts (EA), Bronstein wrote. The game maker, however, already has dozens of military consultants.
The government would not comment on Bronstein's story, but Stars and Stripes reported that the shooter is automatically eligible for five years of free health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Every veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan is offered the same service. In an interview with Stars and Stripes, Bronstein said the shooter didn't know the benefits were available.
If true, Bronstein's story is a damning one. "Is this how America treats its heroes?" he wrote. "The ones President Obama called 'the best of the best'? The ones Vice President Biden called 'the finest warriors in the history of the world'?"
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I give all the cudos to the Seal that slayed the dragon and every single soldier that ever served in defense of this great country as I did for 20+ years however if you don't stay 20 years you get nothing. Sorry but that is the way it is and everyone that serves or thinks of serving knows that. It is the sme way in the civilian world. One serves a minimum amount of time to attain retirement or further compensation status. Although a much more risky occupation each person has a choice to sign the contract or not knowing what obligation they incur as well as the obligation to them from their employer.
There are some benefits available from the GI Bill such as education and transition benefits but one will not have a monthly paycheck after quitting with less than 20.
Nobody can ignore both the psychological and physical impact of going to war, to put his/her life at risk everyday to protect our own freedom and way-of-life. Every military coming back home from war and suffering from either psychological or physical pain, should get free health insurance for him/herself as well as for their children. They also should be given a full pension they can live on for life. I would not mind paying higher taxes for these heroes. How about much higher taxes! Well, it is not going to happen under this current administration which is more concerned about raising taxes to pay for public pension fund recipient or spend trillion of dollars on solar energy, on infrastructures (for union workers only) or for too many other pet projects that could wait. It's not that the government should not spend money on those projects but common sense would argue for setting priorities when it comes to spending tax dollars. Why don't we allocate that money first to our heroes and make sure that they are treated with the dignity they deserve, with the love and the thanks of a whole nation?
Interesting responses here. Did it occur to any of you that this guy had to retire because of physical problems with the service refusing him early retirement because of them? Funny how the liberal turkeys praided thier master Obama when Bin Laden was killed, like he really had anything to do with it. Here, for the one of the guys who actually did the hard part, just snide remarks, shows the true colors of "tolerant" Obama lovers.
There are many heroes in our military. Many go above and beyond their duty. This man certainly did. He is probably suffering from PTSD. Even though his action eliminated Bin Laden, he is really no different than any other soldier doing his or her duty. He knew that he had to stay for 20 years in order to receive all the benefits, but he chose to leave. VA's are excellent and that's where he should apply. It seems, by this article, that he expects special treatment because he did his duty. That's unfortunate because he's actually no different than any other veteran. I feel sorry for him, but he shouldn't ever expect special treatment. I left the military after 11 years. I get all the VA benefits, but I get no 'pension' or special health insurance. I didn't expect it. I just did my duty.
He left short, Sorry it was not the best of choices. The VA can assist with his ailments and provide services. If he is disabled they can take care of that as well, he needs to apply.
For what ever reason he left, he should have been made aware of the consiquenses of the action, and I am sure he was. I feel for him but 3-4 years shy after 16 years of service does not entitle you to benefits iin a volunter force. You need to stay 20 or more unless forced out by a reduction in force. If he asked I am sure he could have cross trained into a less demanding position for the last 4 years of his tour, but he chose to leave that yeilds no benefits.
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