I think this Airman's response to the Washington Times should be printed in all newspapers across America. Especially now when the President is calling up more Reserves and National Guardsman. Send this to everyone you know. It's time the Jane Fondas, Sean Penns and George Clooneys of this country wise up and support the troops that defend them or at least shut the Hell up!

On 12 November 2003, Cindy Williams (of Laverne and Shirley TV show fame) wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raises proposed for service members this year - citing that the stated proposed 13% wage increase is "more than they deserve."

A young airman from Hill AFB responded to her article. I am posting that response to her and all like her here. As far as I am concerned, he ought to get a bonus and a medal for this! As far as she is concerned, what do you think she deserves?

"Ms Williams:

I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GIs earn enough" and I am a bit confused.

Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through Windows' Calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40 after.

I work in the Air Force Network Control Center (AFNCC), where I am part of the team responsible for the administration of a 5,000-host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for Network Technicians in the Washington, D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years experience with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year, nor does it pay less than this. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum. I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.

Also, you tout increases to Basic Allowance for Housing and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (housing and food allowances, respectively) as being a further boon to an already overcompensated force. Again, I'm curious as to where this money has gone, as BAH and BAS were both slashed 15% in the Hill AFB area effective in January 2000.

Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you have never had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces. Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off AFDC, WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for Afghanistan. I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make, though, opt for the six month rotation; it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience."

As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone. Obviously they've been squandering the vast piles of cash the DOD has been giving them.

Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites.

And when you're actually over there, sitting in a DFP (Defensive Fire Position, the modern-day foxhole), shivering against the cold desert night; and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this. Trade whatever MRE (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle Casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor.

Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't nearly be long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it.

You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your op-ed piece. But, tomorrow from Kabul, I will defend to the death your right to say it.

You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment rights and every other right you cherish. On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you, and people like you, can thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe.

We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies. And you, Ms Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve?

Rubbish!

A1C Michael Bragg,

Hill AFB AFNCC"

As I recall it, Ms Williams left the Laverne and Shirley Show in a dispute over how much she was to be paid per episode. As I remember it, she didn't think $100,000.00 per show was enough for the onerous and perilous burden she had to assume toiling in the danger-filled atmosphere surrounding the production of a television sitcom for 14 weeks a year. This airman is worth a million such spoiled brat "celebrities" like her and all the rest who dare complain about "the obscene expenditures for the defense budget."

In reality, in fiscal year 2002 (according to the Congressional Budget Office) WITH THE LONG OVERDUE PAY INCREASES FOR ENLISTED PERSONNEL our annual defense budget (01 October 2002 - 30 September 2003) is estimated to be less than 4% of our GDP and less than 26% of our total budget. Believe me, the payroll costs are not where the majority of those funds go.

We are still trying to recover from the true obscenities perpetrated on our men and women in uniform under the prior administration's eight year ransacking of this nation's Defense Department. The Clinton administration diverted many crucially needed defense dollars from an ever dwindling budget to fund liberal social engineering programs that have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the defense of this nation, weapons systems, personnel costs or any other defense need. They spent more than $800,000.00 alone to determine that female military personnel were physically unable to perform to the same minimum standards as their male counterparts, so obviously the females had to be considered "equal" when they were only able to perform at 60% of the male minimum standards.

How much would someone have to pay Ms Williams and those like her to go get shot at in some desert or mountainous Hellhole 12,000 miles away from her family? How much would be "enough" pay for her to forego her right to determine where and what she will have for her next meal and eat it with sand caking the top of the packaging?

How much pay would it take for George Clooney, Sean penn, Alec Baldwin, Ed Asner, Mike Farrell or possibly Barbara Streissand, Janeane Garafolo or Susan Saranden to dig a hole in the sand after treking for miles carrying around 100 pounds of extra weight in 90º+ heat or to sleep on a frigid other-world rocky mountainside while being on constant alert for clouds of prohibited biological, bacterial or chemical weapons and remaining constantly alert for fanatics who wish to kill them or land mines and booby traps that don't know they are celebrities and don't really care?

I'm willing to bet we couldn't pay them enough to do what our military men and women do every day, year in and year out. Performers in USO tours don't always have the top travel accomodations, but you can bet the travel means and accomodations they get sure beat that we give those "overpaid" members of their audiences.

And, that - dear kiddies - is what the Hell I do know!