Dreams come like a welcome friend when I lay to sleep at night. You are there, so I long to sleep and to dream...of things both past and future. My mind takes me to places that are comforting and wonderful, all because you are there. Our Bench....and the conversations there. Drives in the car....anywhere....just to feel your hand in mine. Your head on my shoulder as we curl up together on the couch, or the feel of your body against mine as we hold eachother close. Then my dreams take us to far away destinations....Rome, Athens, Germany, anywhere our hearts desire to see. I dream of traveling anywhere, EVERYWHERE with you....sharing experiences and feelings and memories with you. I dream of a time in the future when neither of us are young in body, but mind and spirit are still as a teenagers....wide open, quick, sharp, and always yearning to learn and grow. I dream of sharing not just moments with you....but everything that life can offer....both good and bad. I yearn to dream....because you are there......
You know, I had a conversation with a fellow sailor yesterday and we were discussion the fact that the military will only see a 1.3% payraise next year. My fellow sailor was very upset, stating that he felt he deserved more. Actually, as I walked away....I felt a bit disturbed....on may fronts.
First, maybe I see military service as my patriotic duty....while others see it as a means to an end, just as any other job ends up being. Ok...I can live with that. The other thing that I found disturbing is that my sailor is right! He deserves more. E4 with a family.....and living in San Diego is NOT cheap! I DO feel for him.....and all of my junior sailors how have to scratch just to get by.
Now, let me be frank for a moment. I'm a Chief in the Navy. I personally feel that I get paid a fair amount of money to do what I do. But, I am content in what I do, and quite honestly, i would do this for free if I could. i love my job and I still have problems sometimes believing that I actually get paid for the privilage to serve. Of course, I'm a small minority or service members, though. Most are feeling the pinch.
So....on to the subject of this blog post. How can I help reduce the National debt? I would consider NOT accepting my 1.3% payraise next year. Now, that doesn;t sound like much....and honestly, based on my paygrade, it's about $100 a month. BUT.....if ALL senior Enlisted and Officers over the rank of 04 did not get the payraise (Demographically, the groups that can still get by without an extra 1.3%), we would save potentially BILLIONS in personnel pay, while still ensuring our most junior troops still get a deserved and much needed pay raise.
I'm pretty sure most of my piers would see this differently. but, I would be willing to defer my proposed pay raise to help the situation. Put it towards the budget! Put it to better use somewhere else in the DoD. I'm more than happy to make that sacrifice to help OUR nation.
Just my thoughts today....
You know, if our elected leaders in Washington spent just HALF as much time actually working towards a solution to our current debt crisis as they do in pointing the finger at someone else whiel playign the "Blame Game", we might just not be in such a horrible financial spot.
However, it's not just our political leaders. Is's the average American citizen. We seem to live in an "entitlement" based society these days, and there are SO many people standing around with their hands out, expecting the Government.....meaning the American Tax Payer, to pay their way when times get tough. We, as a Nation, just can;t afford it any more.
If we're going to dig ourselves out of this mess, we're ALL going to have to buckle down and face this thing head on. This means HIGHER TAXES, CUTS IN SOCIAL SERVICES, Higher Interest rates, and a whole slew of other changes that we don't want to actually deal with. Too bad!! We no longer have time to play the blame game in Washington....or in our own homes or around the table at the local diner. We need to pull together as a Nation and actually do more than just TALK. We need to DO!! We need to make the TOUGH choices to save our way of life. This means we're going to have to actually live within our means. This means we're going to have to STOP the craziness of Government Handouts. This means that we're going to have to focus on the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA instead of international opinion.
I mean, lets look at this from a "Global Economy" standpoint. If the US defaults on it's debts, who will this effect? The American citizen, most certainly. But....if WE default on our debt, we're going to take a great deal of the world economy with us when we fall. That could be devistating. You think things are bad now? If we default......it's going to get a LOT worse.
This will be no easy fix, to be sure. but we have to be willing to make the sacrifices required to get this under control or we will find ourselves in ruin.
This is NOT a Navy Chief talking.....this is a concerned citizen.
Thanks.
What’s Hot MAR 7, 2011 SNAPSHOT
Accountability
Responsibility
CPO Scorecard
CPO Standards and Conduct
Brilliant on the Basics
Enlisted Warfare Qualification Programs
PTS – Fleet RIDE Integration
PTS
Revised E-5 Promotion Recommendation Rules
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Implementation
Drug Abuse
Spice
Continuing Resolution Effects on PCS Orders
Actions Taken Result of Continuing Resolution
Enlisted Advancement Phasing Plan & FAQ
FY11 Revised Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) Award Levels
Overseas Contingency Operations Support Assignments (OSA)
Tuition Assistance
9/11 GI Bill Update
Navy Working Uniform Update
NWU Type II/III Conformance Testing
Navy Uniform Board Update
Navy E-Leave
Learning and Development Roadmap (LaDR)
Reducing the Stigma Associated with Enrollment in the Exceptional Family Member Program
Operational Stress Control
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
Bystander intervention: Ship, Shipmate, Self.
Suicide
Family Readiness
Personal Financial Management Program
Women on Submarines:
Submarine Smoking Ban
Enlisted AC to RC Transition
Top 50 Initiative
Personal Firearms
Naval Operations Concept 2010 (NOC 10)
MYCAA
CNO’s Guidance for 2011
CNO’s three focus areas:
STATUS OF THE NAVY (AS OF MAR 4, 2011)
Navy Personnel
Total Active Component 327,682
Total Reserve Component 64,677
DoN Civilians 200,886
Ships, Submarines & Aircraft
Total deployable ships/subs 288
Ships underway 147 (51%)
Attack Subs underway 32 (59%)
Ships on deployment 118 (41%)
Subs on deployment 23 (42%)
Expeditionary units deployed 70 (39%)
Total Operational Aircraft 3,700+
Navy Forces on the Ground in NAVCENT AOR
Countries ≥400
Total on ground, all countries approx. 14,956
Sailors at Sea by AOR
NAVCENT/C5F 14,937
PACFLT 24,071
NAVSOUTH/C4F 826
C2F 2,956
NAVEUR/NAVAF/C6F 2,576
Ships Underway
Carriers:
USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - 5th Fleet
USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - 5th Fleet
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - 3rd Fleet
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) - port visit San Diego
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) - Pacific Ocean
Amphibious Warfare Ships:
USS Essex (LHD 2) - Gulf of Thailand
USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) - 5th Fleet
USS Boxer (LHD 4) - port visit Pearl Harbor
USS Makin Island (LHD 8) - Pacific Ocean
WHY I'M DEPRESSED
Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel, "Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the promised Land!"
Nearly seventy-five years ago (when Welfare was introduced), Roosevelt said "Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses and light up a Camel, THIS is the Promised Land!"
Today, Obama has stolen your shovel, Taxed your asses. raised the price of Camel's and mortgaged the Promised Land
I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care plans, the failing economy,the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Securityretirement funds, etc...I called a suicide hotline. I had to press 1 for English.
I was connected to a call center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal. They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck.....
I have little respect for people who betray their heritage or upbringing. Black people who think they are white. White people who think they are black. Rich people who came from poverty and have forgotten. These are just a few examples. My suggestion is to STOP trying to impress the world, your peer group or your drinking buddies. be true to your roots and be proud of who you are and where you came from.
Actions speak louder than words ever could. if you tell me you're going to do something, then I have a reasonable expection that you will follow through. There are always exceptions, of course, but when the exception becomes the "norm", then I will no longer believe a word you say and base my opinion of you solely on your actions (or inaction). if you're the type of person who only pays lip service to any particular thing....then PLEASE.....move along. My time and patience are to valuable to waste on people like you.
I don't normally discuss politics or religion. I have my own beliefs....just like everyone else. however, they are MY beliefs....and not necessarily yours. I will never try to change your mind, position, or opinion regarding either. I expect that you not do the same. if you;re a bible thumper or a loud, obnoxious political junkie.....stay away. You'll only piss me off. And.....who needs that?
I am Proud and deeply Honored that I serve in the worlds greatest military establishment. I have deep respect for all my brothers and sisters in arms, regardless of what branch of military they happen to be in. I'm partial to the Navy because that is MY chosen branch. However, we ALL wear the colors of our country and have ALL taken an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, this nation, and all who live here. THANK YOU, my brothers and sisters....for giving to something that means EVERYTHING.....and is so much larger than yourself.
With the above being said, if you're in the military and you're on of those pissy whine bags who wants to tell the world how BAD it is in the Military, I have just 2 words for you. "GO HOME". Quite honestly, if you don't want to be in the military....I sure as hell don't want you here either!! We need your head in the game and focused on the mission.....not crying about your petty (and yes, in the big scheme of things, your whiny, crying SHIT is just that....petty) issues. You are a mamber of the US Military....and not every day is going to be roses and ice cream. SUCK IT UP!
Why do people BEG on this site like a panhandler on the street corner?
Why do people take this website so seriously?? It's just a website....not a way of life. Seriously???
I suppose that I can be a bit of a dick sometimes, and I don't pull punches. I'll tell you EXACTLY what I think, if you ask my opinion. You may not like what I have to say, so I'll say "I'm sorry" in advance if I hurt your sensitive feeings.
Ok....enough for now. Thanks for reading a bit about me....