Comments on: Military pay bill to be heard this week

By: Tray

Tray — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:23:37 +0000

Hello,

I am a EX wife a of USAF retire Sr Mstg. And we was married for almost 12 years. I cut hair for the time we was married and gave it all up to follow in half way around the world. The whole time being over seas I was alone do to the fact he was TDY a lot! I had a son over there and wasn’t able to work do to the fact there wasn’t hardly any jobs. But the time being there I found out threw all his servise buddies he messed around on me the whole time we was there for four years. I seen this all the time happen. Came back to the states and had another kid not wanting anymore cuz I wanted a divorce at this point. Long story short he never stopped messing around on me. I was 100% faithful to the man! I grew up in church and knew wrong from right! But in our Divorce I was granted 50% of his retirement. Now the military is telling me I only get 9 years and so many months and only at the rank he was when we got married. I think this is NOT right and need to know my rights!

By: A.H.Frix (Skip) USCG ret.

A.H.Frix (Skip) USCG ret. — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:35:55 +0000

I provided for my children based on the laws in Maryland in 1996 after a 19yr marriage, I also gave up 39% of my retainer/retirement at this time Now for the kick in the teeth: she remarried another military man, he retired & has since crossed the bar.

My question ???? and feelings are this: provide for your children, But if the ex- wife remarries>>>> So goes the “Formal Spousal Support” or FSA as it states on my quarterly statement from the USCG. Its like she’s double dipping.
Skip

By: Military Attorney

Military Attorney — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:27:25 +0000

I agree with Ashton “That the retirment pay may be the only asset is no different than working for any other company for 20 years and putting nothing else aside as a supplement.
“

By: kimberlie rodgers

kimberlie rodgers — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:04:45 +0000

I am glad if it passed my dad is in his sixties has been working while in kidney failure so he can support the ex and his new wife! he came home and she had his best friend in bed ran up to 80,000 dollars in credit card debt in his name. shes remarried now for 19 yrs 6 months and his military pay is payin for her new hubbies truck!!!Rediculous many mothers are single mothers at least their husbands sent a check home! this seem like another way to get men to support lazy women!Just like our child support laws! she collects checks to go out on!!! the kids are grown!WTF!!! My dad deserves better from the country he fought in 2 wars for! he suffers because she had it so hard whatever boo whoo! he was shot at slept in horrible places and had no contact with his family!Our veterans and military deserve way more than this shotty treatment!!How about she gets a job if im a single parent thats the first thing most people scream but at least your ex sent home the check between gunfire right!!!!!!!When again did you risk your life!! OOOh yeah and by the way sitting collecting a check!Is not the same!!! I love my country but god do some of our laws disappoint me!!My dad was marride to her for twenty years even my sister {half sister}wouldn,t talk to her own mom cause its wrong!!I love my dad 20 years with his ex doesn’t meanshe earned anything you ever think some women just stay there because they know about our laws!!

By: Constitutional Rouge

Constitutional Rouge — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:20:34 +0000

Mary,
I can appreciate your position, however I am curious as to how you were able to pay the household finances, mortgage,rent, medical,dental,food, utilities,insurance,car payments, credit ect while you were still married to your actve duty husband ? Was your family compensated with benifits/pay from the Airforce while your husband was on active duty? Can you tell me if you are personally held accountable to active duty recall, UCMJ, employment restrictions,criminal convictions to recieve part of your ex husbands retainer pay? As far as the “shorter job life”, I’m pretty sure military spouse preference for government jobs has been around for the past 2o years or so. What if you were a single parent with out a military spouse during that time period? How or who would have paid your bills during that time? I hazard to say, but there are far more former spouses out there within the last 20 years that had the oppurtunity to work,raise kids, manage a household and yes, persue an education. Military retired/retainer pay is not a pension. It is an income/paycheck post active duty in the event the DoD needs a readly trained military force in the course of national defense with obligations attached to the retiree, not the former spouse.

By: Mary C. Smith

Mary C. Smith — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:32:57 +0000

I am a former wife of a retired MSgt. USAF. I have not read the bill, but I will tell you that I raised my kids by myself, we had two boys. My ex and I (while still married) lived apart for ten years, out of the 20 he was in service.
I get half of his retirement pay. He was an electronics tech. He served 18 months in Japan, otherwise mostly in California. I feel I worked just as much as he did, as I cared for my kids, and my house – inside and out. I learned how to make repairs on our OLD cars – by experience. During the time he was in service, employers frowned on short term employees. They would not hire fearing the family would be moving.Not so now. So at that time, a spouse couldn’t make her/his own money, or have a career. The normal pay wasn’t enough to even send the spouse to college – to prepare for their future out of the military. I feel any changes should not include those who enlisted before the mindset of the “shorter job life”. I can’t do my life over and save for a rainey day. I am disabled, and can’t work anymore. All I have is that pension, disability, and for a short time longer, some alimony. Last year I had a little over $10,000 income. IF it wasn’t for the pension, I would not be able to survive. As for me, I never plan to remarry. BUT I am not the type that would ‘shack up’ with someone. If I were to ‘fall in love’, I would get married again. As I said, I feel that I earned that pension money…

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:41:13 +0000

Ashton,

You keep beating your chest proclaiming you are a defender of former spouses.
In actuallity, you are a divorce attorney trying to justify your position of attacking a veterans federal entitlement for your own profit via the former spouse by twisting,embellishing and full on fables of what retired/retainer pay truley is. You fail to mention current statuets and regulations that support HB 1053. The biggest problem is not with the former spouses so much as the divorce attorneys who have made an obsession of chasing the stream of income the U.S. Goverment entitles to Veterans. Call DFAS, they will be more than happy to provide the dollar amount they pay out to former spouses on a monthly basis and that dosen’t include what veterans are paying out of pocket that DFAS dosen’t pay. There the real reason for your zealous behavior. BTW, various nationally known veterans organizations have documentation of Attorneys working contingency fees based on how much retired/retainer pay they can get for an ex spouse. I think this is in violation of ABA rules of professional conduct and most states if not all states subscribe to this as well.
So don’t think this going un noticed.

How you can sleep at night is anyones guess.

By: Everett Ronk

Everett Ronk — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:35:21 +0000

This is a bill that should have been passed long ago. Just because the spouse is married to the service member does not give them entitlement to the service members pay active or retired. I agree that the service member has financial responsibilities, however in recent years many service members have been in harms way and for extended time periods. Spouses have not been in harms way, just doing a hard job as a single parent while the spouse is deployed.

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:30:38 +0000

This bill is long overdue in addressing the inequities impacting Veterans in state courts. Senators keep your promise to support Veterans by passing HB 1053 and remember Veterans this Memorial Day

By: William Gill

William Gill — Thu, 27 May 2010 03:42:51 +0000

My name is William Gill, and I served 20 years 7 months and 3 days in the US Navy as an Aviation Electrician and Naval Aircrew Member. I am currently 70% disabled due to injuries received while in the service of my county.

My message is short PLEASE SUPPORT HB 1053.

This bill provides fairness and equality for our retired and divorced Oklahoma service members both male and female in all branches of the military.

Military retainer pay is just that retainer pay not a retirement system that my wife or I contributed into.

THIS IS JUST PLAIN WRONG.

Oklahoma courts have looked at military retirement as a qualified retirement plan that both husband and wife contributed to. The courts have then AWARDED the military retainer pay for LIFE to the other divorced spouse even upon remarriage. When an ex-spouse of a service member remarries, or co-habilitates with another person of the opposite sex, then, like other federal and state statutes the garnered payments of Military Retainer/Retired Pay to the ex spouse should be terminated.

We must stop allowing Courts to award military
retirement/retainer pay to an ex-spouse for LIFE! No other federal Retirement system does this including the FBI, FSA, CIA, Social Security, and the Oklahoma Public Employee Retirement System (State Senators, State Represenative, Judges, and Teachers ETC.

THIS IS RIGHT!

The military member should not be required to financially support an ex-spouse and his/her new family, or partner, for LIFE!

I was injured while on active duty and don’t ever remember my spouse jumping out of the airplane with me or repairing airplanes for the Navy. She did not work in freezing weather with hands numb from the cold or fixing an aircraft under a 120-degree desert sun. I do not remember her in the E-6B mercury while I was in flying in a thunderstorm through severe turbulence being tossed around like a rag doll. I love my wife, however, she was not the one risking her life everyday. Although, the majority of military spouses make sacrifices, they do not put the same time, effort and dedication that every airman, marine, sailor, soldier does.

HB 1053 also prohibits Oklahoma courts from awarding VA Disability Compensation to a third party (ex spouse), which is in violation of Federal law. No person has the right to seek benefits from an injury to another caused by military service. Not only is this appalling, but also it is unconstitutional.

Respectfully,
William H Gill