Posts

Army Suspending Tuition Assistance Program

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Photo Credit: Robert Burns

The Army is suspending the Tuition Assistance program for active duty and reserve soldiers beginning Friday, according to an email obtained by the Washington Times.

The move will suspend financial assistance for soldiers who take classes in their off-duty time after work and on the weekends. “This suspension is necessary given the significant budget execution challenges caused by the combined effects of a possible year-long continuing resolution and sequestration,” said an official Army statement Friday.

Classes that are already approved will be funded, but not new requests for assistance, according to the memo.

The Army is facing a more than $18 billion shortfall over the next seven months of the fiscal year, due to a continuing resolution funding the Army at 2012 levels, and by large automatic defense cuts known as sequestration that went into effect March 1st.

Since then, lawmakers have begun looking at legislation that would pass a 2013 defense appropriations bill instead of extending the continuing resolution that expires March 27. Meanwhile, the president and other lawmakers are attempting to find a long-term solution to the cuts of $500 billion to the defense department over the next 10 years.

Read more from this story HERE.

Soldier Pays $90 to Vote Absentee

/4 Comments/in , /by

What’s the value of being able to vote? For one junior Army officer, it was worth almost $100.

After 2nd Lt. Benjamin Nygaard had a few conversations with military colleagues about the challenges of getting an overseas absentee ballot in on time, he decided he wasn’t taking any chances.

A tank platoon leader stationed near South Korea’s demilitarized zone at Camp Casey, Nygaard has always been a politically active citizen, said his father, Dan Nygaard of Fort Collins, Colo.

“Via discussions with Army (non-commissioned officers), my son…developed so little faith in the military balloting system that he asked us to FedEx his mail-in ballot to him,” Nygaard said.

While officials with Colorado’s Secretary of State told Human Events they haven’t had complaints about a new state system that delivers military absentee ballots electronically and allows troops to mail them back, the return journey isn’t foolproof.

Read more from this story HERE.

Obama Campaign & Democrats sue to prevent soldiers from voting

/3 Comments/in , /by

President Barack Obama, along with many Democrats, likes to say that, while they may disagree with the GOP on many issues related to national security, they absolutely share their admiration and dedication to members of our armed forces. Obama, in particular, enjoys being seen visiting troops and having photos taken with members of our military. So, why is his campaign and the Democrat party suing to restrict their ability to vote in the upcoming election?

On July 17th, the Obama for America Campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and the Ohio Democratic Party filed suit in OH to strike down part of that state’s law governing voting by members of the military. Their suit said that part of the law is “arbitrary” with “no discernible rational basis.”

Currently, Ohio allows the public to vote early in-person up until the Friday before the election. Members of the military are given three extra days to do so. While the Democrats may see this as “arbitrary” and having “no discernible rational basis,” I think it is entirely reasonable given the demands on servicemen and women’s time and their obligations to their sworn duty.

The National Defense Committee reports:

[f]or each of the last three years, the Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program has reported to the President and the Congress that the number one reason for military voter disenfranchisement is inadequate time to successfully vote.

I think it’s unconscionable that we as a nation wouldn’t make it as easy as possible for members of the military to vote. They arguably have more right to vote than the rest of us, since it is their service and sacrifice that ensures we have the right to vote in the first place.

Read more from this story HERE.