Left Behind

There was an interesting editorial by Dan Shea in the NY Times titled "Left Behind," describing how we're failing to support our troops' families when a soldier dies in combat. You can pay the NY Times to see the full article, but here is the summary from The Week, the Moore family's favorite mag:

My brother was killed by a rocket attack in Fallujah on Sept. 14, 2004, said Dan Shea in The New York Times. Kevin "knew the risks" when he enlisted in 1989. He also assumed that if he sacrificed his life for his country, the government would take care of his wife, Amy, and two children. "Sadly, that's not the case." War widows are covered by two federal programs - a Pentagon survivors plan, which pays 40 percent of a soldier's monthly salary, and a Veterans Affairs program that provides $1,033 a month, plus a modest amount for every dependent. That may sound generous enough, but there's a catch - what insiders call a "widowâ's tax." Under the current law, the payment from the Pentagon is reduced "dollar for dollar" by the VA payment. After that adjustment, Amy, who put her own career on hold to accommodate Kevin's military career, gets all of $1,817 a month - less than $24,000 a year to raise a family whose father gave his life for his country. Kevin held the rank of lieutenant colonel; the wife of a low-ranking soldier gets even less money. In a nation where every politician claims to "support our troops," this is a disgrace. "if President Bush really wants to honor the men and women fighting this war - and dying Like my brother - then he should call on Congress to eliminate the widow's tax. It's the least he can do."