The script for the greatest swindle of all time... a broken contract with America's military retirees story.
Reference http://mrgrg-ms.org/swindle-e-mail.html

 

My name is Floyd Sears. I am a military retiree and a military veteran.

I served the United States of America in the United States Air Force for 20 years from 1951 to 1971.

Please allow me to tell you about...

The greatest swindle of all time... a broken contract with America's military retirees.

This is my story, but any one of the other 1.8 million military retirees affected by this swindle could tell you the same story.

As we examine this issue think about the words "fraud" and "swindle".

Fraud: Is a deliberate deception for unfair or unlawful gain. A trick.

To Swindle: Is to cheat or defraud of money or property.

Also think about the definition of a contract, with the most basic elements being the offer and the acceptance of the offer.

First let me tell you about the contractual offer.

From WWII to the early 1990's, agents of the United States Government made this offer.

Serve for 20 years in the military and retire, and you will receive full free medical care for yourself and your eligible dependents, at military treatment facilities, for as long as you and your eligible dependents live.

Events have proven that this promise was the greatest gimmick, promotional stratagem, and swindle of all time, and the active duty military believed it as they were suppose to.

It is important to note that this promise did not indicate that a military retiree would have to use and pay for a medical care plan such as Medicare, and a Medicare supplement, when he or she reached age 65. It did not indicate that a military retiree would have to use and make copays to an HMO type medical care plan, such as Tricare. And, it did not indicate that the promise applied to non military retiree veterans. One had to serve for at least 20 years and retire in order to be eligible for the promised medical care.

This promise was made initially by Military Recruiters.

Then over a 20 to 30 year period by, Basic Training Instructors, line level Supervisors, 1st Sergeants, Commanding Officers, and Reenlistment Counselors, all agents of the United States government, as directed by publications received from the highest level of the military hierarchy.

The military hierarchy authorized the making of the promise, because it was the law. Prior to 7 June 1956 the U.S. Code stated...
[Reference , TITLE 10, Subtitle A, PART II, CHAPTER 55, Section. 1074, (b)]

Under joint regulations to be prescribed by the administering Secretaries, a member or former member of a uniformed service who is entitled to retired or retainer pay, or equivalent pay shall, upon request, be given medical and dental care in any facility of any uniformed service.

The promise was made to encourage the trained and experienced military personnel to remain in the military. The prime reason for making the promise was to save the American taxpayers BILLIONS of dollars by not having to train replacements every two to four years. It was all about money.

On 7 June 1956, Congress changed the U.S. Code as follows.

Under joint regulations to be prescribed by the administering Secretaries, a member or former member of a uniformed service who is entitled to retired or retainer pay, or equivalent pay may, upon request, be given medical and dental care in any facility of any uniformed service, subject to the availability of space and facilities and the capabilities of the medical and dental staff.

Congress altered the US Code to change the word "shall" to "may", added the words “subject to the availability of space and facilities and the capabilities of the medical and dental staff”, and the stage was set for military base closures, the breaking of the medical care promise, and the greatest swindle of all time.

There was no fanfare or warning given to the active duty military concerning this major change to the law that would drastically affect their lives, later in retirement, and the military establishment continued to make the same medical care promise.

The medical care promise was still being made as late as 1991.

These words were extracted from an Army recruiting poster.

Superb Health Care. Health care is provided to you and your family members while you are in the Army, and for the rest of your life if you serve a minimum of 20 years of Federal service to earn your retirement.

Take a close look at this health care promise that was being made as late as 1991. Not only does it promise health care, but it promises "superb health care". It clearly indicates that health care is promised to you (the service member), and also to your family members while in the Army and for the rest of your life if you earn retirement. This poster was printed in the United States Government Printing Office.

[Reference, United States Government Printing Office (U.S.G.P.O.1992 643-711) on (RPI 909 NOVEMBER 1991].

In the late 1980s, Congress and the Department of Defense started the process of closing military bases and medical facilities where the medical care promise was supposed to be kept.

As a result the space, facilities, and the capabilities of the medical staff were substantially reduced, the Military Health Care System had to change, and TRICARE was born.

In 1995, TRICARE came to Keesler AFB, where I had been receiving medical care since 1961, I turned 65, was not eligible to enroll in Tricare Prime, had to leave Keesler AFB, go on Medicare, pay for Medicare Part B and a Medicare supplement, and the medical care promise was broken for the author of this web page, and millions like him that were over 65.

The medical care promise was also broken for millions of other military retirees, including those under age 65, because they had to start paying for their medical care. The government reneged on their promise.

It was all about money when the promise was made and it's all about money now.

It's the greatest swindle of all time. It's a broken contract with America's military retirees.

I've told you about the offer, now let me tell you about the acceptance of the offer.

From 1951 to 1971 - Floyd Sears, and millions like him, accepted the offer (that is believed the promise) and took a similar oath:

I do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America; that I will serve honestly and faithfully against all their enemies whomsoever; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

I made a promise and I kept my promise. I would have died if necessary to keep my promise. The fact is I had no choice. I went where I was suppose to go (no matter what the hardship), I did what I was ordered to do (with no choice in the matter), and I obey orders (without question).

Military personnel must believe what they are told, when it comes from an official source. They have no choice. It's required by military law. I had to believe what I was being told. I had to believe the medical care promise.

The military person is trained, from day one, to trust their leaders and believe what they are being told. In the military, believing what one is told is the first step in obeying orders. If a military person is told that they must kill the enemy in combat and is also told that if they serve for 20 years in the military and retires they will receive free medical care for themselves and their eligible dependents at military treatment facilities for as long as they and their eligible dependents live, should they believe the one thing they are told and disbelieve the other?

I trusted and respected my military and elected leaders. I believed what I was told and I believed what I was promised. They, my leaders, could and did depend on me. I never let them down. I never reneged on my promise.

In closing I will say again. It was all about money when the promise was made and it's all about money now. It's the greatest swindle of all time... it's a broken contract with America's military retirees. Thank you for listening to this story.