Government Shutdown: NICS Checks

[dennishoddy]

New to me. When I was in, and you got out, there was no residual investment to draw on later like a 401K type.
When you got out with a day less than 20 years, you walked with nothing.

 

[Frederick]

New to me. When I was in, and you got out, there was no residual investment to draw on later like a 401K type.
When you got out with a day less than 20 years, you walked with nothing.

Yep, that's changed. Now you have a choice. You can choose between the reduced pension scheme and do the 20 years, or do a 401K with match.

 

[Frederick]

From what i understand, the pension was reduced by 20% just FYI.

So instead of 50% of pay, it's 40% of highest 36 months of pay. with a 2% increase every year of service. So you'd have to do 25 years to get the old 50% rate.

the match is 5% TSP.

 

[druryj]

For the life of me, I fail to understand how in the world someone with absolutely no concept of what those of us who served in the Military go through and put up with can propose or support reducing the financial benefit of service members? I earned every damn dime of my retirement pay. Every. Damned. Dime. Use of the term "pension scheme" is especially grating. I believe the correct terminology is retirement plan. There is, was no "scheme". So; why don't you just STFU about stuff you know nothing about? Reminds me of the time in Lowes when I showed my ID card in order to get the 10% discount they offer and some fat clown behind me whined about how it was unfair that I got a discount and he didn't. They almost had to call the police to remove me. Showing any measure of disrespect to those who put it on the line is about as low as it gets.

 

[harley128]

That was well said.

 

[skyhawk1]

Dealers, what's the word on NICS checks during the shutdown? Are they open? If not, does the five-day wait start despite ATF refusing to answer the phone, or can gun sales be completely suspended by government fiat?

I'm not a dealer but just picked up 4 transfers at Sooner Pawn and check took less than 5 minutes

 

[harley128]

Yep. I just checked and everything seems to be running fine--as far as NICS checks go that is.

 

[Dave70968]

Alright, asked and answered. I was just curious.

Thank you to all who filled me in.

 

[Frederick]

For the life of me, I fail to understand how in the world someone with absolutely no concept of what those of us who served in the Military go through and put up with can propose or support reducing the financial benefit of service members? I earned every damn dime of my retirement pay. Every. Damned. Dime. Use of the term "pension scheme" is especially grating. I believe the correct terminology is retirement plan. There is, was no "scheme". So; why don't you just STFU about stuff you know nothing about? Reminds me of the time in Lowes when I showed my ID card in order to get the 10% discount they offer and some fat clown behind me whined about how it was unfair that I got a discount and he didn't. They almost had to call the police to remove me. Showing any measure of disrespect to those who put it on the line is about as low as it gets.

Okay, retirement plan. I didn't mean to use the word 'scheme' in a pejorative sense.

I think a 401k match is fair, it's more flexible, better for the short term guys and on top of that pension plans are very costly.

as far as the 10% thing, i wouldn't have taken it offensively. Wal-Mart and other retailers offer a 10% discount to their employees, and i don't imagine the guy was meaning to attack service members for getting the 10% discount, only that he doesn't get it as an employee. Certainly military members deserve far more than that.

I fail to understand how in the world someone with absolutely no concept of what those of us who served in the Military go through and put up with can propose or support reducing the financial benefit of service members?

While i appreciate your frustrations and your service, and i don't think we should retroactively remove benefits from service members(because that was the pact we made with them when they signed up, and it would be wrong to renege in my opinion), I don't think there is anything wrong with reducing or adding benefits for new members, as long as it is made clear to them what the deal is.

The thing is, the vast majority of the populace who is responsible for paying these benefits(since military members are public employees) have never served. Should there be a military committee of soldiers, above congress, who can decide what benefits they get? It doesn't make sense for the benefactors to decide what their compensation is.

We, as a society, should value our military serivcemen and the benefits/pay should reflect that. But the pension plan belongs to a time when these things were common, back when even a civilian could get a retirement plan. and in fact, it kicked in after only 20 years, instead of at 65 like most civilian retirement plans. While i think we should keep the VA disability pension(disabled vets should make a decent living from it), i think a 401K plan is better for the vast majority and would lower federal obligations.

the vast majority of people who serve in the military never even see combat, and there are large numbers who are paper pushers and so on. My uncle is a retired Air force colonel i believe, and he was a nurse or some such. While i appreciate his service, does he really deserve a 20 year retirement with a colonel level pension? No other nurse in the United States gets such a deal, and he's never even left the country.

When my dad was in(1980s), the pay was stupendously low and the benefits were meh. Things are very different now that we've completed the transition to a professional army.