Letters to the Editor - Air Force Community - Air Force Times

Letters to the Editor

Prank was sweet

I’m glad that Staff Sgt. Michael Nardone got to come home early and surprise his wife at work, with the help of her co-workers [“Airman’s ‘emergency’ visit surprises wife,” Aug. 29]. I think it’s wonderful. It takes a great amount of time and effort to pull surprises off.

I disagree with Robert F. Dorr’s column that the surprise was unprofessional [“Airman’s homecoming joke was regrettable, not funny,” Opening Shots, Aug. 29].

I understand that some horrible and tragic things coincided with Nardone’s return home from Europe, but the deaths of 30 U.S. troops were not his fault.

— Senior Airman Derek Utley, Birmingham, Ala.

Improve existing benefits

Can someone please explain to the rest of America that military members do not get free health care for the rest of their lives?

I just spent two hours trying to find a Tricare primary care manager for my mother in Sikeston, Mo., and I am disgusted. The closest Tricare primary care manager is 60 miles away.

This was a rude awakening since we plan to retire in Sikeston as well. The area is not covered by Tricare Prime, so we will be under Tricare Standard. We will have to get a supplemental because Standard pays almost nothing. How can the government promise health care benefits and then contract with a company that does not provide coverage to all locations?

All retirees better plan on living right outside a military base so they can continue to get Tricare Prime. Even if they do live near a base, as retirees they will be put at the bottom of the list for everything.

Before the government starts taking our benefits, there should be a closer look at what we are actually getting — which is close to nothing. I was promised health care when I joined in 1989. It was supposed to be free, but now I pay a monthly premium for care that is equivalent to going to a free clinic if seen outside the base.

Most doctors will not accept Tricare or become a primary care manager. Congress needs to fix this instead of worrying about how to take benefits from the military while they keep all of their pay and benefits.

— Master Sgt. Michelle Spickler (ret.), Kapolei, Hawaii

‘Birther’ be gone

For Staff Sgt. Daryn Moran to continue to criticize President Obama’s citizenship after it has been proved beyond a shadow of a doubt is wrong [“‘Birther’ NCO’s discharge approved,” Aug. 29].

To take his argument to the Internet while in uniform and to a radio talk show while continuing to talk about his military connection was unprofessional in the extreme. Now it’s revealed Moran lied to the talk show host about his military status, saying he was absent without leave, implying he was ready to sacrifice his military career for his beliefs, when actually he was on terminal leave pending his discharge.

While I stand up for anyone’s right to speak, even if it reveals him to be an utter fool, Moran’s statements against his commander in chief, while in uniform and while playing up his military status, make it clear that the Air Force is well rid of him.

— Master Sgt. Jeffrey A. Brown (ret.), Hartly, Del.

Groupthink defined

I take issue with Gen. Philip Breedlove’s comment, “Groupthink is the worst thing you can have during a problem … if there are all male Caucasians sitting around the table, you have groupthink” [“Promoting diversity is every airman’s job,” Aug. 22].

An example of groupthink is that Breedlove, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, was surrounded by a group of individuals and not one said, “Phil, you’re wrong.”

Groupthink deals with many things: wanting to do what is best for the group rather than doing the right thing; pressure not to go against the predominant view of the group, and information known by all members being accepted as superior over other information.

Did no one in the Kennedy administration think the Bay of Pigs invasion was a highly flawed plan that would lead to disaster? Did everyone at NASA think it was appropriate to ignore the Morton-Thiokol engineer’s concerns over the space shuttle Challenger’s booster rockets? Both of these are examples of groupthink, as is not telling the vice chief of staff of the Air Force he’s wrong in his definition of groupthink.

— Senior Master Sgt. Kelly Myers (ret.), Avon, Ind.