Airline baggage fees hit soldier flying out of El Paso for trai...

Yolie wrote:

What a shame! Soldiers are being ask to fork over money for their bags!!! "American Airlines" should change their name.....Can't the "all mighty dollar" be sacrificed? Afterall, many of our soldiers are sacrificing their lives so that we can still fly on aircrafts!

Airlines and most company are in buisnes to make money that's how the world goes round and besides his employer are the one who print the money so chill out. life goes on.

Soldier First wrote:

<quoted text>
If the Soldier and or his unit had done their job, they would have put "extra/excess" baggage authorized. This would have kept the Soldier from having to pay any fees.
It sounds to me like a Soldier trying to get over with claiming that his/her third bag was military gear. When traveling on orders military baggage is first then personal baggage.
Tough tittie said the kittie

sorry to burst your bubble, don't know how long it's been since you've been 'in'- but there's a lot more field gear issued now than there was even a few years ago. you can't fit all of it in 2 duffels if you have a full issue including uniforms. most soldiers now have travel cards issued, however, so since his extra baggage wasn't reflected in his orders he should have been able to put that charge on his travel card and it would get reimbursed.

not quite wrote:

<quoted text>sorry to burst your bubble, don't know how long it's been since you've been 'in'- but there's a lot more field gear issued now than there was even a few years ago. you can't fit all of it in 2 duffels if you have a full issue including uniforms. most soldiers now have travel cards issued, however, so since his extra baggage wasn't reflected in his orders he should have been able to put that charge on his travel card and it would get reimbursed.

You are correct and when I left DoD, all service people and civilians (those that traveled TDY) were "required" to have a DoD credit card used soley for official travel.

OK, you where an officer in the military so dont say u appreciate thier concern, because ur not with us anymore fool. As for the police and fire fighters, we going to the desert for 18 months not one day or two come on guy they are not the same as us. u get my point. good job "sir". lets get out the military and bash them, come back "sir" we need more officers, yeah right!!

Awesomeness wrote:

Where do you draw the line at you idiots? I was an officer in the military so I appreciate the concern but police officers keep our country safe as do sheriffs and firefighters. Let's waive their fee too.
What about border patrol and security guards? They too can argue that they keep our country safe -- let's not forget to waive their fee too. I won't list the other occupations that could make a case of this but you get my drift...

not quite wrote:

<quoted text>sorry to burst your bubble, don't know how long it's been since you've been 'in'- but there's a lot more field gear issued now than there was even a few years ago. you can't fit all of it in 2 duffels if you have a full issue including uniforms. most soldiers now have travel cards issued, however, so since his extra baggage wasn't reflected in his orders he should have been able to put that charge on his travel card and it would get reimbursed.

You are not busting my bubble, just completed a travel overseas and all I needed was 2 bags for all of my military gear. Other issue was shipped by Army (like they should), but on the same note, my orders clearly stated "excess baggage authorized".

Soldier failed himself and his unit didn't help matters by not making the statement standard SOP.

Since when does the National Guard issue deploying gear to a Soldier before they get to demarc location?

New Mom wrote:

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I can understand you being upset..........but not all Mexican's are ignorant and against the war...please don't generalize all of us. Just as I'm sure you don't want us to generalize you with White Trash!

Well...you don't and won't get it. And you can generalize me with whomever you please. I know where I stand and I know where I am from.( Texas - El PASO product spreading love all over Illinois). White trash, black, brown...no difference...just groups of people separated by color but united with govt. cheese, a sense of entitlement, and generations of a profound lack/absence of work ethic.

soldier in iraq_ wrote:

<quoted text> Hey fool we get 7 dollars an hour if you do the math but we work a lot more hours, we just know how to spend our money and save.

Most soldiers do PT for one Hour then work about 9 more hours. that is not counting 1 to 1.5 hours for lunch. An E-6 get paid about $50 grand year. Include BAS, BAH. Do not include Tri-care benefit or Clothing.(Tri care is health insurance-I know someone who pays $250 a month for health insurace and they still have a co-pay). Do the math it comes out to about $23 an hour.

Vado wrote:

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Most soldiers do PT for one Hour then work about 9 more hours. that is not counting 1 to 1.5 hours for lunch. An E-6 get paid about $50 grand year. Include BAS, BAH. Do not include Tri-care benefit or Clothing.(Tri care is health insurance-I know someone who pays $250 a month for health insurace and they still have a co-pay). Do the math it comes out to about $23 an hour.

U.S. Army Enlisted Payscale 2008
BAS $279.88/ month
BAH $1054 W/ dependants
Clothing Allownace $529.20 awarded annually

*E-6 2094.00 X 12 =$25,128.00 BEFORE TAXES
BAH El Paso, TX 1054 X 12 =$12,648.00
BAS Enlisted $279.88 X 12 =$3,358.56

=41,134.56 per year...but this is before taxes and everything else that comes out of the pay.

Try a little closer to $38,000. NOT 50K a year.

*Tricare payment is deducted from your pay, not added.
*Clothing Allowance is added to you pay.

Not all Enlisted Soldiers are entitled to BAS, only those that work a schedule that does not allow them to eat in the Dining Facility during its hours of operation.

http://www.dfas.mil/army2/militarypay/basicpa...

Did the Math wrote:

<quoted text>
U.S. Army Enlisted Payscale 2008
BAS $279.88/ month
BAH $1054 W/ dependants
Clothing Allownace $529.20 awarded annually
*E-6 2094.00 X 12 =$25,128.00 BEFORE TAXES
BAH El Paso, TX 1054 X 12 =$12,648.00
BAS Enlisted $279.88 X 12 =$3,358.56
=41,134.56 per year...but this is before taxes and everything else that comes out of the pay.
Try a little closer to $38,000. NOT 50K a year.
*Tricare payment is deducted from your pay, not added.
*Clothing Allowance is added to you pay.
Not all Enlisted Soldiers are entitled to BAS, only those that work a schedule that does not allow them to eat in the Dining Facility during its hours of operation.
http://www.dfas.mil/army2/militarypay/basicpa...

I do not know any E-6 with less than two years of service.
Let's try in the middle-E-6 over 10 $2930.40 * 12=$35,164.80 That is about 10,000 more than your figure. We still did not count health insurance for the family. SGLI is way cheaper than any other half-million insurance. I stated $250 a month plus co-pays for health. I bet people can say it is more.
Tell me why did you choose an E-6 under 2 years. You sound like a liberal trying to scew the numbers.
Did you ever look at those papers the army gives us every year. Counting commisary, PX etz. Thave have an E-6 over 10 well over $80 grand a year. This is publish by the DFAS

Vado wrote:

<quoted text>
I do not know any E-6 with less than two years of service.
Let's try in the middle-E-6 over 10 $2930.40 * 12=$35,164.80 That is about 10,000 more than your figure. We still did not count health insurance for the family. SGLI is way cheaper than any other half-million insurance. I stated $250 a month plus co-pays for health. I bet people can say it is more.
Tell me why did you choose an E-6 under 2 years. You sound like a liberal trying to scew the numbers.
Did you ever look at those papers the army gives us every year. Counting commisary, PX etz. Thave have an E-6 over 10 well over $80 grand a year. This is publish by the DFAS

Im just trying show that the pay isnt 50,000 grand a year, like you stated. You just werent specific when you said and E-6 makes 50k. It is very possible to make that much, but that would take a deployment to get closer to that figure. I dont plan on being an E-6 for 10 years, and I am sure a lot of other E-6's dont plan on it either.

Did the Math wrote:

<quoted text>
Im just trying show that the pay isnt 50,000 grand a year, like you stated. You just werent specific when you said and E-6 makes 50k. It is very possible to make that much, but that would take a deployment to get closer to that figure. I dont plan on being an E-6 for 10 years, and I am sure a lot of other E-6's dont plan on it either.

**** are you talking about? Next time you wanna post a comment raise your hand...

Vado wrote:

<quoted text>
Most soldiers do PT for one Hour then work about 9 more hours. that is not counting 1 to 1.5 hours for lunch. An E-6 get paid about $50 grand year. Include BAS, BAH. Do not include Tri-care benefit or Clothing.(Tri care is health insurance-I know someone who pays $250 a month for health insurace and they still have a co-pay). Do the math it comes out to about $23 an hour.

I'm too lazy to do the math, but how many hours a day are you basing that on?

These soldiers are putting their lives on the line everyday for our freedom it is absurd that they should be charged a dime for anything!!!!! American Airlines should bow at the feet of any soldier! My Daughter is deploying to Iraq in September so i am a little emotional about anything that has to do with the treatment of our soldiers!

I understand where American Airlines is coming from and uderstand why the Sgt. was surprised and upset at the surprise extra cost. However, this is a cost that can be reimbursed to him throught the military when he files his tavel voucher.

The Texas NG should know how much the equipment needed for their soldiers weighs and that it would require additional costs or vouchers to have the baggage taken care of. Failure to do this is a failure to support the men and women serving in the NG which isn't much of a surprise to many of them.

As for the comment by El Paul, if you think our military people make so much money why don't you enlist and see just how much they do make.

I think the fee's for military flying are UNBELIEVABLE!
They are fighting for our country and have to pay for extra baggage?????? What is this world coming to?
Kick off some of the passengers that are flying for free!(ie family of airport personnel, etc)

Happened to me, with my SECOND bag, when flying to my first duty Station, I got charged 75 bucks. I got reimbursed, but, it isnt easy to just post up to a couple hundred bucks like that. What are you gonna do if you cant afford it? Not report to duty? fat chance.

Also, to the people quoting how much money we "apparently" make. Think about the fact that ALOT of the soldiers, sailors and airmen flying around, are E-1 through E-4. They dont make ANYWHERE near that much, and are not entitled to BAH, unless they are married. Pay doesnt start to pick up until E-5.

I know that I have been making about bucks an hour for the last 5 months. Working 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. I got another 7 months of it ahead.

I got charged 75 bucks by delta, for my SECOND bag. While flying under orders, they didnt give me a voucher for ANYTHING. Sure, i got reimbursed a couple weeks later. But what if I didnt have the money to pay for my second bag. Im just NOT going to show up for duty? Yea right. Yea, they are trying to issue government travel cards to people. Wont ever happen that everyone has one.

El Paso wrote:

I just submitted a link to the story to the Drudge Report. I hope FoxNews gets it too.

Hey FOX News reported on it today!!

About 7 seven bucks an hour*

NJBRED wrote:

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Hey FOX News reported on it today!!

Yay! It is about time, LOL. I submitted the El Paso Times link to Drudge along with a brief explanation a long time ago and he is just now reporting the story today but not with a link to the El Paso Times story. He is using a link to a Washington Times article instead:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/...

Glad it is on Fox too! This company needs the bad PR for the way they handled the matter.