Pentagon May Raise Military Death Pay

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON - President Bush will propose that families of U.S. troops killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and war zones of the future receive an extra $250,000 in government payments.

The plan, which includes retroactive payments to the spouses or surviving relatives of the more than 1,500 who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since October 2001, will be part of the 2006 budget proposal submitted to Congress next week, the Pentagon's personnel chief said.

A tax-free "death gratuity," now $12,420, would grow to $100,000. The government would also pay for $150,000 in life insurance for troops. Veterans groups and many in Congress have been pushing for such increases.

President Bush said also that those killed will be labelled as "Martyrs of Democracy" and will receive 72 virgins in Paradise.

Dang. A quarter-mil tax-free. Makes you wanna have a passle of kids, send em to the milit'ry, and hope they March Freedom and Democracy all the way to the grave. Be nice to retire early.

Thanks George. Now I know my kids will be good for something.

Rudeness Above
Yep, that sure was sum bitch rude piece above. But no ruder than crowing about how Iraq is gonna blow us to hell and back any moment now and we have to invade NOW and...ooops, no WMDs. No ruder than saying how Iraq is harboring terrorists liek al Qaeda and invading Iraq to find that the terrorists like al Qaeda haven't entered the country yet. Wait for it. Now they're in. No ruder than crowing about how the Iraqis are going to enjoy free elections come the end of January and by-gum it happens even though a good chunk of the population didn't go near the polling places for fear of their lives.

And did they even say thanks? For a quarter TRILLION dollars and thousands of lives lost those Iraqis had better kiss our toes every goddamn time they see an American. Shouldn't be too long either considering we'll be in Iraq for a long time.