Image above: One I took years ago in late March – Skagit County
Not here to say that military benefits are inadequate. Just stick with whatever was offered when people signed up to stay on for multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and we’re good.
The US Dept. of Defense has really taken a dive since the 1980s. I’ll do a blog on that later.
Naval Hospital Bremerton in the news:
Decade of reductions at Naval Hospital Bremerton push out retirees, beneficiaries
Conor Wilson – Kitsap Sun April 3, 2025
“Over the last decade, the hospital has been gutted, leaving a major gap in the local health care sector and bogging down local providers. As large numbers of military retirees and beneficiaries are forced out of the military system, they increasingly find themselves searching for care in an overburdened civilian sector desperately short on providers and struggling to provide access to routine care.”
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray:
“This pattern of declining care and personnel mismanagement at one of the largest Naval bases in the nation suggests a lack of attention to the healthcare needs of servicemembers, veterans, and their families in Kitsap County.”
“Kitsap County has a shortage of primary care providers, with about half as many per capita as the state average in 2023, according to Washington Health Care Research Center.”
Ask A Recruiter
“Reductions at Naval Hospital Bremerton over the last decade come as the Department of Defense, the federal agency that runs the military health system, has reduced spending on health care. As part of a major realignment designed to shed costs, it has prioritized operational readiness for wartime missions and care for those on active duty over that of beneficiaries and retirees.”
“Civilian providers say they are increasingly shouldering the load left by the Navy. The result is worse access across the board for primary, maternal and specialty care for all residents, including those not connected to the military. Shortages are driving up hospital bills, as more people depend on emergent care, and likely leading to worse outcomes for Kitsap patients.”
“Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, who own St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, has seen “increased demand as military health care facilities have adjusted their offerings over the years,” St Michael President Chad Melton wrote in an email.”
“…military health care facilities have adjusted their offerings…”
Politician speak will take you to the highest levels.
Thousands of men and women who did time in uniform over the past 25 years did one or more tours in places like Syria, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. Some stayed for 20.
Now, these people are told that the benefits they thought they were earning when reenlisting for another tour are going away in order to save money. WTF?
Same country that sent big cash to Ukraine several times over in 2024.
Today, Uncle Sam needs more people to volunteer to go to far away places and maybe never come back again.
Good luck with your US Armed Forces recruiting crisis.
Possibly of interest:
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
Working To Kill Commissaries 2024
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cyberattack
Cyberattacks feel like a mysterious, behind-the-scenes version of crime where you never really know what the good guys/bad guys are up to.
In the news:
Port of Seattle alerting 90,000 people whose data was compromised in SEA cyberattack
by Karina Vargas, KOMO – April 3rd 2025
“Tens of thousands of people are receiving notifications from the Port of Seattle informing them that their personal data was compromised in a cyberattack.”
“Compromised data includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and other government ID numbers, raising significant concerns among travelers about data security.”
Do we ever see convictions with these sorts of crimes?
“Cybersecurity experts warn hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated.”
Welcome Home Troops
“Port officials are addressing why it took nearly eight months to alert affected individuals, explaining that rebuilding the systems is a lengthy process and full recovery takes time.”
Different sides of the story: