Don Wrote..The financial rewards of those that served in WWII were a fraction of what we pay our military today but we didn't think it was unpatriotic or disrespectful then and I don't think it is now.

NO ONE said ANYTHING about patriotism or respect. I said "VALUE". When an enlisted man opens his paycheck he would sure like to see more $$. The thank yous are great but they don't buy much for your kids at Christmas.

Don Wrote..Being a retired Marine myself, the military person is geared to sacrifice.

Should we maybe CUT their pay a little? We can ADD more thank yous! Throwing money at a problem like you said seldom fixes the problem I agree. How do you feel about raising the bar for enlisted mens pay to ease financial stress so they can do their job being a little less encumbered?