F/A-18 crashes; pilot dies

[AJ]

Associated Press

EL CENTRO, Calif. - A Navy fighter jet crashed during a routine
training mission and the pilot was killed, officials said.

The single seat F/A-18C Hornet went down about 7:48 p.m. Wednesday, 5
miles north of this small desert town east of San Diego, according to a
Navy news release.

The plane was based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in Central California.

The military is investigating the cause of the crash.

Officials were withholding the pilot's name pending notification of
the next of kin.

[Robert M. Gary]

Always sad. Also sad is that his wife will only get $900/month plus a
small one time amount. Even if he has 20 years in, his retirement is
forfeited by his death.

-Robert

[Bob Gardner]

Not necessarily. If he participated in the Survivor's Benefit Plan, as I do,
his wife will get a percentage of his base pay for life.

Bob Gardner LCDR USCG (Ret)

"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Always sad. Also sad is that his wife will only get $900/month plus a
> small one time amount. Even if he has 20 years in, his retirement is
> forfeited by his death.
>
> -Robert
>

[Robert M. Gary]

> If he participated in the Survivor's Benefit Plan

Is that recent? It always seemed strange that if you get a medical
discharge after a horrible accident you can keep your retirement but if
you die active duty you lose it.

-Robert

[Darkwing]

"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
ps.com...
>> If he participated in the Survivor's Benefit Plan
>
> Is that recent? It always seemed strange that if you get a medical
> discharge after a horrible accident you can keep your retirement but if
> you die active duty you lose it.
>
> -Robert
>


Sounds like government to me! Kind of like a state having to spend all the
federal road money they get each year or they won't get that much the next
year.

----------------------------------------
DW

[Bob Gardner]

Is 1972 recent?

https://www.manpower.usmc.mil/portal/page?_pageid=278,1950391&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

(Google "Survivor's Benefit Plan" if you have trouble with the URL).


"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
ps.com...
>> If he participated in the Survivor's Benefit Plan
>
> Is that recent? It always seemed strange that if you get a medical
> discharge after a horrible accident you can keep your retirement but if
> you die active duty you lose it.
>
> -Robert
>

[Robert M. Gary]

Did that work for active duty or was that only for retirees?

-Robert

[Bob Gardner]

Gotta brush up on those reading skills....from the first paragraph:

"Survivors of members who die while on active duty and survivors of members
recalled to active duty from retirement who die while on active duty are
also protected by the SBP."

Too many active duty people fail to enroll in SBP, unfortunately. Insurance
that you don't buy will not help your survivors.

Bob
..
"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Did that work for active duty or was that only for retirees?
>
> -Robert
>

[Robert M. Gary]

> Gotta brush up on those reading skills....

Well, I'll leave you to work on that. In the mean time, do you recall
if that benefit applied to active duty back in the 70's.

-Robert

[Robert M. Gary]

Looks like even today, that only applies to fully vested active duty
members...
"If you are on active duty, retirement-eligible and have a spouse
and/or children..."

That just seems so strange to us civilians. If something were to happen
to me, my wife gets my 401 and the balance of the contributions to my
work retirement program, even though I'm only in my 30's (I could
actually cash them all out myself right now, I'd just have to pay tax
penalties)
Seems strange that military members who die before they fully vest in
the retirement just lose all their retirement.

-Robert

[Big John]

Robert

Retired in 72. Been paying into the system ever since.($25-$30 a
month).

Wife will get 55 percent of retirement monthly if I die before her.

There is no vesting as when I die and my wife dies the money stops. It
does not continue and go to the children, estate, etc.


Big John
`````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````

On 20 Jan 2006 19:12:53 -0800, "Robert M. Gary" >
wrote:

>> Gotta brush up on those reading skills....
>
>Well, I'll leave you to work on that. In the mean time, do you recall
>if that benefit applied to active duty back in the 70's.
>
>-Robert

[Bob Gardner]

I retired in 66, so I'm not up on anything that happened vis a vis active
duty in the 70's. I'm sure that the answer to your question can be found on
the web.


"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>> Gotta brush up on those reading skills....
>
> Well, I'll leave you to work on that. In the mean time, do you recall
> if that benefit applied to active duty back in the 70's.
>
> -Robert
>

[sfb]

Can we say Social Security?

"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message

> Seems strange that military members who die before they fully vest in
> the retirement just lose all their retirement.
>
> -Robert
>