Yada Yada / The Off Topic Arena

Maybe it is. I have never been in a situation where I needed (or wanted) to buy anyone a retirement gift. I had one NCO in the military that retired...but I was excited to see that miserable ahole go. The only thing I would have done for him was make sure there was a taxi waiting to take him to the airport. The prick once put his hands around my throat because I, a private straight out of basic training, didn't know the difference between two, nearly identical, green tipped 5.56 rounds when sorting ammunition. (Apparently there were still some old Vietnam era rounds in our armory...for some reason. The armory guys should have been the ones getting choked out for that. Not exactly something they teach soldiers to look for in basic training.)

He later tried adding me on Facebook to get a recommendation for a conracting job. Yeah...sure thing, guy.

 

I doubt that. He was a tiny guy and is wife was 3 times his size and mean as hell. lol

E-3's aren't allowed to snap an E-7's in half...and he always missed combative training days for some odd reason.

 

None of those are a problem I have to deal with....or have ever really had to deal with.

 

If I stay out of the US for 330 days/year around half my income is tax free. Yes, I still pay taxes, but the actual "burden" of it is quite low.
"Citizens and residents living and working outside the U.S. may be entitled to a foreign earned income exclusion that reduces taxable income."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_earned_income_exclusion

I work on military bases and do most of my shopping in the PX or online (little or no sales tax).

Not all states have property taxes...but I don't own a house so that isn't a problem anyway. When I was in the military they gave me a housing allowance to pay rent and the military is responsible for my "housing" now. I am still paying rent to reserve my place in the Philippines...but my total monthly expenses for maintaining that is around $300.

 

No, it was a government handout.