Aaaand, Congress screws the troops AGAIN!

By way of Gateway Pundit, we learn that
1) Soldier Suicides are up under Obama. (They were HIGHER under Clinton, DOWN under Bush, and BACK UP.)
and
2) ... Well, I'll let Mudville Gazette tell it:

Here's the background: historically, military personnel were not reimbursed for moves within a local area (exception: on-base housing initially unavailable at time of arrival on station, individual resides off-base until it is).

However, as the "foreclosure crisis" grew, the DoD identified a need to alleviate strains caused by forced, short-notice evictions of military renters whose leases were terminated due to foreclosure on the landlord. Colonel Shumake informs us a policy was put in place (by DoD even as Congress passed a bill signed into law by President Bush) in July, 2008 to fund moves mandated by such foreclosures. Good deal - as the Colonel explains, it wouldn't eliminate the pain of an unexpected move, but at least the servicemember wouldn't have to suffer financially for it.

In May of this year, however, President Obama signed the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 - part of the larger Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009. Under the terms of this law, tenants are "protected" in case of such a foreclosure in that they can not be evicted prior to expiration of an existing lease. (An exception - if the "new" landlord sells the property to a buyer to use as their principal residence the current tenant is allowed 90 days to vacate.)

As a result, military families now won't be forced to vacate until their lease expires, therefore their move may be delayed a bit - but they will no longer be reimbursed for the expenses of that move because it's due to a normal lease expiration - not a foreclosure action. They'll still have to move - maybe with a bit more advance notice but no reduction in hassles - only once again they'll be the ones writing the checks.

Or as someone else pointed out to me, they used to get screwed for free - now they have to pay for it. (And the only explanation offered is that well, maybe the landlord would have chosen not to renew the lease anyway - who knows?)

(Go to Mudville Gazette for the full, and excerpted, podcasts of some Field Grade Officer trying to explain. I originally described him as a "poor Field Grade Officer trying to explain this without violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice", but on second thought, I'm not sure. On the other hand, I have always hated having to implement a policy I disagreed with, something I have blogged about before, as in the Army's tattoo and body piercing policies.)

Now, realistically, all Private Schmukatello has to do is show up for PT one day and say "Sarge, our landlord is being foreclosed, I have to find a new place to live" and Schmukatello will be given time to do so, and the entire platoon, or maybe company, will show up to help the Schmukatello family move. There may be one day rental on a U-Haul--or, enough of the platoon/company may (probably will) have big trucks, that no U-Haul is necessary. Pizza and beer will magically appear. The kids will play, the wives will grouse about The Army, and great time will be had by all.

UNLESS SCHMUKATELLO IS DEPLOYED! Or proud. Or stupid.

Because, try as the military may, the Family Support Group is optional. Mrs. Schmukatello is not required to play. Schmukatello can be ordered to attend a pre-deployment briefing, but not his (or her) spouse or children.

And, if Schmukatello is a deployed reservist... (At the Salt Mines we have a couple of Navy Reservists who have deployed two or three times to the Sandbox in support of the Army. Who takes care of their familys?)

As noted in the comments of Greyhawk's post on Mudville Gazette, this policy was a political decision, at the Department of Defense and Congressional level. Whether it was the, or a, "correct" decision at the time, I don't know, but cancelling it and calling it "protection" is pretty cheesy.

And all too typical of congress and, frankly, Obama.