In my 12 years of active service I have spoken with a number of Soldiers who were dissatisfied with their pay check, and a number of them were considering getting out of the Army as a result.  In my years as a lieutenant, I would muddle my way through the conversation in an attempt to change the focus from money to some of the other aspects of service.  My goal was to change the subject because frankly, I somewhat agreed with them.  I never realized that I was overlooking our Healthcare benefits. 

That all changed eight years ago when my oldest son was born.  Before he was born, he was diagnosed with a serious medical condition.  This condition was compounded by the fact that he was born nine weeks early.  As soon as he was born at the military hospital on Fort Leonard Wood, he was air evacuated to the University of Missouri Medical Center.  In his first few weeks of life, he underwent two surgeries and countless tests.  He stayed in the Intensive Care Unit of this top rate civilian hospital for three months before he was stable enough to come home.  My wife and I were trained to use his monitor, oxygen tank, and feeding pump and were visited in our home by a nurse every week.  In the next few months, his condition stagnated, requiring another surgery.  This time when he came home from the hospital, he required round-the-clock in-home nursing care, and a host of other medical equipment.  Eight years have passed now, with a few more hospital stays and surgeries along the way.  He continues to recieve nursing care through most of the day, routine sessions with therapists, and frequent appointments with a variety of specialists.  I am proud to say that he is doing very well.  His medical condition is stable, and he is a happy energetic boy. 

The most awesome part of all of this is that I have paid NOTHING for this amazing medical care.  In the first year I used to recieve the notices from Tricare on what they had been billed and what they paid out for his care.  I stopped counting the costs at two million dollars.  Who knows what today's total would be.  So now, when given the opportunity to talk with a Soldier about the military pay package, I highlight our Healthcare benefits.  These costs do not show up on our LES, but they are real benefits that must not be taken for granted.    But, without these benefits, I know that my life and the life of my son would be dramaticly different. 

Major Robert Kimmel

Command and General Staff School

Fort Belvoir, VA

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US government.