PNN – The US Department of Defense is withholding certain salary-related benefits from the families of military personnel killed in the war against Iran.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; Libby Kleiner—the wife of a 33-year-old US Air Force pilot killed in the war against Iran—revealed on social media that officials informed her she and her three young children (a two-year-old and seven-month-old twins) do not qualify for certain combat-related benefits because the US Congress has not formally “declared war” on Iran.
He was one of the six crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft. The plane was shot down in western Iraq in March while supporting U.S. strikes against Iran.
Kleiner told the Associated Press: My husband lost his life because we are at war, yet I am told that—because this conflict is not technically classified as a war—we lose out on some of our benefits; it all comes down to principles.
After her online post expressing her grievance went viral, the U.S. Air Force claimed that her husband’s final paycheck had included “imminent danger pay” and “combat zone tax exemptions.”
Upon reviewing the file, Air Force officials also claimed that the family had initially been given incorrect information; they stated that Major Kleiner’s final month’s pay included $225 in “combat pay” and war-zone tax exemptions—amounts that had simply not been itemized on the pay stub by mistake—and noted that receiving such pay does not require a formal declaration of war.
In a follow-up statement, Kleiner said: This experience showed me just how hard it is for a grieving family to be left bewildered by terminology, classifications, and government bureaucracy right at the height of an emotional crisis. No family of a deceased person should have to become an expert in complex government jargon just to understand their basic rights.
Wordplay Regarding War
At a White House press briefing, U.S. vice President-elect J.D. Vance was asked about the case. He stated: We want to help as much as possible and ensure he receives everything he deserves. My message to him is: ‘We love you, we appreciate this sacrifice, and we take our commitment to meeting your needs very seriously.’
However, in response to another question regarding why the administration does not use the word “war” to describe Iran’s operation, Vance claimed: Because there is no direct conflict or exchange of fire [between ground forces].
Donald Trump, the head of the US terrorist administration—who had previously repeatedly labeled this operation a “war”—defended his deputy’s stance, stating: Many do not consider it a war; I simply call it a ‘military conflict,’ because for us, it is a minor and insignificant matter.
US Military Concealment of Casualty Figures
Meanwhile, the families of other US soldiers have accused the Pentagon of downplaying the severity of the injuries their children sustained in the confrontation with Iran and failing to treat them as war casualties or wounded combatants.