Is there an inherent difference between military and civil service?

[NHSparky]

Brought over from This Ain't Hell with permission from TSO:

LINK

(excerpt)

Not according to a bill being discussed and voted on in the US House today. Let me start with an example….

Imagine two best friends, Allen and Bob who decide to attend VA Tech together. Allen majors in English, but his heart and soul is dedicated to the Corps of Cadets, where he is an Army ROTC member. Bob is a wood science major, and wants more than anything to join the US Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture. Both graduate with honors, and move on to their respective fields.

Allen trains for about a year, and becomes an Infantry platoon leader. He’s a young LT who just wants to do the right thing. He finds himself quickly deployed to Afghanistan, assigned to a scout section in the Wardak province. One day his convoy of humvees comes under attack by small arms and RPG fire. He’s waited his whole life for just such a moment, and knows that on a near-side ambush, you attack into the source, and he orders just that. He is killed in the line of duty, but his quick response saves the lives of many of the men in his command.

Bob is hired by the US Forest Service, and becomes an expert on Pteridophyta (ferns.) One day while doing a survey of the flora of the Shenendoah National Park, he spies a particularly large Ophioglossales and goes to investigate. He never sees the large branch that has been recently broken from a recent hurricane, and said branch lands on his head, killing him immediately.

Both are tragic deaths to be sure, but are they both deserving of the same honors? If H.R. 2061 passes the House of Representatives today, and goes on to become a law, they will be. This bill would:

LINK to HR2061

To authorize the presentation of a United States flag at the funeral of Federal civilian employees who are killed while performing official duties or because of their status as a Federal employee.

(snip)

A flag shall be furnished and presented under this section in the same manner as a flag is furnished and presented on behalf of a deceased member of the Armed Services who dies while on active duty.

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This is a pretty hot-button issue on TAH today, and since the vote is today, any input to your Congressional Reps would be appreciated.  Frankly, this is silly and needs to get voted down.  Federal employees who are killed in the line of duty connected to service with armed force in contingency operation (or as result of terrorist/other military action) are already accorded this honor by federal law.

[Eupher]

Agreed.

This lends credence to the whole liberal argument that a bigger government is a better government, and the more "honors" you can bestow on somebody who is "serving the country", irrespective of the conditions under which that service is being performed, the better the government looks.

It's bullshit and this POS bill needs to die a painful, excrutiating death.

[Eupher]

Call went out to my Congresscritter, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO).

Not just no, but **** NO!  

[SherryBaby]

I've worked for the military for 25 years as a civilian and I have never considered my service to be the same as a military servicemember.  This is ridiculous! 

[DumbAss Tanker]

I've done both for very extended times.  They're quite different, each one is shit upon in completely different ways.

[Rebel]

I've done both for very extended times.  They're quite different, each one is shit upon in completely different ways.

You can walk away at any time from civil service. Big difference.

[Chris_]

Civil servants don't normally get shot at.

This bill is stupid.  I'm not surprised Maurice Hinchey is backing it.

[NHSparky]

I also dropped a line to Congressman Guinta's office at lunch and asked them to vote no. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

You can walk away at any time from civil service. Big difference.

You would think so, but I have seen several inventive military people give the lie to that one.

[Eupher]

You would think so, but I have seen several inventive military people give the lie to that one.

Agreed. Once upon a time, when somebody went AWOL, they'd actually send out people to track the cretin down and put the sumbitch in leg irons pending trial by court martial. I just don't think they do that kind of thing anymore -- I've seen the Army send discharge papers to the last known address and basically wash their hands of the puke who simply decided she'd had enough.

I've seen that at least a couple of times.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Since 2003 or 4 they actually started prosecuting them for desertion, that'll likely drop back to the mode you're talking about as the deployment needs wind down.  But I've seen troops purposely gain weight and become consecutive PT failures, ride BS medical issues, and basic course officers intentionally flunk exams and retests to get out without seriously bad paper.  We still unload a shocking percentage of troop intake in the first 180 days.

[CG6468]

Agreed. Once upon a time, when somebody went AWOL, they'd actually send out people to track the cretin down and put the sumbitch in leg irons pending trial by court martial. I just don't think they do that kind of thing anymore -- I've seen the Army send discharge papers to the last known address and basically wash their hands of the puke who simply decided she'd had enough.

I've seen that at least a couple of times.

I did that once. Brought him back to the station in irons. I didn't like that duty, though. A local cop saved us from getting our asses kicked by some local punks.