Another blow to vets?

A congressional commission has called for military retirees to have to wait until at least age 57 or later before they become eligible for non-disability retirement pay.

Those who have served for 20 years would not be able to receive their retirement benefits until age 60, and those with 30 years would have to wait until age 57.

Retirees could get the pay earlier, but at a cost of 5 percent less for every year they draw it earlier than the ages noted above.

We believe this is a horrible recommendation.

Military service is not easy, especially these days, when it also tends to be highly dangerous. The men and women who join the service do so for many reasons, but one of them is the opportunity to "retire" as early as age 38 after having honorably served our nation.

This is just one more example of a continuing erosion of the promises made to our veterans over the years, for which Congress should be ashamed.

We don't care how much money it might save the government, or how well it would mesh with existing federal retirement programs. This is part of the pact our society makes with our warriors, and we should honor it.

We are tired of the government using, and then effectively discarding, our veterans. They deserve so much better for what they have done for us.

We strongly urge the members of our congressional delegation to reject these recommendations.