this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2026
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The families of US soldiers who have died in the US-Israeli war against Iran are battling to ensure they receive appropriate pay and benefits for their loved ones.

Libby Klinner, a widow, wrote on social media that the US air force had deemed her ineligible for additional benefits following the death of Major Alex Klinner, her 33-year-old husband, because Congress had not officially declared war.

He was one of six crew members of a KC-135 refuelling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq in March while supporting US strikes against Iran.

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[–] DidIReallySayThat@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I am not a fan of the military, but man, Hegseth and Trump are driving people away in droves with this kind of crap.

Oh well.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Yeah, this is NOT how you plan for a military coup

[–] mycodesucks@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

He doesn't have to pretend he cares anymore after you can't do anything for him.

[–] TimboSlice@discuss.online 1 points 1 day ago

They'll keep glazing on this fool

[–] Frettchen@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Maybe he put all the personal into a not war to be not in America?

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

When Vance was asked about this at a press conference, he asked the reporter for the widow's contact information (because the Pentagon doesn't have it?), and assured that she would get everything she's entitled to.

What do you want to bet that she'll receive a visit from some military goons, who will tell her that she will get ALL that she is entitled to, which is NOTHING, because he didn't die in an official war, and if she doesn't shut the fuck up about it, she'll be arrested and deported to Africa for being an undocumented alien?

[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

The USA has become a sort of Simpsons/Black Mirror crossover episode.

[–] BigDiction@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

It’s an answer a junior customer service rep would give when they have no idea how the organization or any processes actually work.

[–] empireo223@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

That's wild.

[–] BigDiction@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Although Donald Trump, the US president, has repeatedly called US military operations against Iran a war, he backed Mr Vanceon Friday, saying US strikes were "intermittent".

He said "A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict, because it's small potatoes for us."

I can’t wait for this guy to shut the fuck up.

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[–] NABDad@lemmy.world 105 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I've said it forever: Screwing over veterans is more American than apple pie. We've been doing it since the American Revolution.

I can't imagine President Pedophile being the one to change that. He doesn't even care enough to pretend.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 38 points 3 days ago (1 children)

He actively distains troops and veterans.

[–] hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip 26 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

He’s a draft dodger himself. They’re only pawns in his scheme to enrich himself and the capital class. It’s been the same with every president since WWII.

This is what happens when you prop your economy up on war and petroleum. You have to fight constant wars to maintain it. You have to keep heating up the planet until it’s unliveable.

The Great Depression proved that capitalism is a bubble that can’t sustain itself without constant exploitation of fossil fuels and the military-industrial complex. The second hit took place with the oil shortages and stagflation of the 1970s.

[–] StabbingSky@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I'm not sure pissing off the (still alive) people you trained to be killers is the best idea.

[–] Eheran@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

He has done so for years and they follow all orders to this day. So obviously no reason to stop treating them like shit.

[–] osanna@lemmy.vg 1 points 1 day ago

Why? Not like they’re gonna coup this douchebag

[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Somehow, we can afford to pay Mitch McConnell to take 3 months off, and hundreds of millions of dollars for Trump to play golf (with 50 secret service), but widow of dead soldier? That's where we draw the line

[–] ZeroCool@piefed.ca 30 points 3 days ago

This should not surprise anyone. We've known Trump has nothing but contempt for our service members for years. It wasn't even limited to his comments about John McCain's five years as a POW either...

Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’ published by The Atlantic on Sept 3rd 2020.

[–] Leviathan@fedinsfw.app 35 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Pentagon & GOP: Fuck you for your service.

[–] madcaesar@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Military proceeds to vote GOP

At some point you have to lose compassion for idiots voting for the leopards party

[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

40% of those in the military vote Democrat, do you have compassion for them?

Please recall that most voters voted for Trump, so anyone in any other nation could use your logic to not have compassion for you, the minority.

(if military are idiots because majority voted R, then you are an idiot because US majority voted R).

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[–] smeenz@lemmy.nz 13 points 3 days ago

Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 146 points 4 days ago (5 children)

Reminds me of this:

An ex-convict gave horrific insight into serving in the Russian army, saying his officers refused to collect the dead bodies of soldiers from the battlefield so that the Russian military wouldn't have to pay their families, according to The New York Times.

In an interview, the soldier who served in one of the Russian Ministry of Defense's convict units — who was identified as "Aleksandr" — told the Times he was ordered not to collect the bodies of his fellow troops.

He told the Times that officers could register the men as "missing in action," meaning their families couldn't collect compensation for them being killed in battle.

One shitty dictator starting a completely unwarranted war doing the same thing as another shitty dictator running a completely unwarranted war.

[–] Saledovil@sh.itjust.works 30 points 3 days ago (5 children)

Give Putin some credit. He's doing this much more intelligently. He maintains a plausible pretense to not pay out death benefits while Trump just goes "No".

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[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 89 points 3 days ago (2 children)

If it’s not officially a war, what happens if a combatant chooses not to engage?

I suspect they’d be court martialled as if it were refusing a wartime order.

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[–] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 33 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Imagine joining the US military.

[–] MahouOwl@piefed.zip 36 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Think about the bright side: If all countries stop using the term "war", then we've achieved world peace!! /s

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[–] pbhj@lemmy.world 18 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I don't know ... they followed the obviously illegal orders to go to war without congressional approval. They betrayed their oath to the constitution and favored Trump instead. Getting stiffed by Trump, as everyone expects of Trump, seems hardly something we should care about. Trump called them suckers, they chose to turn their backs on USA and follow Trump. It is of course sad when anyone gets hurt, but being willing participants in an unlawful and unjust war that is only about moving the stock market to make Trump rich ... when Trump has betrayed the constitution practically every day ...

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[–] flandish@lemmy.world 45 points 3 days ago (43 children)

please stop joining the military

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[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 74 points 3 days ago (3 children)

... That might be the excuse they're using.

The reality is that they don't have the money because they spent it on bombing schools for young girls.

fuckers need to fuck right off to the fuckerville composting center.

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[–] freeman@sh.itjust.works 28 points 3 days ago (8 children)

You also can't lose a war if it isn't a war! 😅

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[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago (2 children)

No, right, it's just a Special Military Operation.

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[–] Eternal192@anarchist.nexus 21 points 3 days ago (2 children)

You all elected a conman and then act surprised after being conned?

MAGA winning all over the place!

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[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 21 points 3 days ago (2 children)

The department of war, at war? How ridiculous.

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[–] ClownStatue@piefed.social 18 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I know people frown on “that other site,” but there’s an excellent, and sadly incomplete (I suspect), listing of all the ways The Idiot and his administration have gleefully fucked over veterans.

Reddit

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[–] Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

JD Vance gets asked about the widows case and he responds to the journalist "send me her contact info so I can discuss it with her" as if he isn't the second most powerful person in his country and already has full access to all of the info but doesn't care. If they have to start paying out benefits to dead soldiers it might become more clear how many service members have actually died.

There are likely more fatalities of American soldiers but they are hiding them behind mission secrecy.

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[–] SalmonTractor@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Since its inception, the US government has never liked paying soldiers for war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Mutiny_of_1783

Alexander Hamilton didn't even want to pay the IOUs back, until he decided that many were owned by investors that had bought them from soldiers. The quote was something to the effect of, "those investors are true Americans and they should get their money." The Dollop podcast has a good 4-parter on Hamilton that covers that and other issues.

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[–] Z745812939054@lemmy.zip 42 points 4 days ago (5 children)

and they'll still vote for pedo-in-chief

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Oh wow, the administration of conmen have conned more men 🙄

But fr good fuck them

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