Military Families Feel Caught In Middle Of Budget Debate
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Tonya Shanz says she worries about her son running into a land mine, the violence of war and she's not happy that so far Congress has failed to come up with a federal budget before tonight's midnight deadline.
"I don't like it" says Tonya Shanz, the mother of 23-year-old Marine Corp Corporal Blake McCraw, who is stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. "I firmly believe our men and women of the military who are currently serving overseas for our freedom should be paid. They should not be fighting for us for free" she says.
Shanz' son has served one tour of duty in Afghanistan and his unit will be deployed there again in October. "I feel like they're being taken for granted" says Shanz.
McCraw was promoted to Corporal about a month ago. He currently earns $2200.00 per month, or $26,400 annually. Shanz says her son pays for healthcare insurance, food, his room and board at the base and his cell phone bill. Shanz says her son's cell phone is his lifeline to his family. "He lost some men in his unit, which was hard for him, so therefore it made it hard for me because you know as a mother, I want to protect him" says Shanz.
McCraw attended John Horn High School in Mesquite and his mother says he was a star player, with numerous scholarships offered at the time. But in his Senior year, McCraw injured his knee, which eliminated his chances of playing in college.
"He blew out his good knee and his scholarships went away, hence his decision to go into the military" says Shanz. Shanz used to root for her son from the sidelines. Now she quietly prays for his safe return from war.
"These men and women" she says, "are over there, voluntarily, and they shouldn't be over there for free."
