I remember my Casualty Assistance Calls Officer training, vaguely. I was on a list of local reserve officers (SELRES) who "volunteered" to go and make the official notification to a family whose family member was killed in the line of duty. I remember the part about the Death Gratuity, money that was for the surviving Next-of-Kin to use for "immediatye expenses" following final pay reconciliation, and the arrival of the SGLI check. It always seemed that presentation of the Death Gratuity had such an air of macabre finality to it. I was always thankful I never had to be a CACO.

I see that congress wants to raise the Death Gratuity from $12,000 to $100,000. Good. I hope that's $100.000 tax-free dollars. My guess: without significant support, the 1600 Crew will find a way to let this die off. Then all the republicans who supported it can shrug their shoulder and say "we tried!". I think that if they made this retroactive (and if it passes, they should) the bill would be something like $137,000,000...One hundred thirty seven million dollars paid out to date. Maybe that might make it a number that the Millionaire-Chattering-Class-Pundits could wrap their peanut size brains around, since they always seem more interested in cost of dollar capital as opposed to human capital, in their evaluation of Beloved Leader's Fabulous Adventure.

Sadly, it would have gone up another Three and One-half Million dollars today.

Meanwhile, Wolfie licks his comb in anticipation of grandly marching into Iran.