By Robert Johnson
Managing editor

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

A couple years ago there was a lot of talk in the media about health care rights, and today those same arguments are being made within the military about cuts in certain programs that are “your rights.” Benefits or privileges — yes. Rights? Not likely.

There is a huge difference between rights, privileges, gifts and benefits. To avoid getting upset over your “rights,” you need to know and appreciate the differences. The biggest difference is that rights are guaranteed, but the rest can be revoked, denied or delayed at any time for a variety of reasons — lack of funding being one of the main reasons.

First, the United States Constitution guarantees rights — you remember it? — the document you swore to defend against all enemies — foreign or domestic. Rights, such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to vote and your judicial rights are found in there. The Constitution pretty much sums up what you are entitled to in life for just breathing. You won’t find guaranteed childcare services or access to a golf course year-round in the Constitution. Those would be benefits.

Benefits are those perks associated with a job or career. Your military identification card grants you some of the best benefits associated with any job, anywhere. It’s that ID card that gives you access to commissary shopping, free gymnasium membership, provides health care and Exchange shopping. Getting AAFES discount movies or childcare services are not rights, they are benefits given to members of the armed forces and their Families. These, along with hundreds of other benefits, such as low-cost travel or access to Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation services, are benefits for your commitment to the force. It’s not written anywhere that because you have been deployed, reenlisted or came to work that you have a right to these things — they are benefits. And as the purse strings tighten, some of the benefits that are used less frequently may be evaluated for elimination and go the way of the woodworking shops, ceramics centers, photo darkrooms or the Fort Leonard Wood drive-in movie theater. (Yeah, there actually was one.)

For the military, benefits are provided by the Department of Defense, so once you go outside the gate, those discounts at retailers are gifts, not a right or benefit.

Awhile back, I was in a restaurant and witnessed a military dependent cursing the help for not giving her and her family a discount on their food. It was an embarrassing moment for anyone who experienced the brief encounter. Before anyone could intervene, the dependent was gone … without a discount.

If a retailer gives the military a discount, it is a gift, plain and simple. It’s a gesture that says “thank you” for your service. Demanding one is nothing short of “patriotic blackmail.”

During the last decade, there have been a lot of benefits, privileges and gifts presented to the members of the armed forces. We remain a nation at war and many good Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines took an oath that sent them into harm’s way. No one is denying their service to our nation is extraordinary.

But as conflicts wind down and budgets get tighter, it is only a matter of time before the 600-pound gorilla in the room called benefits gets a second look. We may lose some services when lawmakers decide to trim the defense appropriations, because when it comes to making a decision between funding benefits or bullets, an Army has but one choice.