How has Bush supported the troops, other than getting them killed?

[Buddy Lee]

Has he increased their pay or benefits? Is their health care any better? What about benefits for veterans? Do all the guys in Iraq have body armor yet?

I'm trying to make up my mind about who to vote for, and President Bush's support of the troops and veterans will be a deciding factor for me.

Convince me Bush is good for the troops...

[Kevin]

Originally posted by Buddy Lee
Has he increased their pay or benefits?
Military pay increase (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/weekly/aa120102a.htm)
As expected, Congress has approved, without change, the base pay increases proposed by the Bush Administration. This means that all service members will receive a minimum base pay raise of 4.1 percent. Some members (mostly mid-level officers and mid-to-senior level NCOs) will receive an even greater "targeted" raise, ranging from 5 percent to 9.5 percent. This means the so-called "pay-gap" between average military wages and average civilian wages will shrink from 7.5 to 6.5 percent. Additionally, the act requires that minimum pay-raises in the future (until at least 2006) be above the average wage-increases for civilian jobs.

[JasonG]

Not a reason for Bush but Kerry voted against the bill to supply all those things to the troops.