(RepublicanNews.org) – The Pentagon is embroiled in a lengthy and complex debate over who should fall under the category of “Gold Star Family,” a category of military families who are entitled to certain social and economic benefits from the government after the death of their family member.
Currently, “Gold Star” status is awarded when a member of the military dies while undertaking a combat mission. It dates back to the First World War, when families of soldiers who had died in combat would hang banners with a gold star emblem out of their windows. The U.S. military then began to give out pins with a gold star to those whose family member had died in combat, whereas those whose family member had died in service, but not in combat, received a “next of kin” pin.
In both scenarios, the surviving families receive similar financial benefits, but some have complained of a difference in how their deceased loved ones are commemorated by the military. Andy Weiss, whose 25-year-old Army Ranger son Daniel Weiss died by suicide after three deployments, said that his sense of loss had only been worsened by the “divisive” nature of the “Gold Star” award. Andy Weiss is one of many who has argued that there is no need for a “Gold Star” status and believes that his family’s pain was only made worse by the different labels attached to soldiers’ deaths.
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is one organization that shares Weiss’s view. TAPS has pushed for reforms in how service families are awarded “Gold Star” status, and have asked Congress to expand the definition to include deaths sustained in non-combat situations. This would increase the number of “Gold Star” deaths by approximately three million. Other veteran and military groups believe the definition should remain the same. Veteran Allison Jaslow, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said that it is important to “appropriately honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” even if that goes against “inclusivity”.
A working group in the Pentagon has spent months reviewing the definition of “Gold Star” families and had previously submitted a working definition to Congress. However, this definition has since been withdrawn, with the Pentagon saying that it needed more time to complete the review process.
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