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Liberal_in_LA

(44,397 posts) Mon Jan 6, 2014, 09:52 PM Jan 2014

Colonel, Former aide to General, 3 grad degrees, can't "even find work as a janitor", now homeless [View all]

Former aide to top general is now homeless
Robert Freniere used to be a top assistant to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, but like tens of thousands of other U.S. veterans, is now homeless

Robert Freniere, who at the peak of his storied military career worked as a special assistant to McChrystal as vice director of operations of the Joint Staff, is living out of a van in the Philadelphia suburbs after hitting a sustained run of bad luck following his retirement from the Air Force in 2006, Philly.com reported.

Throughout his 30 years in the military, Freniere, 59, worked his way to the rank of colonel and earned three graduate degrees. But despite his varied accomplishments, he couldn’t even find work as a janitor.

"Well, I've tried that,” Freniere told Philly.com about being turned down for even the most low-level custodial jobs.

He earns a standard military pension of more than $40,000, according to Philly.com, but it isn’t enough to make ends meet.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/aide-top-general-homeless-article-1.1567644#ixzz2pfoFx1Eg

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Colonel, Former aide to General, 3 grad degrees, can't "even find work as a janitor", now homeless [View all] Liberal_in_LA Jan 2014 OP

You can live and not be homeless on $40,000/yr in most parts of the country CatholicEdHead Jan 2014 #1

I could live pretty well in Arkansas on that amount Art_from_Ark Jan 2014 #3

i can live like the king of arkansas or texas on that amount FatBuddy Jan 2014 #28

Arkansas also has good debtor protections Art_from_Ark Jan 2014 #49

The article mentions he has what appears to be serious debts. dixiegrrrrl Jan 2014 #7

He could move to a cheaper place to live and pay off the debt over time. bluestate10 Jan 2014 #14

Can't blame him for staying Stargazer09 Jan 2014 #51

There is no way his pension is $40,000. My husband is a retired Major with TwilightGardener Jan 2014 #2

Military.answers.com says after 20 years a retiree gets 50% of base pay, and after 30 years . . . Journeyman Jan 2014 #4

We'll never know, though. Report is sparse on details. Interesting though, that this comes out now freshwest Jan 2014 #10

apparently got deep into debt hfojvt Jan 2014 #19

I'm dusting off my tiny violin right now TroglodyteScholar Jan 2014 #35

He gets full health insurance too... DonViejo Jan 2014 #29

Unless his ex is getting half of his retirement. Kaleva Jan 2014 #24

I could buy a home with an income like that. Something is missing, link doesn't say much. freshwest Jan 2014 #5

as for the debts.. dixiegrrrrl Jan 2014 #9

"most prominently the bills for putting his two sons through college" and he stays in a hotel Liberal_in_LA Jan 2014 #11

If he is divorced, half his pension goes to wife, but sammytko Jan 2014 #12

Then that 40k a year as mentioned in the article would be about right. Kaleva Jan 2014 #22

He's not on the hook for student loans. The military paid for all his degrees he got haele Jan 2014 #21

I've heard of that. Something is up here, IDK why he's doing this at $8K+ monthly income. freshwest Jan 2014 #31

If he got divorced...his wife gets half right off the top... VanillaRhapsody Jan 2014 #27

If he's halved $40K to $20K, he still doesn't fit the profile of the typical 'down and out.' freshwest Jan 2014 #33

If he was left to also pay the mortgage on their house VanillaRhapsody Jan 2014 #37

I'm starting to feel this is part of the GOP pit the military versus the UE. That was described in a freshwest Jan 2014 #38

Well we know that it couldn't be caused by medical bills.... VanillaRhapsody Jan 2014 #39

...and the Right STILL acts like the jobless could all get worked "if they just tried". Ken Burch Jan 2014 #6

his 40,000 income puts him in the 47th percentile Enrique Jan 2014 #8

here is his page at TeaPartyNation.com Enrique Jan 2014 #13

whoa, good find Liberal_in_LA Jan 2014 #15

As a vet, my sympathy stopped the moment you found he was a Teabagger. Katashi_itto Jan 2014 #23

TeaPartyNation, huh? In that case, all he needs is for one of us to sell him some bootstraps. DisgustipatedinCA Jan 2014 #26

Ugh he lives near me.... VanillaRhapsody Jan 2014 #40

Wait, what?... TeeYiYi Jan 2014 #50

Here is his LinkedIn page FarCenter Jan 2014 #48

Ugh Stargazer09 Jan 2014 #52

Well that makes me feel a tiny bit better LiberalEsto Jan 2014 #16

Thank The Gods we got bankruptcy "reform", otherwise this deadbeat might be able Egalitarian Thug Jan 2014 #17

wow, not even as a janitor hfojvt Jan 2014 #18

Exactly, my disability pension is nowhere near his, Katashi_itto Jan 2014 #25

I make ends meet on --- Hell Hath No Fury Jan 2014 #20

This story is pegging my BS detector. nt Demo_Chris Jan 2014 #30

Horseshit! TroglodyteScholar Jan 2014 #32

BAM! HangOnKids Jan 2014 #34

40K, 30 years, full bird nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #36

If half half of his retirement is going to his ex? Kaleva Jan 2014 #42

Even then, something is not smelling right nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #44

I agree that alot of this story doesn't add up. Kaleva Jan 2014 #45

I will repeat this, my BS detector is on overdrive. nadinbrzezinski Jan 2014 #46

My parents live on a military Retirement check VanillaRhapsody Jan 2014 #41

found this... VanillaRhapsody Jan 2014 #43

Not to be a dick but it is hard for me to worry much TheKentuckian Jan 2014 #47

How does Bull Shit like this ever get in the news? dem in texas Jan 2014 #53

With his degrees exboyfil Jan 2014 #54

adjunct teaching jobs are very competitive these days with all th phds looking for wk Liberal_in_LA Jan 2014 #56

We are begging for adjuncts in Iowa exboyfil Jan 2014 #57

I would advise Colonel Freniere to delete his grad degrees from his resume. Sheldon Cooper Jan 2014 #55