Compensation....too much?

This week has been somewhat contreversial with regards to the amount of compensation paid to those who die in the military. Australia lost 9 of its finest in a helicopter crash in Indonesia; they were on their way to help out after the recent earthquake. Compensation has reared its head, the amount paid is said not to be enough by those left widowed.
I have heard many others not in the military question the amounts, saying that it's way too much and that no other job would pay out that sort of money. That these people know what they are getting into when they join, and that when they do are paid accordingly, they recieve cheap housing, health insurance and discounts at many stores. Bus drivers don't recieve much if they have an accident, niether do builders, both jobs come with risks.

The widow of Andrew Russell, an SAS soldier who died in Afghanistan 11 days after the birth of their only child, Leisa, took her fight for reform public after the Howard Government failed to act on assurances to improve benefits for future widows.
Offered a lump sum of $187,000, she instead chose a pension of $13,000 a year, tax-free for life, and other benefits.

However, her battle to improve benefits, and the experiences of families who lost loved ones in the Black Hawk disaster in Townsville in 1996, has resulted in dramatic improvements to the military compensation scheme.

Since July last year, a 25-year-old widow is eligible for payments equivalent to a war widow's pension for life or can choose an age-based lump sum of $396,728.

Partners must be married or living in a de facto relationship.

An aged-based lump sum of up to $105,472 is also available if the death is related to service.

Eligible widowed partners can also receive Gold Card treatment benefits, a telephone allowance, a pharmaceutical allowance, a funeral benefit of up to $4851 and continuation of weekly permanent impairment payments for up to 12 weeks.

Death benefits for each dependent child include a tax-free payment of $63,283 plus $69.61 a week and education assistance. A maximum of $200,396 is available for other family members, with a maximum of $63,283 for each eligible person. Australia has more than 113,000 war widows and widowers.

Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex Servicemen and Women's Federation president Blue Ryan yesterday urged families to seek financial advice before choosing options.

Prime Minister John Howard said this week the families of the crash victims would receive compensation under a revised system brought in last year.


"The ALP successfully lobbied the Government to extend payments to widows irrespective of whether their partner died in peacetime or wartime service," he said.

So, what do you all think? Do we payout too much, how much is enough? Should those killed in "active" duty recieve more than those serving at home say out on manouvres?