Pentagon wants cuts in troop pay/benefits

#1
rjd970

rjd970

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#1
washingtonpost.com

I agree that there is a lot of waste in DoD spending. Heck, when the secretary of defense says there is a problem, things have gotten bad.

That said, I just don't think this is one area you really touch. It would be one thing if we had droves of volunteers and no place to put them, or a draft going on. However, these guys are going on multiple deployments because of lack of manpower, their families are sacrificing too...I say give them what they deserve. If anybody in this country deserves a pay increase and subsidize housing and living, it is our soldiers. They are actually doing something worthwhile and making legit sacrifices....to say nothing of risking their lives.

Maybe there is a point where they are overpaid too much compared to comparable private sector jobs. I just don't think we are there yet.
 
#2
#2
I just love this nugget:

Through nine years of war, service members have seen a healthy rise in pay and benefits, with most of them now better compensated than workers in the private sector with similar experience and education levels.
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How disingenuous. There aren't a lot of comparable risks in the private sector. Certainly, if there were, private sector pay would reflect that premium.
 
#3
#3
That "private sector comparison chart" is a total wash. My last pay-chart (2008) while I was active duty had my compensation for health-care at something like 25-30k/year. You want to know what that healthcare got me? Motrin for a torn shoulder. I took home ~20k/year (before taxes) and had crappy housing that was "valued" at $800/month. Much nicer apartments/homes in Jacksonville, NC were available for $500/month. So yeah, add those gems together and I "made" $60k/year.

I wonder how these cuts will play into VA Disability and Health-care.
 
#4
#4
it's the civilian and non combat positions in the military that are overpaid. target them.
 
#6
#6
droski said:
it's the civilian and non combat positions in the military that are overpaid. target them.
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Whoa whoa whoa.

You want to pay an equal ranked soldier less because he/she is a mechanic or admin clerk?
 
#9
#9
Combat personnel already get paid more than noncombat in the form of hazard duty pay
 
#10
#10
DC Vol said:
I wonder how these cuts will play into VA Disability and Health-care.
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If my disability and health care get cut, I will absolutely flip out:) With that being said, if there is a group of people in this country that shouldnt have their compensation cut, its the veterans
 
#12
#12
I think everything needs to be on the table when it comes to looking at reducing spending.

Pay/benefits overall though seems like an odd place to start.
 
#13
#13
volinbham said:
I think everything needs to be on the table when it comes to looking at reducing spending.

Pay/benefits overall though seems like an odd place to start.
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I'm assuming a bean-counter would look at the largest percentages of the DoD Budget and try to start cutting down on the biggest ones. Pay/Benefits (Personnel) takes up roughly 23% of the current DoD Budget. And, at $154bil sits at #2 behind Operations and Maintenance at $225bil.


Budget per personnel (just for interest):
Army: $414,000
US Navy/USMC: $324,000
USAF: $487,000
 
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#15
#15
My solution to the health care problem is, that if you want free healthcare, join the military:)
 
#16
#16
BearCat204 said:
100% agree
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I got put up in a GeoBachelor suite around Pensacola (USN couldn't provide) in USAF barracks. Bear in mind these were junior enlisted barracks. Pillow-top mattresses.

For E-2s.

USN/USMC/USA barracks were 6 to a room (USAF were 2 to a room) with a shared head on the same facility. They also got a supplementary pay due to being stationed on a USN facility even though the barracks were a provided by a stipend from the USAF.

USN food is just that under-par for the USAF. I thought it was pretty f'n good after eating MREs and even worse USMC chow hall food.
 
#18
#18
DC Vol said:
Or you could do the same thing and just take Motrin for everything.

:p
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Motrin has been the cure-all miracle drug for the Navy since the beginning of time. I got my wisdom teeth cut out while I was active and they gave me, of all things, motrin for the pain.
 
#19
#19
DC Vol said:
Well, first and foremost stop making USAF barracks luxury suites.
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The AF does live high on the hog, if i had to do it all again I'd have gone in the Air Force, same pay and benefits, and a hell of alot comfier life than I had in a heavy cav squadron.

Of course, I also wouldn't have had the satisfaction of looking down on REMFs.
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#20
#20
droski said:
it's the civilian and non combat positions in the military that are overpaid. target them.
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This!

Not every soldier is a "hero," and sometimes we let this sentiment get in the way of real analysis. Former USMC grunt here - never saw combat durning my time and I certainly don't consider myself a hero. I also don't consider cooks in any service to be heros.

We have to realize there are a lot of positions extreme low skill and low risk in our military, and they should be compensated accordingly.

HOWEVER, unless things have changed a lot in the last 10 years, I don't know that E1-E3/4 support personnel are making much change to begin with.
 
#21
#21
JTrainDavis said:
The AF does live high on the hog, if i had to do it all again I'd have gone in the Air Force, same pay and benefits, and a hell of alot comfier life than I had in a heavy cav squadron.

Of course, I also wouldn't have had the satisfaction of looking down on REMFs.
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Ha, yeah. No matter what... you're always a Pogue or a jockstrap.

In the Marines even arty and tankers were pogues. I think the only ones that didn't get made fun of by grunts were combat engineers and EOD. Probably because most of them are mentally unstable and wouldn't take the joke.
 
#22
#22
TruthIsOutThere said:
This!

Not every soldier is a "hero," and sometimes we let this sentiment get in the way of real analysis. Former USMC grunt here - never saw combat durning my time and I certainly don't consider myself a hero. I also don't consider cooks in any service to be heros.

We have to realize there are a lot of positions extreme low skill and low risk in our military, and they should be compensated accordingly.

HOWEVER, unless things have changed a lot in the last 10 years, I don't know that E1-E3/4 support personnel are making much change to begin with.
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Clearly you didnt grasp the concept of "One" fighting force. All of these "insignificant" support jobs that you are referring to, are just as important as the man/woman on the front line. A cook is just about the most important person on a Naval vessel in waters in harms way, ask any sailor. I served 12 years as a 60 aircrewman and saw more combat than I wanted to. With that being said, the guy who made sure that we had proper intel about our enemy or the guy who made sure my tail rotor didnt fall apart during flight(mechanic) was just as important as anyone in the field.
 
#23
#23
TruthIsOutThere said:
This!

Not every soldier is a "hero," and sometimes we let this sentiment get in the way of real analysis. Former USMC grunt here - never saw combat durning my time and I certainly don't consider myself a hero. I also don't consider cooks in any service to be heros.

We have to realize there are a lot of positions extreme low skill and low risk in our military, and they should be compensated accordingly.

HOWEVER, unless things have changed a lot in the last 10 years, I don't know that E1-E3/4 support personnel are making much change to begin with.
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As BearCat already stated there is a Hazardous Duty Pay that is divied out according to paygrade. E-1 starts at $150/month and I think it tops out at E-6/8 at $250/month.

Docking base pay for all non-"combat arms" would be a colossally bad move.
 
#24
#24
Along with what these guys said above, it takes alot of people to keep a cav squadron rolling...troop/squadron/Regimental level mechanics, fuelers, truckers, and on down the line.

Some jobs are a bit more 'exciting', but everyone is there for a reason. Except maybe the people on AFN. They dont serve much of any purpose, do they?
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#25
#25
JTrainDavis said:
Along with what these guys said above, it takes alot of people to keep a cav squadron rolling...troop/squadron/Regimental level mechanics, fuelers, truckers, and on down the line.

Some jobs are a bit more 'exciting', but everyone is there for a reason. Except maybe the people on AFN. They dont serve much of any purpose, do they?
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hey the afn was the only way to watch sports while underway so I have to give them props
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