Posted on 05/10/2010 6:33:35 AM PDT by maddog55
President Barack Obama who came to power with the help of government employee unions across the nation and has lavished on them hundreds of billions in stimulus funds to keep them on federal, state and local payrolls with no strings attached is moving to cut spending on salaries for military personnel.
This weekend the Washington Post headlined story, "Pentagon Asking Congress to Hold Back on Generous Increases in Troop Pay,, disclosed that the Obama administration is pleading with Congress to give military personnel a much smaller increase in pay than proposed by lawmakers.
The Pentagon is arguing Congress has been simply too generous with troops over the last decade.
In fact, lawmakers have lavished so much money on troops, according to the Post, that service members are now better compensated than workers in the private sector with similar experience and education levels.
For example, the military brass claims that an average sergeant in the Army with four years of service and one dependent would receive $52,589 in annual compensation, according to the paper. This figure includes basic pay, housing and subsistence allowances, as well as tax benefits.
Meanwhile, a U.S. Postal letter carrier, with no supervisory or hazardous duty, makes approximately $80,000 a year when all benefits are factored in.
Critics of the Obama administrations efforts to cut soldiers pay say Americas security has been strengthened by higher pay rates, as qualified veterans are re-enlisting at record rates, reversing the problem the military witnessed just a few years ago.
"Any attempt to link rising military personnel costs with shrinking military readiness is total nonsense," said Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., who leads the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., the largest and oldest major combat veterans' organization.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
The goverrnment is going bankrupt and since there is all kinds of sanctions that can be raised on dissenting military members rather then Union members.....
Besides it doesn’t matter what Congress does,what we get in the Army these days is trash.
I didn’t read that the Pentagon was advocating pay cuts just smaller pay raises.
If the Army starts acting like the SEIU then it is no longer an Army just a mob of thugs.We exist to serve and protect this country,not to extort money out of it.
That's the Marines. The Navy is a normal sea-duty rotation of a coupla months. The Air Force is 3 months.
The Army has it worst.
Active duty tour in combat zone is 15 months. NG/Reserve tour is 15 months with 3 month active training away from family for a total of 15 months.
So, when you hear a soldier say he's had 2 tours in Iraq or Afghan, then you know he's been there far longer than most others.
For whatever reason, the Army does not take care of its own the way the other services do. There is no compelling reason for an Army infantryman to spend twice as much time on a combat tour as does a Marine infantryman.
Thanks- will watch
Michael Yon has also done an awesome job of blogging this war
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/michael-s-dispatches/
pick any troop he blogs about - then discuss cutting their pay and whining about their socialized govt medical care
Foolish, as in “something I won’t post it in this forum.”
When it hits the fan, you want the military on your side...
*
You have to read the entire WashPost article, it was front page on Saturday
“Smaller pay raises” is the stalking horse- higher deductibles for medical expenses and other benefit cutbacks is a pay cut.
Wait until the manpower starts dropping and see who keeps up the good fight on the front lines, which may have to drop back to NYC
and retirees? screwed every which way and discussed by Pentagon officials as akin to presumptious freeloaders with an entitlement attitude for having served 20-30 yrs and planned on the promised “TRICARE for life”
Cut all government pay.
Obama shows whom he likes more:
SEIU or our Troops !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fat Gay Lesbian Radicals for the Supreme Court ?????????????
Guess youll never see his BC or see him impeached either !!!!!!!!!!!!”
Come November 2012 he will invent a ‘crisis’ and suspend further elections. Of course, he will remain as President but to make his people happy, he will be proclaimed President for Life.
Here comes massive BRAC’s that are unnessary, massive let goes of good soldiers, and pay cuts for the rest.
The F-35 may also be heading to the chopping block, as well as a new small arms system for the infantry. And forget about replacements! Welcome back, Carter!
Obama puts Lenin before Allah... He is a doctorinal Communist who tries to get the support of Muslims.
Next step for this administration is to push and allow the military to unionize as they tried to do in about the 60’s
Obozo has no respect for the sacrifice the military takes on.
He is a gross, disgusting outrage. I cannot tolerate him.
I’m WELL aware of what our military personnel do, and most of them are overpaid and the others could never be paid enough and shouldn’t do what they do for the money to begin with. WE can not afford the military we will never properly use. WE just dumped a trillion dollars and precious lives to hand Iraq to Iran on a silver platter and are on our way to spending close to that to give security to headcutters and heroin dealers in Afghanistan. The military is going to be cut, along with SS, Med, etc, either through default or responsible choices, but much will be cut. The math doesn’t lie, politicians do.
No, there is nothing wrong with the hard working parents and children paying their way through college. Didn’t mean to indicate otherwise. My point is that a three year stint in the military right out of high school pays well, and then 4 years of college plus living expenses can’t be matched in any other segment of society. If money fell from trees, I would be all for it. But we can’t and won’t afford it along with all the other feel good things like pensions, healthcare and SS.
If we’re not willing to pay them for the worth of what they risk, then shame, shame on us. There are many places to cut the budget, but the military should not be one of them.
Thanks for clarifying.....
The last time I looked, a Sergeant in the Army actually EARNS hios pay by putting his life on the line DAILY to supprt and Defend the Constitution of the US of A. Can the same be said of ANY of the Comparisons?
I thought not.
Thank you for important ping. Not one bit surprised of course.
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