You might want to take a look at the 2013 pay tables and allowances. A Major with just over 16 years is drawing well over $90,000 with rations and housing. A Master Sergeant is making over well over $65,000 with rations and quarters. The pay is to compensate for the potential hazards and deployments, not necessarily that person’s skillsets. Remember they pay no medical or dental. Education is essentially free while you are in and so is the gym. I work with the military all day everyday in very close quarters so you might want to take a second look at what they really are receiving. Also they are receiving 50% retiremnt after 20 years with medical benefits. Believe me there is plenty of room for payroll savings without loss of capability.
Might want to check that assertion. Tricare (the old CHAMPUS) is getting rolled into Obamacare with big runups in cost to the personnel. IOW, they're getting screwed by SovietCare like everybody else.
“Remember they pay no medical or dental. Education is essentially free while you are in and so is the gym. I work with the military all day everyday in very close quarters so you might want to take a second look at what they really are receiving. Also they are receiving 50% retiremnt after 20 years with medical benefits. Believe me there is plenty of room for payroll savings without loss of capability.”
Still active duty after 22 years, just had triple hernia surgery (related to G stress from flying the jet), both breasts removed from cancer (related to chem exposure in Iraq)...being in the military these days really stresses a lot of guys out. I doubt I will suck up retirement pay for too long after I get out. Most people in the military earn retirement after 20 years.
In a position of authority I have several civilians that work for me. You should see the bonuses that were handed out to that group last December. Absolutely disgusting. As I am handing out thousands of dollars of bonus money (to people for doing their jobs) I laughed because there is money to cut in stuff like this and it is kept “hush-hush”. I know for a fact that a significant number of civilians that work at Naval Air Stations received large sums of bonus money for simply doing their jobs as a “gift” before Christmas. My vote is to significantly reduce the number of government civilians working for DOD. However, the civilians vote Democrat and the military votes Republican. Guess who will lose?