[Tulsa Ramjet]

this is an interesting turn of events. I didn't know that admirals and generals were on foodstamps too.

[Nachum]

Where where the Republicans on this?

[2banana]

Actually no - for many years now NCO's have been getting much larger raises than officers - to the point now (at least in SF) the team commander is one of the worst paid on the team...

[liberty_lvr]

Been hearing this every year since the dawn of professional militaries.

Lots of writing and bitching as the fat cats holding the purse strings vote themselves ever-higher salaries but only throw crumbs to those who actually work for a living.

I dare anybody, and I mean anybody, to do something about it besides write a "strongly-worded" letter to their local Lord in the Imperial Senate.

[ozzymandus]

What the hell?

[Lekker 1]

It’s the enlisted ranks who have people on food stamps and receiving assistance from the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

One might make an argument that this is precisely why they do not need as big of raise. [donning asbestos underwear now]

[Tulsa Ramjet]

Strangely, I don't see a lot of flag officers on the Afghan/Iraq casualty list published in my local paper. Maybe they need the money as an inducement to keep from retiring early.

[geezerwheezer]

Philpott is making a point but by using the generals and admirals as focus he is missing the real problem. We don't pay our military folks, admirals, generals, privates, and sergeants much in terms of cash, and we should be paying them a lot more. A 15% across the board raise would make a tremendous difference,and would be a significant way of saying thanks to our armed forces for all of the b.s. we put them through. Any less than that is a real slap in the face of these real heroes, and I feel it is way past due.

[paul51]

Maybe America needs to evaluate what these politicians have as perks, benefits and pay so more of that money goes to the people actually fighting and dying for their mistakes

Are we talking about the GOP controlled Congress?

[MineralMan]

While most of our enlisted military did not join for the money, we should be paying our enlisted men and women well enough to keep them re-upping, and commensurate with their service.

Military pay has gone up a lot since I was an E-4 in the USAF, back in 1969, getting $256/mo, plus a barracks bed, and locker, and three mess hall meals.

It's still not high enough for a man to successfully raise a family on. It should be.

[napscoordinator]

I worked in my career with some top officers and they basically run companies - CEOs. So they get 100,000 dollars a year and people are complaining. The only way for people in the military to make more money is to make rank!!! Those Admirals did not begin at making a low six figure salary. They probably began making 12,000 as an 0-1. I hear the complaints all too often. After almost 20 years, I am so used to it. I tell my folks to ADVANCE and you will see a VERY good pay raise. BTW, I started as an E-1 and now am an E-7 so I don't make huge bucks, but I do see many people in the Exchange buying the latest gadgets a lot! I just wanted to kind of even the complaint abit with another look. If everyone in the military made 100,000 dollars, nobody would strive to be better and that is the truth. By the way, thank you so much for supporting us!!!! It means ALOT!!!!!

[fireforeffect]

This is your typical "tax cuts for the wealthy" argument.

All military personnel are getting a 2.2% raise, E-1 through O-10.

Those 125 Generals and Admirals are having their salary cap lifted. This is so congress can give themselves a raise.

For those that did not know it. ALL federal employees are subject to a salary cap. No matter how long you have been there or what your pay grade is, there is a base pay maximum.

[Skooz]

The fact that military personnel are make so little that they may qualify for food stamps and WIC is obscene.

[Bringbackthedraft]

Geeze $72 a month when I was a Pvt. I don't remember what it went to when I was an e-5 in 66', but as a 2nd Lt it went to about $325. (I still had to find a part time job at that time.) I was surprised to find out that my son who went into the USAF was getting $1500 as a trainee. Of course now I am in favor of a higher pay raise so I can pay my taxes, that keep going up on our property. (Retirees get the raises too.)

[PurpleMan]

Hmmm. Let's see:

TOP US CEO COMPENSATION (as of 04/06)

Richard D Fairbank Capital One Financial $249.42M
Terry S Semel Yahoo $230.55M
Henry R Silverman Cendant $139.96M
Bruce Karatz KB Home $135.53M
Richard S Fuld Jr Lehman Bros Holdings $122.67M

PROPOSED COMPENSATION FOR MILITARY SERIVE CHIEFS

ADM Mullen: Chief of Naval Operations $167,000
GEN Moseley: Chief of Staff, USAF $167,000
GEN Hagee: Commandant, USMC $167,000
GEN Schoomaker: Chief of Staff, USA $167,000
ADM Allen: Commandant, USCG $167,000

So Philpot, what is a "fair" salary for these individuals who deal with the issues of national security, life and death, and freedom on a daily basis?

God, I wish he'd stop with the class envy crappola or just shut his pie-hole.

[PERKY2004]

Thanks for posting the article.

My husband is active duty military -- it is his career -- and he has been in the service since he was 17 years old. He loves what he does, and feels it is what God has called him to do. I am proud and privileged to be a supportive, prayerful military wife. Military life is a life of service, a life of sacrifice, a life of substance.

On the afternoon and evening of 9-11-01, my husband was patrolling the San Francisco Bay Area in his F-16, praying for our country and keeping us safe... while the rest of us watched CNN in stunned silence.

He has served in Europe.
He has served in South America.
And he has served in the Middle East ... flying over Iraq.

We pray daily for our troops, those who support them, those who lead them, and those who fund them. We know that the Lord God Almighty hears our prayers... and we pray that those in power act fairly and equitably.

We will accept the 2.2% raise in Base Pay when it comes in January, grateful as always that the Lord provides to meet our needs. Would a larger raise have been nice? Of course. Will the lack thereof make my husband give up his calling?

Never.

[LadyNavyVet]

I think a pay raise of 2.2% is an insult. Social security recipients and military and civil service retirees are getting 3.3% next year, which is supposed to keep up with inflation.

So the average troops are being told, "Go to Iraq and dodge IEDs while you wife and kids back home get poorer." And the President who sent him there is the one who proposed this disgraceful number. I'm usually a fan of the President, but I don't understand the thinking on this one.