Posted on 05/22/2002 7:51:19 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. servicemembers should be paid more than what workers in the private sector earn, "in order to compensate for the special demands associated with military life," according to the Pentagon’s latest salary assessment.The Defense Department’s ninth annual Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation (QRMC), released May 17, concludes that military pay for all grades and specialties should be set "above average levels in the private sector."
Pentagon officials use the QRMC as their principal source of evidence when they ask Congress for higher salaries and better benefits for servicemembers.
The 2002 pay raise, which ranged from 5 to 10 percent for everyone in uniform and was the largest increase in two decades, was based on the previous QRMC’s findings.
The newest report backs up the Bush administration’s recommendation to Congress to approve an across-the-board pay hike in 2003 of 4.1 percent, with targeted raises of up to 6.5 percent for some midcareer personnel.
Both branches of Congress have agreed to support the 2003 salary increases, so they are almost certain to be part of the Pentagon budget President Bush will sign into law later this year.
The raises will bring the military close to the new study’s specific recommendation that servicemembers should earn 20 percent more than the average civilian makes working in a job that requires comparable training, education and experience.
For example, if the average reported salary for a civilian accountant in the United States is $30,000 per year, a servicemember who does accounting at the same level should be paid $42,000 each year.
As have past versions of the study, the new document continues to express concern over compensation for mid-grade enlisted servicemembers and junior officers.
The Pentagon’s salary and benefits packages have "not kept pace with earnings for comparably educated workers in the private sector," the report says, although it does acknowledge that the 2002 pay raise "did much to remedy" the mid-grade pay gap.
But the gap is not closed, and in order to meet the 70th-percentile goal, the additional targeted pay raises contained in the 2003 budget are necessary, the report says.
In addition to basic salary, the QRMC includes detailed analysis of issues such as special pays and bonuses, earnings for military spouses, allowances for people assigned overseas, veteran’s education benefits and military retiree earnings.
You have never played the "add both weekend to each side of your M-F leave game?" I am surprised you never heard of it since you sound like you are in the C of C.
Some other benefits the military gets that their civilian counterparts do not:
A large part of your pay is tax free (housing allowance)
Subsidized grocery store
Subsidized department store
Military run and subsidized schools for the children of soldiers
Pay for your food
Pay for your clothing
etc.
There is alot more to compare than just straight salary...
Pay should also have something to do with competence.
Jeez. I want to work in *your* outfit. The only time I got that many days off in a row was when we were in stand-down just prior or just after a six month deployment (this is Navy). Otherwise, 3-4 day weekends were a fairly rare occurance.
Tuor
Civil service is another story too often.
Subject to the "needs of the service."
Average a 3-4 day weekends nearly every other week
And what planet was THIS on?
Paid to work out/exercise
And not paid overtime when pulling 18-hour watches.
Can not be fired (ie kicked out of the army)
Hmm. Then I guess those guys I knew who got the Big Chicken Dinners didn't exist.
Can not be laid off
I guess you've never heard of "SERB," or "RIF."
Full benefits (health, dental, 401k, etc)
401k? Gosh, when did THAT come about? As for the medical benefits: yup, you get them, delivered by persons who couldn't survive in private practice (or even get licensed or keep their license).
Need only 20 years until full retirement
Followed by trying to get a job in the private sector at 38-42 years old.
No flames - I have lived in both worlds
Sorry, but idiocy gets flamed, no matter which world it comes from.
Civil service is another story too often.
Agreed on both counts.
You're forgetting to add there is no overtime paid for working 16 hour days 7 days a week on deployments or two weeks in the field every few months with no overtime pay.
You're forgetting to add that the lower half of the pay scale is just over the poverty line.
You also forgot to add that full retirement of 50% base pay is below the poverty line for 80% of military retirees !
Further, by age 40 or so, most military, especially the ones who hump packs for a living, are physically used up. When I went into the Army back in 1970 I was one year out of high school, having played football, baseball, basketball and in great physical shape. When I retired 20 plus years later, I had two bad knees, a screwed up back and right shoulder, war wounds, hearing loss in both ears from explosions, right ankle broken twice, and other minor injuries from being exposed to war and harsh conditions in the field over 20 years. So, it is not like a 8-5 job I am working now in a nice heated and cooled office space on the 34th floor of this building. Life is much harsher in the military. But, we accept that. The costs you list are the price we pay for having people who will handle the job of protecting our freedoms. Pay it or lose it. Your choice.
Alot of the different Military Publications are getting the real story behind these "Debt Trap Cards", and Military Personnel are getting screwed BIG TIME.
Here are some facts;
Over 1.4 million cards were issued.
Cards are issued broadly, not to just "officers".
With-in the active duty, reimbursements are chronically behind schedule, and individuals are expected to make up the difference. (we are not talking about trips to Toys R Us, or casual dinners.) Service Members are only authorized to use these cards on official business. TDY, etc.
Some of us felt that this card was A BAD Idea, but we are forced to use it anyway, because now it has been mandated that ALL official travel must be paid for with the government-issued card. So for those of us, who would rather pay say cash and avoid this fiasco completely, turn in our receipts for travel reimbursement, no longer have that option. Some Units, Military Members have been threatened with legal action under UCMJ if they don't use the travel card, while other units have been known to pour over the receipts, threatening not to reimburse ANY bill that wasn't paid with a travel card.
There has also been cases where a service member has charged their airline tickets (for official travel) and with-in one week (since it was at the end of Bank of America's billing cycle) They receive the bill at home while they are away. Service members cannot file for reimbursement until after the tdy/assignment is completed.
Service members are required to pay this "government card" bill within 30 days of receiving it. (We have to pay for official government business expenses, regardless of the amount, and regardless of whither we have been reimbursed.) And if we do not, or cannot? It is reported to our TRW's to ruin our credit histories for years.
Out of the 1.4 million cards (in the past year) there have been between 22,000 to 38,000 cardholders classified as delinquent. typically carrying $650-$750 in overdue balances.
The Pentagon and bank of America have responded to this by not changing the flawed system, but getting tougher on cardholders.
Cardholders are expected to pay the full amount once they received the bill, regardless if finance has reimbursed them or not.
Defense Secretary Rumsfeld reportedly hit the ceiling in March after the Pentagon IG told law makers about travel card delinquencies. Rumsfeld ordered comptroller Dov Zakhiem to launch a taskforce to look into all gov-issued cards. The report will be out by June 1st.
DOD Officials do not foresee significant changes in how the travel card program is run. For example, they do not anticipate requesting a change to the law mandating that all federal employees must use these cards when performing official government business/travel.
However, officials do anticipate requesting an automated process that would allow government pay offices to directly reimburse Bank of America. (we pray this happens soon)
This biggest problem with this current system is that the reimbursement process becomes very flawed for some service members. It's one thing to expect your employees to pay for Official travel business, but even worse when you do not reimburse them in a timely manner (60 days or more), and expect this same employee (service member) to pick up the tab, and float a (basically interest free loan) to the government until they get off their butts and process your paperwork.
We (military) are not rich people here, this is very much a hardship. Especially if your the one of the few unlucky ones, that the finance decides to lose or delay your reimbursement paperwork. This is a very flawed system, and as usual the service members will get screwed big time before it's corrected. Alot of us sit here getting really tired of being guinea pigs for these programs. It's amazing how we can jump right into these programs with-out much thought, but it takes special investigations just to figure out whats going wrong, and who knows how long to fix, while service members hung out to dry.
Service members are having their credit reports absolutely ruined over this. Granted there are a very few that may abuse this card, but thats when you take it away, prosecute under UCMJ, and report to their TRW's. But what of the E-4's, or E-5's or hell even CPT's that cannot afford to say a $4,000 "official" government assignment? Remember these cards are like American express, it is completely due in 30 days, sometimes less if you left right before B of A's billing cycle is about to end. It's ok to also treat them like a dead beat who is not paying their bill?? Funny thing is, it's the government that's really the delinquent deadbeat here.
*Oh, one more interesting note, This program has saved the Pentagon between 100 million, up to 450 million, and DOD has received about 1.5 million in rebates from the B of A based on the Travel Card usage.
If you would like to know more, log on to Armytimes.com, Navytimes.com, Marinetimes.com, etc etc. They are now actively, and more accurately reporting this fiasco.
A person who is fighting in a war shouldn't be worried about paying a bill that they have been saddled with, or that they don't know when they're going to be reimbursed for"
As a note - any time I could not pay the bill out of pocket, I was always able to call up the credit card company and get an extension when it was due to late government reimbursement. Some members however never bother, instead they just hold on the payment. When we accept the card for travel, we accept the responsibility that goes along with it.
One thing, We are forced to accept it now, We don't "just simply accept it."
"I was always able to call up the credit card company and get an extension when it was due to late government reimbursement"
You are right, there has been delinquincy in the system, due more to finance delays that deadbeat soldiers. But B of A has responded by getting tougher on the payment that is expected by the service member anyway, and regardless if they have not recieved their reimbursement. I am glad you recieved an extention when you asked, but now'adays, they aren't being so nice to the rest of us anymore.
"You have never played the "add both weekend to each side of your M-F leave game?" I am surprised you never heard of it since you sound like you are in the C of C."
Some other benefits the military gets that their civilian counterparts do not: A large part of your pay is tax free
(housing allowance)
Subsidized grocery store
Subsidized department store
Military run and subsidized schools for the children of soldiers
Pay for your food
Pay for your clothing
etc. There is alot more to compare than just straight salary...
Yes I am well aware of people attempting to take basket leave. I am in a position where I approve and disapprove leave requests. I approve per OPNAV inst. and what you are suggesting as commonplace is illegal and I ensure all requests approved are per instruction end, of subject.
Actually the percentage of my pay that is tax free is strictly allowances...less than 20% of my pay.
Subsidized department store is innaccurate. There are actually now agreements with the civilian sector that forces a surcharge so that the prices on base are matching the outside stores. In fact I buy gasoline and most of the other products off base because it is cheaper. Overseas this is not necessarily the rule.
Subsidized or DOD schools are only in very select areas (overseas) where there is no local school capable of teaching our children. Unless your suggesting all overseas duty be unaccompanied. Great for retention.
Actually the amount of money I get for food is about $220.00 per month. I challenge you to feed a family of 5 on that. And I pay for all meals, eaten or not when deployed.
Pay for my clothing? Actually my clothing maintenance allowance is $40 per month. I don't know if you've looked at the price of the mandatory and ever changing uniform requirements but I assure this does not come close to covering what I go through in uniforms annually. One pair of Khaki pants costs me over $40.00. I have to maintain five uniforms. I assure you my clothing costs are not covered.
Now let's do your comparison of other than straight pay. I average anywhere from 12-16 hours per day 7 days a week while deployed, this is approximately 40-50% of the year. When I am not deployed I work 60-70 hours per week.
Don't misunderstand me, I am not complaining. I did not join or serve the last 25 years, and counting, for the high paid job the military provides. I do it because I can't think of a more honorable way I can repay the country for all its done for my family and friends.
There are many times, especially when I'm dead tired under the sea, that I look in the mirror and tell myself I must be an idiot, but then I think about those poor people in NYC and I say to myself, "well someone has to do it." And you know what? I'm darn proud to say it's ME
.
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