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From: Army Times
The Pentagon is bracing for one of its biggest political battles in years as a blue-ribbon commission on military compensation and retirement nears the end of its two-year study and moves closer to releasing its proposals for change by Feb. 1.
An internal document obtained by Military Times reveals the Defense Department is setting up a rapid-response plan that will scrutinize the commission's potentially controversial proposals and send a recommendation to President Obama within 60 days, or by April 1.
DoD leaders have no idea what the independent commission will propose to Congress, so they have tapped a team of high-level officials to review, analyze and prepare a formal response to influence a potentially historic vote on Capitol Hill.
The stakes are high; the commission's report is likely to set off a far-reaching debate about the future of the military compensation system, with a basic structure that has changed little over the past century.
In some ways, the Pentagon is eager to support big changes that might cut personnel costs and reduce long-term defense spending and save money for investments in research and new weapons systems.
At the same time, military officials worry that sweeping changes to military compensation — such as radically changing the current retirement system — could devastate recruiting and retention and threaten the long-term health of the 41-year-old all-volunteer force.
The report from the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission will include detailed legislation that members of Congress may immediately begin debating, revising or potentially putting to a vote.
The commission's recommendations likely will include contentious proposals, such as replacing the military's 20-year cliff-vesting retirement model, creating new incentive pays or eliminating some in-kind benefits that service members receive in the form of installation-based services.
As the Pentagon and the White House begin facing pointed questions about how the proposals might impact readiness, defense officials will launch an intensive internal review that ultimately will inform Obama's official position.
From Feb. 2. Through Feb. 6, several Pentagon "working groups," as well as a team from the RAND Corp, think tank, immediately will begin to analyze the proposals, according to the internal DoD document.
Separate "working groups" will study topics that include "pay and retirement," "health benefits" and "quality of life benefits," according to the four-page PowerPoint, dated Dec. 18.
The working groups will mostly include officers at the O-6 level from each service and civilians at a similar pay grade.
Specifically, the analysis will focus on the potential impact on recruiting and retention and will aim to "develop the DoD response for Presidential consideration," according to the document.
From Feb. 9 to 13, the working groups will convene at an "off-site location" for further analysis.
From Feb. 17 to 19, members of the working groups will brief their services' senior leaders on the status of the Pentagon's official response.
By Feb. 26, senior leaders, including the undersecretary for personnel and readiness, will receive a draft of the formal response.
By March 6, the Joint Chiefs will vet DoD's official position on the commission recommendations. At the same time, Pentagon civilian leaders will reviewing it in a process led by Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work.
By March 13, the defense secretary will approve or reject a final version of the Pentagon's response. It's unclear at this point if that will be outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel or his successor, Ash Carter, who is likely to be confirmed by the Senate in early 2015.
From there the official response will go to the White House, where it will face further review.
The DoD plan aims to have Obama provide formal recommendations to Congress by April 1.
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/benefits/pay/2014/12/30/dod-prepares-for-compensation-report/21008055/
The Pentagon is bracing for one of its biggest political battles in years as a blue-ribbon commission on military compensation and retirement nears the end of its two-year study and moves closer to releasing its proposals for change by Feb. 1.
An internal document obtained by Military Times reveals the Defense Department is setting up a rapid-response plan that will scrutinize the commission's potentially controversial proposals and send a recommendation to President Obama within 60 days, or by April 1.
DoD leaders have no idea what the independent commission will propose to Congress, so they have tapped a team of high-level officials to review, analyze and prepare a formal response to influence a potentially historic vote on Capitol Hill.
The stakes are high; the commission's report is likely to set off a far-reaching debate about the future of the military compensation system, with a basic structure that has changed little over the past century.
In some ways, the Pentagon is eager to support big changes that might cut personnel costs and reduce long-term defense spending and save money for investments in research and new weapons systems.
At the same time, military officials worry that sweeping changes to military compensation — such as radically changing the current retirement system — could devastate recruiting and retention and threaten the long-term health of the 41-year-old all-volunteer force.
The report from the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission will include detailed legislation that members of Congress may immediately begin debating, revising or potentially putting to a vote.
The commission's recommendations likely will include contentious proposals, such as replacing the military's 20-year cliff-vesting retirement model, creating new incentive pays or eliminating some in-kind benefits that service members receive in the form of installation-based services.
As the Pentagon and the White House begin facing pointed questions about how the proposals might impact readiness, defense officials will launch an intensive internal review that ultimately will inform Obama's official position.
From Feb. 2. Through Feb. 6, several Pentagon "working groups," as well as a team from the RAND Corp, think tank, immediately will begin to analyze the proposals, according to the internal DoD document.
Separate "working groups" will study topics that include "pay and retirement," "health benefits" and "quality of life benefits," according to the four-page PowerPoint, dated Dec. 18.
The working groups will mostly include officers at the O-6 level from each service and civilians at a similar pay grade.
Specifically, the analysis will focus on the potential impact on recruiting and retention and will aim to "develop the DoD response for Presidential consideration," according to the document.
From Feb. 9 to 13, the working groups will convene at an "off-site location" for further analysis.
From Feb. 17 to 19, members of the working groups will brief their services' senior leaders on the status of the Pentagon's official response.
By Feb. 26, senior leaders, including the undersecretary for personnel and readiness, will receive a draft of the formal response.
By March 6, the Joint Chiefs will vet DoD's official position on the commission recommendations. At the same time, Pentagon civilian leaders will reviewing it in a process led by Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work.
By March 13, the defense secretary will approve or reject a final version of the Pentagon's response. It's unclear at this point if that will be outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel or his successor, Ash Carter, who is likely to be confirmed by the Senate in early 2015.
From there the official response will go to the White House, where it will face further review.
The DoD plan aims to have Obama provide formal recommendations to Congress by April 1.
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/benefits/pay/2014/12/30/dod-prepares-for-compensation-report/21008055/
Military Pay
DoD
Politics
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 18
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Dear congress, you've beat my body up for 20 years. You've directed me to go to Europe, France, Africa, Germany, Italy, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and places that you don't even know we've gone. I've carried bleeding brothers and buried them. I've written letters to a mother a father a wife a child stating that their husband died honorably. I've spoken to comrades before they've taken their own life because the nightmares wouldn't stop. I've worked 20 hour days in freezing rain wondering if I'd ever come back home. For twenty years I've heard that I get paid too much for my small sacrifice to the defense of this nation. My hearing is bad, I can walk with a limp, I get constant migraines, and my wife and family think I'm an asshole because I lose my temper a lot. For twenty years I've beat my body and mind to the breaking point to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now that the light is near, someone is turning it down like a dimmer switch. I've sacrificed birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, and a marriage or two. I'm an old soldier, marine, sailor, or airman. I completely agree with your decision that my retirement is not right. After those twenty plus years of sacrifice, being a bag boy at Walmart, a meat flipper at McDonald's, a begger on the side of the road all while listening to some 20 year old (my manager) yell at me about how I'm a nobody makes me wonder if I did all that in vain. How am I suppose to tell my son and our younger generation that the military is an honorable thing to do. How am I suppose to stand honorably believing that my country loves me back. Thank you for adjusting our retirement. Thank you for the wounds.
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I have a strong feeling that when these proposals are revealed that I will be thankful the Air Force is putting me out to pasture next Fall. Whenever the folks that defend our nation's freedom for 20 years or more are looked at as the cash cow, there is something horribly wrong with the priorities in Congress.
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I'm sure this means more cuts to some of the programs and services currently offered to us. We go through this same madness every year. If the budget needs cutting, why not trim the fat on Capitol Hill first and foremost. Military pay and benefits should be an absolute last resort.
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SFC (Join to see)
I agree sir that Congress is not the only place that needs to be looked at for cuts. There are some clear areas in the military that need to be looked at as well. For example, we spend funds to train Soldiers to do specific jobs and then spend billions contracting those same jobs out. I realize that a certain percentage of jobs must be filled with local citizens. My installation has more civilians working on post than Soldiers. Years and years of gross negligence and misappropriation of funds across all spectrums is a contributing factor. It's very sad that young Soldiers with familes make so little that they easily qualify for foods stamps. It has taken decades to get in this mess and there are no quick or easy fixes. Cutting one dime in military pay is simply unacceptable to me.
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SSgt (Join to see)
Or waste money on new aircraft and ditch them soon after being made and then pay is a problem?
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1SG (Join to see)
The military is the easiest place for Congress and the Administration to look to cut unfortunately. 66% of the Federal Budget is "mandatory spending" dictated by law; and 34% being "disgretionary spending of which the Annual Military Budget makes up 18%.
In the 66% Mandated spending, Congress will hesitate to look to cut as this will mean some unhappy voters, especially in this current entitlement generation that administration after administration has continued to give and give in order to secure the votes that put and keep them in office.
We all know there is room for cuts in the Military Budget as well, however, Congress will be once again hesitant to cut there as it will mean the possiblity of the loss of jobs and federal dollars no longer being spent in many communities. So the military is forced to continue to purchase tanks it says it no longer needs or wants along with other major end items as well.
Now we can all assume there will be changes to pay, entitlements, retirement for the military generations in the future (very near future).
So until American wake up and realize that the Federal Gov't can no longer be the major income provider for for millions who are hesitant to get off their ass and go to work and earn their wages instead of living off the tax payers and then the gov't handing it out;
The only way that I see vaiable changes coming is thru voting those out of office who no longer represent the voters who sent them to DC and choose to vote as it can best suit their political career and bank account instead of voting for what is best for the country, be it unpopular on not.
The outcome over the political battle over military pay is going to be interesting and once again split conservative vs liberal and will result in the losers being the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen; It will be finger pointing across the aisle with each side blaming the other and the then Americans lining up behind their political party and also disregarding those who are serving in the military.
We know this current Administration will throw the military to the wolves in order to win votes on any issue; Best we can hope for is another "vote for change" in the upcoming presidential election and hope to God the next President will keep his/her promises for the changes they will campaign on. Had that been the case with the current President in keeping with his promises to the American people, we would all be better off today personally and as a nation. But we know how that works now don't we.
In the 66% Mandated spending, Congress will hesitate to look to cut as this will mean some unhappy voters, especially in this current entitlement generation that administration after administration has continued to give and give in order to secure the votes that put and keep them in office.
We all know there is room for cuts in the Military Budget as well, however, Congress will be once again hesitant to cut there as it will mean the possiblity of the loss of jobs and federal dollars no longer being spent in many communities. So the military is forced to continue to purchase tanks it says it no longer needs or wants along with other major end items as well.
Now we can all assume there will be changes to pay, entitlements, retirement for the military generations in the future (very near future).
So until American wake up and realize that the Federal Gov't can no longer be the major income provider for for millions who are hesitant to get off their ass and go to work and earn their wages instead of living off the tax payers and then the gov't handing it out;
The only way that I see vaiable changes coming is thru voting those out of office who no longer represent the voters who sent them to DC and choose to vote as it can best suit their political career and bank account instead of voting for what is best for the country, be it unpopular on not.
The outcome over the political battle over military pay is going to be interesting and once again split conservative vs liberal and will result in the losers being the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen; It will be finger pointing across the aisle with each side blaming the other and the then Americans lining up behind their political party and also disregarding those who are serving in the military.
We know this current Administration will throw the military to the wolves in order to win votes on any issue; Best we can hope for is another "vote for change" in the upcoming presidential election and hope to God the next President will keep his/her promises for the changes they will campaign on. Had that been the case with the current President in keeping with his promises to the American people, we would all be better off today personally and as a nation. But we know how that works now don't we.
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SFC (Join to see)
Thank you for sharing 1SG McPhearson. Your assessment is absolutely thought provoking and right.
(1)
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