View Full Version : DoD makes last-ditch plea for compensation cuts in 2015
Snaquebite
05-07-2014, 12:08
Screw all of those a&*wipes.
The Pentagon brass made a last stand Tuesday in the months-long battle for military compensation reform, imploring senators to back plans to trim troops’ pay raises and benefits in the fiscal 2015 budget.
They‘ve already lost on the other front of the fight, with members of the House Armed Services Committee last week rejecting the proposed compensation changes in its initial draft of the annual defense authorization bill.
If the Senate follows suit later this month, that will all but doom defense officials’ plans to cut about $2 billion from personnel costs next year and redirect the money into training and modernization programs.
Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and six fellow four-stars — his own deputy, the four service chiefs and the head of the National Guard Bureau — argued that those savings are crucial to preserve military readiness and modernization accounts, a refrain they have repeated to lawmakers ever since the budget proposal was unveiled three months ago.
http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140506/NEWS05/305060065/DoD-makes-last-ditch-plea-compensation-cuts-2015
caretaker
05-07-2014, 12:36
"Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the committee chairman, appeared more unwilling to simply punt decisions to next year.
“We do not have the option of simply rejecting these compensation proposals,” he said. “We would have to make alternative cuts.”
O.K., so make alternative cuts. Sometimes elected officials actually do the honorable thing in their last term. Not this one.
I just love this crap. Politicians play games with votes and we have Americans getting compensation and benefits while doing nothing and working for nothing. Yet our service members work for their compensations and benefits. Whether it's the Generals or the politicians I that there is some personal incentive involved for such an idea to come from such a group. Seems that just like some leaders, they have Become disconnected from the lower levels. Just like a Group or BCT forgetting what it was like down at the company level. Do these Generals really think this is an option?? They're are E1 through E7's, I had a CW3 (aviation) say he had 2LT on WIC and other forms of assistance right now. Guys are coming into the military on programs, yet we have guys getting onto these same programs.
But they think a 1% raise, cutting commissary benefits and raising TriCare overall cost is the answer to gain more money to train. Yet you will never hear Congress and Senate taking a cut in order to allow our military to train better and receive a raise. No their 10K-14K morning breakfast matter more than the defense of our nation. A joint strike fight over budget and 7 years behind schedule matter because of districts and constituents. How about better get your 150K-175K a year Lean Six Sigma managers to look at the cost to budget and process and find where the saving can come from. That sounds like the answer to me.
I remember hearing a 1SG and PSG talking about "jumping" on Sicily out of cattle trucks. One cattle to one C-130, seems like those days will be coming back. Teams better get their UW mindset ready. No more hotel room, living out of your ruck is coming back. Love to see these new 18X team sergeant think on those lines since they grow up during a wartime. It will get interesting to say the least.
WarriorDiplomat
05-07-2014, 17:14
I just love this crap. Politicians play games with votes and we have Americans getting compensation and benefits while doing nothing and working for nothing. Yet our service members work for their compensations and benefits. Whether it's the Generals or the politicians I that there is some personal incentive involved for such an idea to come from such a group. Seems that just like some leaders, they have Become disconnected from the lower levels. Just like a Group or BCT forgetting what it was like down at the company level. Do these Generals really think this is an option?? They're are E1 through E7's, I had a CW3 (aviation) say he had 2LT on WIC and other forms of assistance right now. Guys are coming into the military on programs, yet we have guys getting onto these same programs.
But they think a 1% raise, cutting commissary benefits and raising TriCare overall cost is the answer to gain more money to train. Yet you will never hear Congress and Senate taking a cut in order to allow our military to train better and receive a raise. No their 10K-14K morning breakfast matter more than the defense of our nation. A joint strike fight over budget and 7 years behind schedule matter because of districts and constituents. How about better get your 150K-175K a year Lean Six Sigma managers to look at the cost to budget and process and find where the saving can come from. That sounds like the answer to me.
I remember hearing a 1SG and PSG talking about "jumping" on Sicily out of cattle trucks. One cattle to one C-130, seems like those days will be coming back. Teams better get their UW mindset ready. No more hotel room, living out of your ruck is coming back. Love to see these new 18X team sergeant think on those lines since they grow up during a wartime. It will get interesting to say the least.
Amen,
Heard an 18Z complain bout how bad our budget was hurting his training of his team. He was speaking with some older CWO's and then made the comment that we were going back to the Clinto era soldiering. I BS'd with him and found out he had been in the Army 12 yrs WTF? What did he know about hard times in the Army? Goofy sociopath talking about stuff he really didn't understand and never will since his team time is up by now.
The Reaper
05-07-2014, 19:39
I remember hearing a 1SG and PSG talking about "jumping" on Sicily out of cattle trucks. One cattle to one C-130, seems like those days will be coming back.
Nope, no worries, there is only one cattle car left on Bragg and it is on display behind the 82nd Airborne Museum.
You really have to go back to the Carter years to find a worse time for the military. Now that sucked.
TR
How about getting rid of the golf courses?
The Reaper
05-07-2014, 20:04
How about getting rid of the golf courses and not giving flag grade officers 100% retirement upon gaining a star?
Where on Earth did you get that?
TR
Where on Earth did you get that?
TR
Mea culpa...
I listened to someone who should know better, and did not do my due diligence to verify the information. Now that I've taken a bite of that shit sandwich...I'll be looking and smelling more closely from now on...especially if I think about passing it forward.
You'd have to do 40 years to get 100% per the linked chart...
http://militarypay.defense.gov/Retirement/
The Reaper
05-09-2014, 16:55
Mea culpa...
I listened to someone who should know better, and did not do my due diligence to verify the information. Now that I've taken a bite of that shit sandwich...I'll be looking and smelling more closely from now on...especially if I think about passing it forward.
You'd have to do 40 years to get 100% per the linked chart...
http://militarypay.defense.gov/Retirement/
Correct.
Now do a little more research on "mandatory retirement dates."
Very few servicemembers get to 40.
TR
Ret10Echo
06-09-2014, 14:01
Washington Post Opinion from June 6th
Retired reserve LTC
But budget deficits are tilting America toward financial malaise. Our elected representatives will have to summon the courage to confront the costs of benefits and entitlements and make hard choices. Some “no” votes when it comes to our service members and, in particular, military retirees will be necessary. We can afford it
Seriously?
Full article here (http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/im-an-army-veteran-and-my-benefits-are-too-generous/2014/06/06/5e8db2ec-eb35-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html)
Washington Post Opinion from June 6th
Retired reserve LTC
Seriously?
Full article here (http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/im-an-army-veteran-and-my-benefits-are-too-generous/2014/06/06/5e8db2ec-eb35-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html)
Some no votes when it comes to the entitlements will be necessary....we can afford it.
Fucktard.
Tree Potato
06-09-2014, 16:29
How about getting rid of the golf courses?
That may happen at several installations, especially those with increasing water fees. MWR programs aren't like the rest of the government, they must be self-sustaining based on user fees augmented by AAFES contributions and very little appropriated funds. If the business case of a golf course eats up the MWR funds for a base it will eventually close. Same applies to things like aero clubs, bowling alleys, and movie theaters. Base libraries are also under the gun and places with nearby local libraries are closing their on post libraries which consume MWR dollars but generally don't bring in revenue.
An interesting solution being considered is privatizing to allow non-DoD golfers access to the same courses with higher fees and a certain number of tee times reserved for military personnel at reduced rates. This of course generates security concerns at some installations.
Once these MWR perks go away, though, they will likely be gone for good.
I can remember the "Hollow Army" years of Carter as a Sp4 and Sp5.
Sometimes wondered if we would get paid at the end of the month.
Kenny
....... Base libraries are also under the gun and places with nearby local libraries are closing their on post libraries which consume MWR dollars but generally don't bring in revenue........
Interesting that Fayetteville/Cumberland County wanted to annex Ft Bragg - for the money - but I don't see them in any hurry to extend services onto Post.
I can remember the "Hollow Army" years of Carter as a Sp4 and Sp5.
Sometimes wondered if we would get paid at the end of the month.
Kenny
I remember getting paid late a couple of times. I also went to a school in Germany from Vicenza, and my orders were printed on map sheets cut to 8X11, there was a map on the other side...:eek:
ALso, handing in one light bulb to get another, also toilet paper rolls..
That was in SETAF, I could imagine how bad stateside units had it...
yup...good times...
I remember hearing a 1SG and PSG talking about "jumping" on Sicily out of cattle trucks. One cattle to one C-130, seems like those days will be coming back.
Though not at Bragg, we did this at Lewis..
Those were the days.... spent many a day trucking to the DZ, and doing PLFs off the back of the deuce for the proper dispersion, before someone blew a whistle and we moved off to our assembly areas.. good practice for Just Cause..
Tree Potato
06-10-2014, 17:11
Interesting that Fayetteville/Cumberland County wanted to annex Ft Bragg - for the money - but I don't see them in any hurry to extend services onto Post.
It's all about the money. I'm not familiar with the Ft Bragg library issues, but elsewhere there are bases closing their libraries and base housing residents go to the local community libraries instead. As local libraries are typically funded from property taxes, which in some privatized or mil housing isn't paid to the community, the libraries require a surcharge or family membership fees. Just another example of transferring costs onto military families that had previously been part of our overall compensation package. These little things add up.
Tree Potato
06-10-2014, 17:18
I remember getting paid late a couple of times. I also went to a school in Germany from Vicenza, and my orders were printed on map sheets cut to 8X11, there was a map on the other side...:eek:
When TDY to the CAOC at Dal Molin ("deployed" according to the AF... LOL!) we were supported through Caserma Ederle. We had paperwork printed on recycled maps too, and were told not to mention that we were billeted in really nice flats in downtown Vicenza or risk ticking off the soldiers we coordinated with. That was during the ALLIED FORCE time frame, and we thought it was just an isolated thing.
Amen,
Heard an 18Z complain bout how bad our budget was hurting his training of his team. He was speaking with some older CWO's and then made the comment that we were going back to the Clinto era soldiering. I BS'd with him and found out he had been in the Army 12 yrs WTF? What did he know about hard times in the Army? Goofy sociopath talking about stuff he really didn't understand and never will since his team time is up by now.
WD.. And he was a 18X with no SWC likely and only been in 3rd or 7th with the faucet turned on high. With all the training, all the deployments, all the DTY, and just combat. This here goes with your other threads. This is the future of the Regiment. Has been given everything from day one, can't plan a full OPORD, Training plan (90-days+), forecasting, man-hour management, mentoring others and bring a true leader.
You mean we have to camp out and not stay in the Hilton?
Though not at Bragg, we did this at Lewis..
Those were the days.... spent many a day trucking to the DZ, and doing PLFs off the back of the deuce for the proper dispersion, before someone blew a whistle and we moved off to our assembly areas.. good practice for Just Cause..
Never knew this.. WoW!!!
Sustaining MWR services through fee-for-use by the general public is one of the reasons the Army is fighting to return to open posts in many areas (for those unfamiliar with the term, an open post means anyone can enter the installation without showing an ID or needing a specific reason).