Report: Cut retirement to pay for weapons

[unhappycamper]

Report: Cut retirement to pay for weapons
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 23, 2009 5:52:47 EDT

A new report from an independent think tank suggests that drastic cuts are needed in personnel benefits in order to pay for weapons modernization.

Some recommendations from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments might be welcomed by service members and their families, such as a proposal to cut the cost of permanent change-of-station moves by extending tour lengths by 50 percent.

But other recommendations strike at the heart of the military pay and benefits system. The report by Todd Harrison says the promise of retired pay after 20 years is an example of the generous benefits that led to financial problems in the auto industry, requiring a government bailout.

“Few employers today offer pensions and health care benefits for retirees, must less a package that becomes effective after only 20 years of service,” Harrison wrote. “Even GM’s much-derided labor contracts did not provide benefits this rich.”

Harrison said big reductions in benefits, such as requiring more service to earn retired pay and charging more for health benefits, are “politically difficult” but that modest changes, if begun soon, could help control costs.


Rest of article about this pre-emptive strike on Veterans Benefits at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_benefitscuts_report_102209w/

[Hannah Bell]

1. Did people get shot at working for GM?

Relative is in the middle of his 5th tour in the Bush warzone; career military & a basketcase.

[newfie11]

2. This is bullshit. Send those voting for this in Afghanistan n/t

[sarge43]

3. Harrison might want to check the military pay chart and the UCMJ

before he makes any comparison between working at GM and twenty or more years of active duty.

Last time I checked GM had no legal authority to:

cancel retirement and bring a retiree back to work.

convict an employee of federal crime for committing adultery, practicing oral sex, walking off the job, striking, publicly criticizing superiors, refusing a directive, etc.

prevent employees from holding a public office or publicly campaigning for a candidate.

forcing employees to live in conditions that would make a pig puke, re Ft Bragg barracks.

separate employees from their families for years. 12 of husband's 20 were spent at bases where families weren't authorized.

Compared to a corporation CEO, an O-10 flag with 30 makes chump change for often having responsibilities that CEO couldn't imagine, let alone handle.

I wonder if Harrison has an example of GM employee who was killed just because s/he was a GM employee.

"Yeah, we lifers have it made. If it's so great, why didn't you do it?"

[Crowman1979]

4. Wouldn't getting out of afghanistan, cutting back on nuclear warheads....

...and eliminating the missile defense program help pay for weapons modernization? Of course those in congress who are paid by the defense industry don't like easy solutions.

[sarge43]

5. Not getting sucked into ill considered, ill conceived and ill conducted

wars every 10 to 15 years might help, too. But hey, just print mo' money and trash the grunts.