5 Reasons MOAA Thinks You Should Worry
ONE: For the second consecutive year the administration seeks a pay cap at 1 percent. This is 0.8 percent below private sector wage growth.
The troops’ last three raises averaged less than 1.4 percent. The FY 2014 pay raise was the smallest in 50 years. DoD has capped pay before but it undermined both retention and readiness. Previous cuts required a “fix” to the defense budget over the past decade to reverse those effects, which is also being mischaracterized by the Pentagon today.
TWO: Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Commissary subsidies will both be reduced resulting in significant loss in purchasing power for military families.
THREE: The services have already accelerated a drawdown of 124,000 active and reserve component servicemembers by two years. The budget calls for an additional 78,000-plus in cuts in end strength.
To accomplish these goals, the services will be forced to use involuntary measures such as Reduction In Force (RIF) boards, selective early retirement boards, and reenlistment limitations.
FOUR: The administration is proposing TRICARE copay and deductible increases, as well as establishing enrollment fees. Additionally, they are seeking to consolidate TRICARE programs for retirees under 65 and active duty family members.
The administration plans to eliminate TRICARE Prime, the managed care option, leaving only a fee for service option (similar to existing TRICARE Standard and Extra) for retirees and families.
FIVE: MOAA understands the difficult predicament the Pentagon now faces and we agree that ending the harmful effects of sequestration must be accomplished.
But the “quadruple whammy” of capping pay, increasing out-of-pocket housing expenses, slashing commissary benefits, and cutting health care benefits would be four giant steps toward repeating the unwise measures which led to retention and readiness problems in the past.
View MOAA’s Virtual Town Hall which addressed these issues.
Seriously? You want to cut benefits for the very people who make life as we know even possible? You cut the pay/benefits, you cut the quality. Never forget, you get what you pay for, and we deserve the BEST!
This makes me so angry
My 19 year old daughter is a Marine. Seriously? With everything our Military does for us and to protect us, and they want to put a cap on pay raises? That is crap. They don’t get paid enough! My daughter will get promoted in April to Lance CPL and she isn’t even get to much of a raise. They need to be paid more!
Lighten up Tina. She lives in her own room, they feed her, clothe her, give her heating and cooling.
When I was in I earned $300.00 a month!! Had the same bennies
Sooooo……because you were not treated correctly everyone else should be treated the same way? Look, I’ve been in for a while, mostly during this time of war. Things are bad and getting worse. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Yeah, and she’s probably also on some additional financial support because they don’t get paid worth a darn!!
Zxuser, when were you in?? Don’t compare now and then! That keeps us stuck in the past we need to move forward as a military community and the government should continue to support that. Oh, I am sure she shares her room!
Zxuser, smh!
I always love the ole “when I was in philosophy” I just retired from 20 years of active duty. My dad and I used to sit and do the ole “when I was in” routine too. When he was in women weren’t allowed in combat, when he was in he made 300$ a month. Outstanding….you could live off of that in in 1970. It’s called cost of living morons. Yeah we get heating….when we deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan AND cooling when we do training exercises in Alaska and Antarctica (I was a Seabee…we really go there). And the clothing…fantastic!!! I mean who doesn’t wanna wear their cammies or dress uniform to the movies or out to dinner…oh wait…can’t go to either of those because you can’t afford it on the awesome pay raise. Better head over to the chow hall and then straight back to your barracks room which is kindly provided for you just as long as you agree to fight for the rights of every other American who makes double or triple what you do. Don’t be ignorant Zxuser. It’s a whole different world than when you served. However…thank you for your service and dedication to our great nation. I may not agree with your opinion but anyone who serves or has served deserves the respect of everyone.
When you were in were different time. The economy was not where is at today. We can’t never compare apples and oranges just like we can’t compared the time when you were in and the current time today.
Why is this even being considered. These men and women are risking their lives for our freedom and you want to cut benefits and salary. How are they supposed to support their families. They’re leave their families to go in harms way the last thing they need is to worry about their family and how to support them or if they will have enough to pay bills or heaven forbid doctors in case of an emergency.
We have three sons serving in the military. This is terrible. The two E-7s don’t even make minimum wage for the hours they are expected to work, besides being on-call 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Yes they have military housing but some military housing is seriously subpar, duplexes or apartment like. Now they are losing more pay, housing allowance if they live off base, and increase the cost of medical benefits will reall decrease there income. One son has a three year old autistic child that has special therapy five days a week with different doctors, therapists, and home interactive therapy. How much do you think this will cost them now? The officer’s 14 year old daughter has fibromyalgia. She see a physical therapist once a week. She also sees a depression therapist and fybro specialest. Another high medical expense for the family. So yes an average family of four would go to the doctor 5 times, and my military family’s are all four, how many average families are there? One out of three… Any money left will go to the doctors.
This is ridiculous … take away from those who volunteer to serve their country? The all volunteer force is going to disappear, then you’ll have a hodgepodge of personnel serving this country, and expecting them to stand as an all volunteer force and fight to the bitter end, when they were never given the option to serve in the first place? If changes are made, it should apply to only those young men and women who haven’t signed the dotted line and raised their right hand for the oath of enlistment. This way, “if” they decide to still go forth with it, they understand what current and future benefits will be moving forward!!! This will truly be a sad day in America if these absurd new policies are passed!!!
I do not understand the reason to been considering all the time salary cuts to our Military. Politicians should consider cut their salary for them or to ex politians. These men and women enlisted knowing the sacrifices they are going to make. They are the ones who defend our country and believes. They are entitled to keep their benefits because of their sacrifices and hard work. How come Australia now is offering better salaries and benefits to our military? How an other country can value our Military effort and here are considering to cut their benefits and salary? Please do not cut their benefits, we need our military to receive what they expect.
I am the wife of a Marine SGT, we are expecting our third child in May. We are on WIC, use coupons, and are lucky enough to have a house on-base, and we still struggle. Pre-loved furniture and hand-me-downs don’t last as long as they used to, and food is costing more and more. Please, we can’t let this happen. We need to take care of these families, or the whole military will suffer.
I don’t get it I just don’t get it . How does some one who risks their lives for this country gets treated like shot but yet a foot ball player or some one who works behind a desk in the white house gets payed much more..smfh
Probably because those who serve don’t vote Democrat (at least not left leaning Democrat) where as those who suck from the government teat see increases in “entitlements” do vote Democrat (most definitely left leaning Democrat).n
[…] also welcome a conversation about what our families are facing today. I’d ask you to review MOAA’s documentation with how our families will be affected by the proposed budget […]