UPI/Ken Cedeno
Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary George Little on Proposed 2014 Military Pay Raise –
“The Department of Defense (DoD) will propose a one percent pay raise for service members in calendar year 2014 as part of the forthcoming fiscal 2014 defense budget request to Congress.
“The proposal provides a pay raise for U.S. forces in an era of slowing defense spending. In addition to this pay increase, the department will maintain important benefits for active duty service members and families, including housing and subsistence allowances, special pay, tuition assistance, health care, commissaries, child care and youth development programs, and military retirement benefits. Further details will be made available in the fiscal 2014 budget submission.
“Given the current budget environment, this pay raise is less than previously projected but allows the Department to maintain critical investments in readiness and modernization going forward. Department leaders preserved an increase in compensation as part of a balanced approach to future defense budgets that ensures service members are fully equipped, trained, and supported.”
I was in Iraq in ’06-’07 and I made about $4400.00 a month or about $50,000 year on E-5 pay. The private contractors there, which is what the military is moving more and more to, were making about $120,000 a year with the first $100,000 being tax free. These are for jobs such as logistics, supply, maintenance and security. Halliburton was one of the biggest there and KBR was owned by them, there were many other smaller companies too. I don’t see how privatizing the military saves us any money. These privatized jobs could be done by the military and traditionally were in past wars. A lot of the jobs were filled by Americans that deserved good paying jobs but a lot of the KBR jobs such as maintenance and logistics were filled by mostly pakistanis, and other foreigners. KBR and the other companies were being paid by the US government mind you. It was sickening to see the money wasted there. I’m sure it’s the same thing in Afghanistan too.
This is because it’s not about saving money. It’s about lowering troop numbers so you can tell voters the troops are coming home when in reality the private force could be increasing. People complain about EBT food support yet it represents a fraction of a penny where as military contractor spending is thousands of dollars in comparison. Penny wise and pound foolish.
Yes, you are right that it shows lower troop levels but the in the big scheme of things, it’s all about the money to be made. Instead of the money going to to the troops, it’s being funneled into a private business and then redistributed down. There’s also a lot less accountability. Many of our politicians have their hands in these businesses that get these nice contracts. As far as what the government spends on all welfare programs , that could be a lot less too. A person should not depend on the government for anything and yes I understand that welfare is for a purpose but where I draw the line is when it’s too often used as a professional career. I’ve never had a problem finding a job whether it be picking rock or standing on an assembly line. It’s the good jobs that are hard to find.
Yes, welcome to the REAL world. It’s all a business and all about money. It’s not the country I grew up in or wanted but it’s the country we have today. There’s nothing fair about the system so get in there and fight for your pile of money.
Speaking of which. Why aren’t there more police seizures of money and property? This is good income for law enforcement and the subject does not even have to charged with a crime. The seizure may not even be lawful, but the seizure subject will pay a lawyer more then the properties worth to retrieve it. I’m wondering why seizures aren’t increasing at an even faster rate. Seems like a no-brainer.
Yeah I hear you. It’s not a fair system but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for it. A suppose that I could jump in to get some money but I choose not to. In reality I think people are victims to control when they lean on government. In response to the money seizure question. The police have a minor role in it which basically is a suggestion to the county attorney if at all, it’s up to the county attorney’s office to file the paperwork for seizures and they get part of it and so does the state (10% each). A person has to be convicted of a qualifying crime for this to happen, not just be charged with it. The police are the ones that investigate the crimes and enforce the laws. The judicial system is a whole other story.
Our military gets a 1% pay raise, and I wonder how much the private military contractors our govt. hires get paid.
@a citizen-I don’t know how much those contractors get paid for sure, but I have a Nephew who is trying to become one and he tells me they make a LOT of money.
When we were leaving iraq the contract trucking company over there, PBR, tried to recruit alot of us and told us that we could make $125,000 a year but we were never to have any weapons.
In other news our city and county employee’s get a 3-6% increase every year. I remember when government jobs got you a relatively small home and modest car. Now I see city and county employees living in the best neighborhoods in town. The private sector has not kept pace.
Can’t afford to give our military a raise when we give our money to the Muslims.
This article is BS. Sure, we’re slowing our defense spending, while giving billions to Indonesia to build their defense. We give them all this high tech equipment, then they turn around and use it on us. There must be something going on at the top of the totem pole, this just isn’t right.
The US has always done this and it always comes back to haunt them. Back in the fifty’s it was the atoms for peace program. Reagan gave biological and chemical technology to Iraq.