Panetta to recommend pay cut for military

mmckee1952

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By Barbara Starr
Just days before he leaves office, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is recommending military pay be limited, effectively decreasing troop salaries next year.

Panetta will recommend to Congress that military salaries be limited to a 1% increase in 2014. The Pentagon has calculated that the Labor Department's 2014 Employment Cost Index is expected to be above 1% but wants to still cut back on pay because of "budget uncertainties," a department official told CNN. In 2013, a 1.7% increase was approved, based on the index, which has been the basis for military pay for the last several years.

Three Pentagon officials have confirmed details of the plan to CNN. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have also agreed to Panetta's proposed pay plan. Final approval for the pay would come from Congress in the form of the 2014 budget.

The recommendation is tied to the Defense Department's 2014 budget recommendation, which was expected to be sent to Congress this month, one of the officials said. But the officials acknowledge it is going to be seen as an effort to push Congress to stop the automatic budget cuts that could go into effect if no deal is reached on spending reductions.

ALSO: Panetta warns spending cuts will degrade military readiness

The decision comes as the secretary is stepping up the rhetoric about dire cuts at the Pentagon if sequestration goes into effect. President Obama in 2012 walled off military pay from cuts, so if this current pay plan goes into effect, it's widely seen as "cutting our pay," one military officer familiar with the plan told CNN. "It's a smart move, it puts it in Congress' hands," he said.

Panetta, in one of his last official speeches as secretary of defense, told an audience at Georgetown University on Wednesday that the Pentagon faced "the most serious readiness crisis in over a decade."

The defense secretary outlined a series of possible cuts should the Pentagon be forced to find half a trillion dollars more in savings. He warned that 800,000 civilian workers could furloughed for 22 days and that the Army would need to cut back on training and maintenance, putting two-thirds of combat teams at "reduced readiness levels." Pacific naval operations could be cut by as much a third, and Air Force flying hours and weapons maintenance could be cut.

CNN has also learned that this week, the Navy is expected to announce it does not have the money to pay for refueling and maintenance of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln. That will essentially mean the Navy is short a carrier and overseas deployments will be cut.
"No good options exist," Panetta said.
 
As more and more of the budget is eaten by servicing the debt, and entitlement spending soars, the capabilities of legitimate functions of government will slowly but steadily erode until they fail.
 
More Info:

Obama’s War on the Troops: Admin Calls For Soldier Pay Freeze One Year After Healthcare Cut Proposal (E.G)
-------This is from reports 12/28 ------As of March 27, 2013, federal employees will see a half-percent to one percent pay increase, marking the end of a pay freeze that has been in place since late 2010. Congress hasn't seen a pay raise since 2009.

According to the order, Biden's pay will increase from $225,521 to $231,900 a year, before taxes. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will see his salary increased to $224,500 and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will take home an annual pay of $194,400 after his raise.
--------This is from today ----------
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will recommend to Congress that military salaries be limited to a 1 percent increase next year due to “budget uncertainties” related to sequestration, CNN reports:

Panetta will recommend to Congress that military salaries be limited to a 1 percent increase in 2014. The Pentagon has calculated that the Labor Department’s 2014 Employment Cost Index is expected to be above 1 percent but wants to still cut back on pay because of “budget uncertainties,” a department official told CNN. In 2013, a 1.7 percent increase was approved, based on the index, which has been the basis for military pay for the last several years.

Three Pentagon officials have confirmed details of the plan to CNN. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have also agreed to Panetta’s proposed pay plan. Final approval for the pay would come from Congress in the form of the 2014 budget.
The recommendation is tied to the Defense Department’s 2014 budget recommendation, which was expected to be sent to Congress this month, one of the officials said. But the officials acknowledge it is going to be seen as an effort to push Congress to stop the automatic budget cuts that could go into effect if no deal is reached on spending reductions.

Panetta has been a harsh and vocal critic of sequestration.
The essential pay freeze, however, comes just one year after the Obama administration first pushed for members of the U.S. armed service to pay more for their health care.
Last year, the Obama administration’s proposed defense budget called for cuts to the military’s healthcare benefits program, TRICARE, requiring military members, families, and retirees to pay more for their health care, as the Washington Free Beacon reported. Panetta later defended those cuts before a House Budget Committee hearing. The administration then threatened to veto a defense appropriations bill last summer, unless it included higher health care fees for military members. (E.G) via The Washington Free Beacon...
 
Yeah..Why make politicians take pay cuts when you can cut the pay of those actually doing som work? That whole bunch in Washingon stink to high heaven.
 
We can't afford to keep our Military running, but they continue to send Billions Overseas to support Countries that hate us. Where is that money comming from?
 
Eight hundred thousand fed employees furloughed? I think that still leaves about a couple of million. As good as the government is, I'm sure they can get by. Besides, I didn't hear the feds (or employees) bemoaning the millions of "civilian" Americans who lost their jobs the past few years. The can get unemployment and other benefits, too, can't they?
As for the military I think that Panetta is just stirring up emotion on his way out the door for obama. Sort of like threatening Americans to stop their social security checks or veteran'sbenefitss. People will get upset about soldiers not getting good money and do something.
HOWEVER, the really bad news is that we cannot continue to pay the wages we do to retain our volunteer military. It's just a matter of time. And the spoiled bratnowadayssy will really be pissed to have to put on a uniform and get up at 0500 like my generation did.
 
If we want the drastic cuts in spending that our Representatives are asking for then the troops are facing cuts. Either in numbers or in pay or both. We scream we want cuts without raising taxes and then complaining when the cuts come in. No, I don't have a magic formula or solution. But I do know that you can't cut expenses and not cut salaries. If we truly need the cuts and no new revenue ( and I have misgivings on that simplistic solution) then somebody is going to get less money. Troops, Social Security, Employees and welfare can all count on getting a little more hungry, sorry that is life.
 
The AF has been dropping it's numbers for years, literally years... their planning another FY13 Voluntary Separation/Retirement program, hoping for over 3K people to get out completely or cross to the Gaurd or Reserves. I'm trying to be one of them, wish me luck. Anyway, every branch is doing the same thing... their end figures may be different but, that isn't the point. As to the pay FREEZE, I'm for it... and I'm currently AD. I'm for it not b/c I'm just so rich I don't need it... I'm an AD E-5, a wife that works 35 hours a week while going to night school and we have two kids and all the same bills anybody else does. I'd love to have another 10 or 20 thousand bucks more a year! However, I understand the economic troubles we are in and understand that drastic cuts must be made. Do I think Defense should always be cut first? Nope... I think entitlement should, as well as many other gov't agencies that waste millions upon millions every year. I see the waste we have in gov't on a daily basis... we are not a well oiled machine.

If the gov't was serious about saving some dollars, they'd cut officer pay... go to the pay charts and check out the pay of any officer of O-3 and above, disgusting. I know what they do and what they don't... and yes, officers are grossly over paid! Sorry NavyLCDR, I'm sure you are the exception... I'm sure you try your best everyday to earn your paycheck. I saw some comments about the old timers b!tching about how easy we have it now.... meh, some do and some don't. I got up at 0430 this morning... is that early enough for you? I worked nearly 50 hours last week... is that enough for you? I've done my share of 60-72 hour weeks in my time in... I've spent a combined total of 19 months either in a combat zone or some other overseas place, in six plus years of service... I feel I've done my part. I will say though... I can never thank you enough for what you old timers have sacrificed for me and my family! I truly thank you for everything you've done! You guys deserve more praise and thanks than this country can give.

So, back to topic... it's the way it is in the military... They tell you to do more with less.
 

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