Comments (18)

1. 

   Community Member

   I'm assuming you made this after having seen my suggestion. Good to know someone feels exactly the same way.

   2 years ago

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2. 

   Community Member

   I didn't even read your suggestion, but im also glad that others feel the same way

   2 years ago

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3. 

   Community Member

   I thought you had read it because we started with the same sentence.

   "This one is simple"

   I guess it really is THAT SIMPLE.

   2 years ago

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4. 

   Community Member

   It is that simple. And if you work with the military, as I do each day, allowing them to stay in-place would end a lot of frustrations in the day to day work environment. I know the can not all stay in-place, deployments have to happen and so does training, but a lot of them could be allowed to stay in-place, with little down side to the war fighters.

   2 years ago

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5. 

   Community Member

   I agree that you would need this for stability (For both the serivce member and the FAMILY). I served as well, my only concern is becoming complacent with your job/setting. Since you have worked on some equipment and when something happens maybe the preventive maintence wasn't performed properly and something happens.

   2 years ago

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6. 

   Community Member

   I agree with most of this comment however, Military personnel are not low paid. The lower ranks don't recieve as many benefits as officers that is true and maybe the statement above wasn't referring to Military officers. Military Officer pay and benefits are very good and are equivalent or greater than a civilian performing the same job with the same degree.

   I realize that everyone wants to honor the military and I want that too. But they are no better or worse than the average American who gets up each morning to do their job of teaching, manufacturing or retail. My father served in the military and hated it . . .never good at taking orders. But he has worked his entire life in jobs that support this country. People who enter the military chose that as their job and all that goes with it just like everyone else.

   2 years ago

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7. 

   Community Member

   It is common knowledge, when the economy tanks, recruitment goes up. Not everyone in the military is there for God and country. One of the services frowns on marriage while in the lower ranks because of money and family issues. However, for young lower ranks, it's the only way to feed their young family. I do like the idea of staying in one place as it does relieve some family stress issues.

   2 years ago

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8. 

   Community Member

   I could not agree more. This would not only make good sense economically, but for readiness. If you look at the ARFORGEN Cycle, units are consistently unable to achieve a consistent level of readiness due to PCS moves. No continuity, no institutional knowledge. We would not only save money on PCS moves, but on training and have an Army that is more ready and able to fight the nations wars. Bravo.

   2 years ago

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9. 

   Community Member

   This was the basic idea behind force stabalization and it would do a number of things.

   1) Save a significant amount of money on PCS expenses across the DoD. Simple fact is that SM's actually make money during a PCS move due to all of the benefits.

   2) SM's will be given the opportunity to use their housing allowance to purchase property in a local community which would help the housing market, grow local economies, and stabilize households in so far as military families are concerend.

   3) Build institutional knowledge and limit turnover.

   There are enough jobs at most installations where most people wouldn't maintain the same job for years on end. You can cycle through key developmental jobs from within the same installation.

   I would also add to this recommendation that we relook how Europe is being downsized. Installations are closing that should probably stay open and new construction is being down that defeats the purpose of saving money. Wiesbaden is a perfect example of how rebasing is costing more than it would had they just kept a previous installation open.

   2 years ago

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10. 

    Community Member

    Great suggestion! One that should be seriously considered. Definitely a tremendous and positive impact would result, not only in cost savings to the tax payer, but in military readiness, continuity of operations, military children's education, military spouses' career ambitions, local housing markets...

    2 years ago

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11. 

    Community Member

    Military Pay: A recent O4 retired. His current contractor job at $140,000/yr is providing him about what he took home before after taxes given the tax benefits the military provides. So for officers O4 and above there is hardly a pay discrepancy. Totally NOT the same for most all enlisted.

    Military risk: Remember, military members are expected to do some pretty demanding things and may give their lives or have to kill others. Many are killed in just training. It is a dangerous, demanding job that takes discipline and skill. With deployments and war stresses, suicide and divorce are at an all time high in the military.

    There are many things wrong with the military, but pay reform is a very hard nut to crack given the demands and risks of military service. Sorry, but I don't have an answer here.

    2 years ago

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12. 

    Community Member

    There is so much wrong in the military, but it's certainly not the salary. For most service members it's a job like any other - only with a lot more benefits that a normal worker will never have (housing allowance is just one). And the higher the rank, the more benefits they get.

    2 years ago

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13. 

    Community Member

    I disagree with your comments.

    First, movements are important for anumber of reasons. One of which was mentioned above: complaciency. Also, there are posts/bases out there that are necessary as strategic points that are not desireable places to live. If people were allowed to stay where they liked, the non-desireable places would empty out. Or people would be forced to stay there. It is a small sacrifice for the overall good of our military strength for people to move every few years.

    Second, someone making $17,000 a year should have concidered that a factor before deciding to raise a family. Having children should not be justification for higher pay. Also, with the extra benefits of the military a $17K salary is actually higher than many other salaries for people around the country.

    2 years ago

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14. 

    Community Member

    Complacency is a leadership issue. If someone is complacent, they need to be corrected. Moving them somewhere else doesn't fix complacency.

    Moot point.

    2 years ago

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15. 

    Community Member

    Military is a choice, there are TONS of benefits that those that are in the military choose or choose not to utilize. Hello amazing GI bill? Hello oppty to live in different areas w/o paying for it? Hello oh you bought a house and now you PCS'd and we'll pick up the tab?

    2 years ago

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16. 

    Community Member

    OK, I'm a 20 year senior leader in the US Army and will always be open to higher pay and absolutely agree with the concept of installation/unit stabilization. It simple cost too much to move a family especially if the move involves crossing an ocean. I believe the military is continually under paid for what we do. I will always lobby for better military pay even after retirement.

    However, need to make corrections to the comment/idea. $19,465.02 is the lowest actual pay any Soldier in the military can receive this is not high by any standard. (everything below is common knowledge "Military Pay table 2010" google it) However, this pay is only for a 6 month period as the first promotion in the military is automatic now. (Yep, that’s right automatic just shows up after 6 months) This is also base pay and does not include any of the other benefits, the lowest individual pay rate for a single Soldier who receives quarters and 3 meals a day $21,095.20 and I did not include cost-of-living-allowance as it varies depending on location or free medical treatment as it is given to every Soldier whether married or not and includes dependants if married. Average time to make Specialist in the US Army is 18-24 months and the pay at that time will be $22,291.22 base, as of pay table 2010 less any benefits and the only bill an individual single Soldier has are the ones they create themselves. There is no cost for housing, food, medical treatment and a host of other free services. Married Soldiers can expect pay at the same level to be right at $10k more with the additional benefits you receive as a married Soldier. Education is also at a minimum if the individual does a little research they will find the military will pay 75% of all cost for civilian education and the federal government will even pick up the other 25%. That’s a total cost of FREE for a collage education, all the Soldier has to do is maintain a (C) average and be on active duty. Oh, did I mention the Soldier hasn’t used a dime of their G.I. Bill either. This also translates to the family now, free education or at the lowest possible expense for a dependant’s education. Again all that is required is the Soldier be in an active duty status.

    Advice, actually research this and make your own mind up. The average Soldier especially career Soldiers do much better than they think and in terms of their civilian counterpart it can be much better.

    I could actually write a novel length essay on the free services and discount offered exclusively to military personnel that an individual in the civilian sector would pay through the nose for but I’ll stop here before I get into it in depth.

    Sorry, I call it as I see it.

    2 years ago

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17. 

    Community Member

    End war and lose our need for the military.

    When you count benefits into the salary equation, you're not doing so badly. Free medical, education, dental, eye, housing (with all of the utilities you can waste)...

    You join the military of your own volition. If you don't know what you're getting into you're a moron.

    2 years ago

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18. 

    Community Member

    END WAR... Yeah, the people in Carthage thought they did that but the Romans taught them otherwise. If you want peace, you must be prepared to fight. The military is an essential part of peace. My issue is the fact that Congress and the President get paid during a shutdown when they are the ones who failed to get their job done, while military in a combat zone have families who do not get a paycheck. That is stupiest thing this country ever proposed. With enemies like that, the Taliban don't need many friends. Congress needs to wake up and make sure at least the military serving a combat zone get paid during a government shutdown. No excuses, no political BS, like the comedian said, JUST GET IT DONE!

    2 years ago

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