Is the old enlisted/officer paygrade system outdated, considering the more educated service members under an All Volunteer Force?

You have to remember that the military is paid the bare minimum to get people to do the job and you are paid based upon your level of responsibility and education. Officers will always make more than enlisted generally speaking. If you want to make more you have 2 options. Get a degree and commission or get out get and get a better paying civilian job. It really is that simple.

Aaron, I enlisted in the Army in August, 1966, earning the princely sum of $97 per month (I cleared $71 after taxes). I had never made that much $$ in the 19 years of my life up to that point working for local farmers and a paper route. One stood at attention in front of a pay Officer sitting at a small field desk and was handed cash. Frankly, I didn't have any idea how to spend that much money! Single, easy job, no bad habits, had 3 hots and a cot - life was good! Now for the numbers: I earned $1,164 a year at that salary rate. An Army Pvt-E1 today earns $18,803 per year now ($1,567 a month). Result? Today's young E-1 service member's pay is 96% higher than when I entered the service, making more in one month than I was paid for a full year. Yes, we can debate today's economy, education and all the other factors, but I do not believe we need to increase basic pay across the board. Pay is computed against the job one signs up for, and by any standard whatsoever is generous when compared to similar positions in the civilian world. Too many ignore the many benefits of military service (medical, dental, commissary, exchange, clothing, free travel), focusing only on payday dollar amounts. Do the math and add the cost of all those free bennies to salary and then we'll talk.

Well, this again, have heard it for many years, so I will add here. As a retired 1SG, and having come through the Army when the NCO was labeled the Backbone of the Army Leadership was very important to me. I learned that as a SSG I was now a part of the Chain of Command, as a section chief you interact directly with the LT. I had great leaders around me as I grew to understand also that my authority also cane for the POTUS at certain levels, SFC and above. The biggest issue that was apparent to me upon my retirement in 2006 was that a majority of Enlisted simply do not know their place in respect to the Chain of Command. The NCO support channel runs parallel, it was incumbent upon myself to know not only my job, but that of my LT and eventually that of my Battery Commander, so if its responsibility you seek, you will have it as you earn rank. If its money you're after, military is not the job for you. The reason we are a All Volunteer Force, we still have patriots in the making, yet we still see those with an agenda other than that, trying to make changes to the core of the greatest force on the planet, not necessary. The only rank structure I would change is to bring back the SPC ranks up to SGM for staff and Enlisted technical fields. I lost many a good Soldier that I would never have considered a leader, yet were excellent at their respective jobs. Lastly, no one can pin on leadership, but there are a select group of people that have those inherent values and beliefs that can be developed, this is something I learned and stressed throughout my career, you can have an E5 or an NCO, you'll know the difference. Serve for pride in your Country, if you serve for money, you'll remain disappointed.