How do you feel about Congress cutting military pay?

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 23:21:11 -0500

I read tonight where Congress has agreed to cut military pay, BAH, etc. How do you feel about this?

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/12/02/congress-agrees-to-troop-pay-bah-cuts-in-budget-compromise.html

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2014 11:51 PM

SrA Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 23:51:35 -0500

It's down right disrespectful and one of the most controversial issues military members face. I feel for my brothers and sisters whom are still in. It seems like they will continue to pick at this until they get what they want. The sacrifice is unmatched and yet they have the audacity to reduce the pay even more?? God forbid they're asked to dig out of their own pockets.

Response by Sgt Packy Flickinger made Dec 3 at 2014 12:12 AM

Sgt Packy Flickinger — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:12:50 -0500

I hate it, but with our "need" to support illegals and tons of other wasteful spending they need to cut costs somewhere. Someone said "how come you hear of SS going broke but not the welfare office". Idiots in charge of the credit card.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2014 12:17 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:17:41 -0500

I think there is a political war going on with POTUS and both sides are playing hardball and they will not be affected by it. The bad thing is that when Bills are reconciled, some ugly things remain and without line item veto, then it becomes political. The good thing is to get through the first of the year and stop illegal immigration, because that money could be used for Military pay.

We all this money to get votes and no money for the ones who served this great country? Is this a cut pay or a cut in the increase? I am not sure....

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2014 12:23 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:23:53 -0500

Personally, I'm tired if congress always looking to limit or withhold pay increases or entitlements for the service member. If they want to save money, congress needs to look in house. For example, military personnel are required to fly coach but congress can book first class! Social security is broken because it's not a system congress uses for themselves. We need to hold congress accountable to being good stewards of the taxpayers dollars as much they want us to be.

Response by PFC Aaron Knapp made Dec 3 at 2014 1:12 AM

PFC Aaron Knapp — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 01:12:22 -0500

This along with many other decesions is just another way of showing the current governments desire to slowly reduce troop levels. This is typicall of a post war society. Just like the late 90s after first gulf war. Sad but true..

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2014 9:47 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 09:47:51 -0500

SSgt L OI it seems like more of a cut in increase. The issue I have is the proposed increase in pay is roughly 1% behind the average increase in salary for civilians and 2% behind inflation costs. Not the mention they are proposing to cut BAH by another 1% with the option to cut more in the coming years. As this is supposedly some great compromise it makes me feel misrepresented and undervalued by not only my president but the congressional leaders I'm trusting to look after my great interest. Cutting funding to soldiers makes the lives of their families more difficult. And with the continued draw down in BAH married soldiers might have to start paying out of pocket for housing. Do my get me wrong I don't serve for the pay but I have to be able to provide for my family and I'm not sure that'll be easy if we keep seeing this trend

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2014 9:55 AM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 09:55:39 -0500

I do not think we should taking the cuts out of military personnel first. There are other areas that can take cuts long before we can. Like maybe Congress itself for one thing, all their little pet projects and agendas that they always have when they enter office, not to mention their "retirement" plans they get after few years. Most of them end up with speaking engagements, books, or job offers after (if they ever leave) office. I understand the need for them to find money but do they really need to start with us first? Especially since the current President seems hellbent on starting/get us involved in a new conflict where we are completely unsure what it will evolve into.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2014 11:43 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:43:53 -0500

Perhaps Congress needs to look in a mirror. Do they deserve all the entitlements they have? Do they need such large staffs in their home areas and in Washington?

I'd like to see the leadership of both houses try and survive on a Sergeants pay; and live in military housing.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 26 at 2014 9:00 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 21:00:56 -0500

Disappointing for sure, 1SG, but I'd still rather be underpaid than undertrained. Though with sequestration, I can see that coming too.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 26 at 2014 9:00 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 21:00:58 -0500

It's a small cut to start with, 1SG Private RallyPoint Member, but that worries me. Once they take a step down that road, it's easy to continue on the path and make deeper cuts in future years.

Response by SPC Charles Brown made Dec 26 at 2014 10:47 PM

SPC Charles Brown — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 22:47:03 -0500

I would truly love to see congress and the president live on what the highest paid members of the military equal to their respective time in service. I would also like to see them retire and live on the pay and benefits our retirees earn. After that, well, I bet they would change their opinion about what our service members are truly worth!

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 26 at 2014 10:48 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 22:48:39 -0500

NOW HEAR THIS!

THIS is precisely why YOU need to join one of the many Veteran Service Organizations (VFW, DAV, American Legion, etc) to get your voice heard! Trust me, you can write all the letters and make all the phone calls - assuming you have the right numbers and addresses. Imagine having the ability to make YOUR voice, whether active duty, retired or veteran, HEARD very clearly and very loudly in Congress!!!! Imagine your choice of Veteran Service Organization (VSO's) having the ability to sit down with a Congressional Committee and hear them say: "Mr Chairman, I have heard the voice of the members of my organization - all 6 million of them - and here is what they want YOU to hear from me........". Or even better, have access to a legislative committee member thru your VSO?

Getting Congress to HEAR YOUR VOICE thru your VSO is legal - even on active duty.

Just another reason to make the decision to have your voice heard.......

Off soapbox....resume the big suck.....

Response by CPT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 26 at 2014 11:03 PM

CPT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 23:03:05 -0500

1SG, I was just making a point about something similar to this. It was a microcosm of this situation. Many long time military personnel like to say "quit complaining and drive on". This is great and it makes for a very short term solution. Of you continue to let these kind of things to happen without a peep because "we are the military and we just suck it up" you make it easy for politicians to drop the hammer on you. So as a whole, if we do not stand up for our benefits and pay as politians elect to cut them, we make it easy to continue this trend. So we are not complaining about these cuts are belly aching... We are putting a foot down. Stopping policy makers from continuing to drop the hammer in our pay by not going down quietly. This is a scenario where it is okay to complain. It is okay to pipe up. There's a time to suck it up and there's a time to remind congress that we are people with families and responsibilities like anyone else. I with you on this one.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 26 at 2014 11:18 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 23:18:05 -0500

1SG Private RallyPoint Member it's a small cut now, but congress will continue to come back to military cuts when they need to slash the budget. Like SPC Charles Brown mentioned, if congressional benefits and pay were tied to military benefits and pay then congress would always find another way to balance out the budget. I've said before, social security is still broke because congress doesn't use it. They have their own special retirement plans and healthcare plans. When we stop allowing them to act as if they are better than ordinary citizens, only then will be able to get things done.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Dec 26 at 2014 11:27 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 23:27:14 -0500

I'd love for every service member to give a dollar a month to lobbyist so they can have more than enough money to fight for our benefit and while I know organizations like AUSA does things like this, but it seems like the only thing that congress understands are dollar signs and how much you have of it.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Dec 27 at 2014 12:12 PM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 12:12:12 -0500

I have more questions than thoughts. This article is 3 weeks old. Was what was passed in line with what was laid out in the article?

If so, my main issue would be around how the BAH decrease was done. If it cuts the BAH rate for someone PCSing to a a given location, that might be OK . It is just a factor to consider when setting up household. It should also have the impact, over time, of lowering housing costs in a given area.
Landlords have no incentive to ask for LESS than average BAH for an area.(remember, I was around when it was supposed to pay 80% of off-post housing costs, so that doesn't seem absurd to me)

IF it cuts BAH for people currently at a location, then that is an issue, as those housing decisions have already been made and are locked in. Part of me is tempted to say that $50 one way or another shouldn't make a difference. But I remember when I was making decisions based on $5 one way of the other.

Lower pay raise? Shrug. I have had a 6 year pay freeze at my civilian employer.

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Dec 27 at 2014 12:47 PM

SGT Bryon Sergent — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 12:47:14 -0500

Never fail's. They want people to enlist, or say in . Well bring the family have a career stay in but we don't want to pay your what you would make in the civilian side. Or buy a house for the family that you have. Oh wait stay on post you say. Well there isn't enough housing on post. Well we didn't issue you a family so it's not our problem. Just like the way when you go to the VA when you get out. First thing they say is prove you done this in the military. Well stupid I just got out of the military and have been there for x amount of years where else could I have done it. Well there isn't any medical showing you sustained the injury in the military. so they use your body up then don't want to fix it when you get out. PAR for the coarse you are screwed.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 27 at 2014 3:26 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 15:26:02 -0500

They do it because we allow it. How many of us write to our congressman, vote and or lobby for military benefits. Do we even have lobbyist who are persistent and fight for our cause? I believe if we had a local, state and federal presence on all fronts then things would change. Please be nice in your comments if you disagree.

Response by LTC Jason Strickland made Feb 4 at 2015 7:56 AM

LTC Jason Strickland — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 07:56:12 -0500

LTC Private RallyPoint Member, here's how some politicians may feel about military pay!