Posted on Jun 23, 2023
Should pay grade be partly decoupled from rank?
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In many cases, the pay makes sense for the rank.
However, sometimes it doesn't.
Maybe a SPC or SGT filling the role of a squad leader should get E-6 pay. Maybe medical personnel who hold high ranks because of their medical expertise but who have little knowledge of the military itself would do better as 2LTs making O-6 pay, for example. Maybe we can attract desperately needed cyber warriors by giving them Officer pay reflecting their value but leaving them at junior Enlisted ranks reflecting their formal education and military experience.
The way we have done things, may not be the best way to do things as we move forward in our changing world.
However, sometimes it doesn't.
Maybe a SPC or SGT filling the role of a squad leader should get E-6 pay. Maybe medical personnel who hold high ranks because of their medical expertise but who have little knowledge of the military itself would do better as 2LTs making O-6 pay, for example. Maybe we can attract desperately needed cyber warriors by giving them Officer pay reflecting their value but leaving them at junior Enlisted ranks reflecting their formal education and military experience.
The way we have done things, may not be the best way to do things as we move forward in our changing world.
Posted in these groups: 
Rank
Military Pay
Rank Military Pay
Posted 11 mo ago
Responses: 14
"Decoupled from rank"? No.
Discussion about expanding special pay (proficiency, retention, incentive, etc)? Yes.
Remember, your "base pay" is only one of the things that the military uses for compensation. I'm not talking about compensation that all Servicemembers get (Commissary, TSP, etc), but rather incentive pay, special education programs, etc.
For example, since you mentioned Cyber, DoD spent over $160 million on cyber retention bonuses last year. Additionally, many Services give up to $500/month in special pay for cyber operators.
Additionally, many other MOSes will get special pay if they are in an assignment that has unusual degree of responsibility, is a shortage MOS, or to reflect a closer comparison to civilian counterparts (especially in the medical field).
Discussion about expanding special pay (proficiency, retention, incentive, etc)? Yes.
Remember, your "base pay" is only one of the things that the military uses for compensation. I'm not talking about compensation that all Servicemembers get (Commissary, TSP, etc), but rather incentive pay, special education programs, etc.
For example, since you mentioned Cyber, DoD spent over $160 million on cyber retention bonuses last year. Additionally, many Services give up to $500/month in special pay for cyber operators.
Additionally, many other MOSes will get special pay if they are in an assignment that has unusual degree of responsibility, is a shortage MOS, or to reflect a closer comparison to civilian counterparts (especially in the medical field).
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
LMAO... While Station In South Korea, At OSAN AFB,
Here Was My Total Pay For All The Extras We Were Paid, As A Lousy E-3;..
Base Pay ~ Isolated Hardship Duty ~ Hazardous Duty ~ And 2 Others I Can't Recall.
I Netted A Whopping $173 Per Month !
~.Almost Enough For A 6 Pack & A Carton Of Smokes.~
Here Was My Total Pay For All The Extras We Were Paid, As A Lousy E-3;..
Base Pay ~ Isolated Hardship Duty ~ Hazardous Duty ~ And 2 Others I Can't Recall.
I Netted A Whopping $173 Per Month !
~.Almost Enough For A 6 Pack & A Carton Of Smokes.~
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SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA, good thoughts. But it wouldn't work large scale. SPC and SGTs in a squad leader billet is the exception, not the rule. The military is a strict hierarchal organization and as such has expectations for each rank and the pay grade matches that.
There is not an expectation for a SPC to fill the role of Squad Leader. It happens, sure, but it is not supposed to. You could make an argument that a SPC in a leadership billet should get some kind of temporary pay bump, but decoupling rate and grade will only make the problem (shortage of NCOs in certain MOS) worse.
Medical is a different beast. Those O6 doctors are in charge in a similar fashion, just a different unit structure. There is no danger of a MED O6 stumbling into an IN BDE and taking charge. They are in charge of other MED officers in a medical setting. I am not sure we have a shortage of medical officers that we would need to change things to bring more in (after all the army pays for their medical school).
The military is having the conversation of how to attract cyber professionals into military service, changing the pay structure itself isn't the solution, it's the base pay that is the problem. The military will never be able to compete with industry.
I agree with you, the "standard" way may not be the best way and there is some good conversations of how to flatten the management structure, but I think many would agree that is a bad idea for most of the military to tilt less than vertical. Organizations with more horizontal structures tend to have the "multiple boss" problem and lack the ability to tightly control emergent situations. Its just not feasible with such large organizations.
There is not an expectation for a SPC to fill the role of Squad Leader. It happens, sure, but it is not supposed to. You could make an argument that a SPC in a leadership billet should get some kind of temporary pay bump, but decoupling rate and grade will only make the problem (shortage of NCOs in certain MOS) worse.
Medical is a different beast. Those O6 doctors are in charge in a similar fashion, just a different unit structure. There is no danger of a MED O6 stumbling into an IN BDE and taking charge. They are in charge of other MED officers in a medical setting. I am not sure we have a shortage of medical officers that we would need to change things to bring more in (after all the army pays for their medical school).
The military is having the conversation of how to attract cyber professionals into military service, changing the pay structure itself isn't the solution, it's the base pay that is the problem. The military will never be able to compete with industry.
I agree with you, the "standard" way may not be the best way and there is some good conversations of how to flatten the management structure, but I think many would agree that is a bad idea for most of the military to tilt less than vertical. Organizations with more horizontal structures tend to have the "multiple boss" problem and lack the ability to tightly control emergent situations. Its just not feasible with such large organizations.
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CSM William Everroad
PV2 Scott Mollette - That makes sense, those that made it to NCO ranks were rotating out towards the end and the Army was getting new Soldiers faster than they could promote them. This would be a good argument for giving a pay boost for those people who were serving in those roles.
While a situation like that could happen in today's force, the rank structure and promotions are based in more than just experience. In an effort to "professionalize" the NCO corps, there are now professional military education requirements to advance.
The original question about separating the rank from the pay grade undermines the whole point of the new system, but giving billet assigned pay supplements would not because the idea would be that the SPC serving in a TM LDR or SQD LDR role would eventually either get promoted or get replaced by an actual SGT or SSG.
While a situation like that could happen in today's force, the rank structure and promotions are based in more than just experience. In an effort to "professionalize" the NCO corps, there are now professional military education requirements to advance.
The original question about separating the rank from the pay grade undermines the whole point of the new system, but giving billet assigned pay supplements would not because the idea would be that the SPC serving in a TM LDR or SQD LDR role would eventually either get promoted or get replaced by an actual SGT or SSG.
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As COL Randall C. mentioned, there are special allowances along with base pay. While higher ranks make more overall, a servicemember with a family who is deployed to a hostile fire zone will get additional allowances compared to a single person stationed in CONUS.
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