Bigger Military Raise, Better Benefits Hit

Week of July 16, 2007

With President Bush's popularity scraping bottom in opinion polls, with U.S. casualties rising in Iraq in a force surge that has stretched soldier tours to 15 months, the Bush administration July 10 said it "strongly opposes" key military pay and benefit gains tossed into their fiscal 2008 defense bill. Initiatives the administration "strongly opposes" include:
  • A military pay raise for next January of 3.5 percent versus 3 percent endorsed by the White House.
  • Lowering the age-60 start of reserve retirement annuities for reserve component members by the length of their future mobilizations.
  • Expanding eligibility for Combat-Related Special Compensation to service members forced by combat disabilities to retire short of 20 years.
  • Directing pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide the Department of Defense with same price discounts for TRICARE retail pharmacy network that are provided already on medicines dispensed from base pharmacies.
To learn more, read the article at Military.com.

How do you feel about this action? Let your public officials know how you feel!