Anybody look at the open time for next month? Looks like it'll be a good time to work on the golf game, or start a new project around the house (don't tell my wife.)

It won't go away. If anything it will be a VERY significant net increase for the majority of those who serve because under the status quo if you punch out before 20, which is the considerable majority, you get nothing. If I read correctly its somewhere around 16% in a mandated low risk B fund style program. The only ones who will be hurt by this are the "coloring book" drill for points for 10 years guys and even they have had to have known this was coming.

Either way the mentality of anything government being 20 years of work and a lifetime of immortal security while the private sector works for 40-50(+?) and good luck hope your investments worked out, IF you had enough to save in the first place, is a fiscal impossibility anymore. Especially if we intend on a multimillion man standing global military for all eternity.

Let's start with Senator's, Congressmen, TSA, IRS, DOJ, Dept of Ed, DOT, FAA, and all other government employees before we get to the armed forces.

We can cut the defense budget, but this isn't the place to start.

Agreed! !

Bingo-if you enlist and spend 5-10 years defending the country (usually the guys/gals on the pointy end of the spear), and get out to go to school, get a job, etc, you get squat. I think the problem they are seeing is with the cliff vesting. IMO, giving some sort of 401K contribution for service in the early "war fighting years" is appropriate. Look at the typical age of the kids killed in the war these days. They're junior and generally in their 20s.

Nevermind.

If our military was in the business of national DEFENSE instead of whatever whim adventure the president or congress deems cause du jour, maybe there wouldn't be a need for such a large standing force, and also it wouldn't be hard to recruit if our true sovereignty was being threatened....


By the way, I think people who are willing to get shot at as volunteers for our nation deserve the best pension/retirement plans of any government employees.

You're right that it will be better for those serving less than 20 years since they can walk away with some type of benefit, but its an absolute kick in the jimmy compared to the current plan for people wanting to serve over 20 yrs. It's like taking away a dollar and giving you back a quarter while Uncle Sam parades around like they just did you a huge favor.

The number of people willing to put up with the military demands for 20 years will drastically be reduced. Especially if they can take what they have and walk when they decide a 3rd year in Afghanistan is too much for the family to take. This plan will result in a huge drain of experience from the military. All the technology in the world is useless without a well trained person behind it with the experience to employ it correctly.

As for the comparison to private sector jobs and pay benefits... its an apples an oranges comparison. The expectations are completely different and each have appropriately different pay and benefit structures.

That and a war on poverty that we are losing each and every year at the cost of trillions upon trillions since we transformed into a nanny-state.

Guys, these are the recommendations of an advisory panel - pretty much as far from a done deal as you can get.

That said, don't hesitate to write your representatives and keep military pensions the "third rail" of American politics (says the guy with 19 years active/reserve in).