rickair7777

There might be a benefit. Since nobody would put with the kind of BS we deal with now, QOL would have to get a lot better.

Also they would have to pay huge retention bonuses most of the time in order to manage to force to get their control grade numbers where they need them. This would mean the cost of war and the military would be more apparent in today's budget rather than getting kicked down the road a few decades.

Marvin

Kinda funny how, if you start talking about reforming welfare or Social Security there is an overwhelming backlash, but you can have a discussion about ... not "reforming", but REDUCING, military retirement benefits for service members who are already at, for example, 15-18 years ... and there would seem to be no public outcry.

In fact, you'll have a hard time even finding a report about it in the mainstream media.

I am already retired (2008), but if I were currently active and retirement eligible I think I would strongly consider dropping my papers IMMEDIATELY. It takes 6 months or so to get a retirement approved, and by then it could be too late.

Of course, there is a chance that cooler heads will prevail -- the report showed an option that would still keep the retirement plan solvent and would retain the currrent retirement system for current service members. I would think that at least some folks would get grandfathered into the old plan ...

crewdawg

No...they're just plain stupid! The Guard/Reserve manning isn't exactly being increased...we can only get so big. Now if we see an increase in the ARC manning, then I may buy into your conspiracy theory.

Grumble

The other thing no one will talk about is the math. The DOD budget is roughly $500B/year. Currently the Gov't spend about $300B/month and only brings in about $172B/month. So we're talking a monthly deficit of $128B/month. So if you completely abolished the military... you'd still have 8 months, or roughly a $1.1 trillion annual deficit.

Sorry, but Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is were it's at. There is just no way around it, no politician will risk their career to tackle it though, thus nothing will change except to hurt those that have sacrificed the most.

Hrkdrivr

The military folks are an easy target. They're a small population being looked at by a huge population...low-hanging fruit not many people will care about, until the military is broken...

decrabbitz

They'll just do what they've done in the past when the airlines started hiring big and they couldn't afford to have pilots leave--STOPLOSS! No need for bonuses or improved QOL, you serve "at the will of the President" until they get their numbers right.....

crewdawg

At which point, you have a warm body that punches the clock every day, and not much more. No more, 12 hour days and working the weekend. Do their 8-10 hours day with a nice lunch break, and an hour in the gym.

BFMthisA10

What'd be the point of a stoploss if everyone has to work in Finance?

Grumble

Now that's funny.

crewdawg

Now that's hilarious and sad at the same time... Well played BFM!!!