There has been a good deal of talk lately about ways to cut military costs.  One idea, currently being floated in Congress, is to ELIMINATE ANNUAL PAY RAISES.    Bonuses, instead, would only be provided to those people in critically needed or undermanned slots.  As a result, 40% of service members would get no annual increase in pay.

There is some wisdom to this philosophy.  It could save about $9.6 billion over the next four years.  Not exactly pocket change, at least unless you are a member of Congress.  But for those military families who are trying to keep up with the cost of living, pocket change might be a thing of the past. 

Personally, I think this is a pretty short sighted position.  True, the military doesn't have to deal with the wage issues of the private sector; soldiers under contract cannnot simply leave for a more lucrative position as they might do otherwise.  However, for a military facing recruiting and retention problems, discussion of further lowering the basic pay in comparison to civilian earnings isn't going to help gain or keep soldiers.  Couple this with other cost-cutting measures, such as closing commissaries and increasing out of pocket healthcare costs, and the military is looking less and less attractive to the bright young men and women that are considering joining the ranks. 

This issue definitely bears watching, although it is unlikely that a final decision will come any time too soon.  The new ad campaigns for military recruiting tout the virtues of pride and honor that come with wearing the uniform.  However, policy makers need to remember that, as important as those values are, they simply don't put food on the table.