Friday’s Last Word: Pull Pin, Throw Grenade, Run Away: A provocative thought to kick off the weekend…
By Major Matthew Cavanaugh
Image courtesy of Defense Imagery & Video Distribution System and Montana NG Public Affairs.
In 2012, Time magazine noted a Congressional Budget Office report (critical selection available here) that found in 1980 it cost $57,000 to field a troop (all services combined) – and by 2010 that same figure had “ballooned” to $217,000 – not including inflation.
I’ll probably write more on this in the coming weeks – but it’s worth considering – is it time for a pay cut? Are service members, above the lower enlisted ranks, paid too much? Is current pay structure sustainable for the force structure we would like to have in 5, 10, 20 years?
Image courtesy of CBO and Time.