Military Retirement Essay

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Reforming Military Retirement
Military retirement is like no other in comparison to the civilian sector. After 20 years of faithful service you're free to go with a pension to take with you, no matter your job in the military. This means that by the age of 38, you could retire and draw half your pay each year for the rest of your life. However, is it fair that a chef in the Army can retire after just as many years as a Navy SEAL. Specific adjustments to the military retirement plan could attribute to a decrease in U.S. debt, an increase in personnel more dedicated to country service than drawing a pension, and allow for extra military budgeting.
When the military retirement system was designed, it was in an era in which the lifespans of people were shorter; pay in the civilian sector was far greater than in the military, and skills learned in the military weren’t transferable to the real world. Therefore military retirement wasn’t as desirable in the 1940’s as it is now. In fact, the military has perhaps the most generous retirement plan in comparison to any other profession. Now all of the following listed above are completely irrelevant, as military personnel make equivalent pay to civilians or even better, people are living to be 100+ years old, and the military now has many careers that benefit that can benefit the private sector after service. Because of this, the government is possibly looking to adjust the military retirement plan. The government would most likely look at an across the board cut to all military personnel’s retirements (Gienger). However, as already stated, why should a Navy SEAL and a chef both take the same cuts? This is not to undermine the service that the chef has put in, but other jobs in the military ...

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...ers in the future. In result leaving the country far less prepared against foreign enemy forces. Our military is the stronghold our nation’s defense, it would be foolish to cripple it. In legitimate effort to keep the military from feeling any further effects of the nation’s currently dwindling economy, an adjustment to service members retire plan might be necessary to mitigate and reduce budget cuts. A three tier retirement plan would reform pay and benefits based on a military member’s specific job in the service. Someone who is a career chef would no longer retire with the same pension as someone in infantry. Both are very important to the service and our country; however both are not equal in danger and degree of difficulty. Therefore, implementing this system this system would allow for a decrease in budget cuts, while easing the effects it has on the military.

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