Military Pay

In light of the GAO Nov. 2003 report highlighting significant pay problems experienced by Army Nat. Guard soldiers mobilized to active duty in support of the global war on terrorism & homeland security, GAO was asked to determine if controls used to pay mobilized Army Reserve soldiers provided assurance that such payments are accurate & timely. This audit used a case study approach to focus on controls over three key areas: processes, people (human capital), & automated systems. Includes test'y. before the House Comm. on Gov't. Reform, Subcomm. on Gov't. Efficiency & Financial Mgmt., U.S. House of Rep., by Gregory Kutz, & Geoffrey Frank, Financial Mgmt. & Assurance, GAO; & John Ryan, Office of Special Investigations, GAO.

Considers (85) S. 2014.

Comparing military pay with civilian pay, the authors find that military pay in 2017 was above the 70th percentile of civilian pay. It was at the 85th percentile for enlisted personnel and the 77th percentile for officers.

Of particular interest is the balance between across-the-board pay raises on the one hand, and ones targeted by grade, years of service, and occupational skill, on the other; and between cash compensation on the one hand and improvements in benefits such as housing, health care, and installation services on the other. [...] With the help of approximately 1,100 additional recruiters and an increase in the maximum enlistment bonus from $20,000 to $40,0001, the Army met its FY2006, FY2007 and FY2008 recruiting mission of 80,000 each year even though there was a decline in the number of High School Diploma Graduates and an increase in the number of waivers required. [...] Since the end of the draft in 1972-1973, the "adequacy" of military pay has tended to become an issue for Congress for one or both of two reasons:. [...] The current military pay table displays the amount of monthly basic pay2 which a servicemember is entitled to based on the member's pay grade3 and length of 2 Basic pay is monthly compensation that all military personnel in the same pay grade and with the same number of years of service receive. [...] For example, the last longevity increase for E-5 (Sergeant in the Army and Marine Corps, Staff Sergeant in the Air Force and Petty Officer Second Class in the Navy) occurs at "Over 12" while the final increase of 0-5 (Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps) occurs at "Over 22".