June 20, 2014

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey made their final push in support of administration’s FY 2015 budget proposal at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on June 18.

Members of the subcommittee used the majority of the hearing to gather information about the reemerging conflict in Iraq, but the DoD witnesses emphasized that the current budget environment required personnel accounts to be trimmed to preserve military readiness.

They restated their support of administration proposals to cap military pay, hike TRICARE pharmacy fees, consolidate TRICARE options, increase out-of-pocket housing costs, and cut the commissary subsidy.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) echoed his support for making cuts to military personnel programs, insisting that personnel costs consume 50 percent of the defense budget and continue to grow at an unstainable rate. However, MOAA’s own analysis shows that military personnel and health care costs comprise the same share of the defense budget (a little less than one-third) that they have for the last 30 years.

In May, the House rejected all of the administration’s proposals to shift costs onto the backs of servicemembers and retirees in its version of the FY 2015 defense authorization bill. However, the Senate Armed Services Committee adopted a second-year pay cap for servicemembers along with increases in pharmacy fees and increased out-of-pocket housing costs.

MOAA believes DoD leadership and the administration are presenting a false choice between providing adequate compensation for servicemembers and providing the training and equipment needed to accomplish their mission safely.

All Americans will need to share the sacrifice required to tackle our national debt, but the all-volunteer force shouldn’t be asked to shoulder a disproportionate share of the burden after all its already sacrificed.