By C.R. Wilder While House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) praised President Obama's recent proposal to freeze the pay of federal civilian employees for two years, Rep. Hoyer believes that the freeze should also extend to the military to help address the burgeoning federal deficit. "It would have produced significantly more savings had that sacrifice been shared between federal civilian and military personnel ' with a strong exception for the members of our military and civilian employees risking their lives on our behalf in Afghanistan, Iraq, and anywhere else they are serving in harm's way," Rep. Hoyer said in the Washington Times.
There's no doubt that fiscal prudence is a virtue that has been sorely lacking in both parties. Extending the freeze to certain sectors of the military, however, would be demoralizing and potentially onerous as making ends meet could become an even greater struggle. Let's take, for example, basic pay of active duty Army soldiers. A Private (E2) with less than two years of experience earns $19,465, a Specialist or Corporal (E4) with four years of experience earns $26,398, and a Staff Sergeant (E6) with six years of experience earns $33,616.
Though those amounts don't include bonuses, allowances, and other benefits, they pale in comparison to the enormous sacrifice that both the soldier and his or her family make to serve our country. I am deeply grateful to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who serve our nation so selflessly. In my own family, I have tremendous respect for my late father-in-law who fought as a Marine in Vietnam, and for my brother who is a former Air Force officer.
As to Rep. Hoyer's exception for those serving in harm's way, stateside military personnel could also receive notice of a deployment at any time. Rep. Hoyer's comments clearly struck a nerve with those in the military and those who support the military. Here are some comments that followed The Hill's piece in which Hoyer suggests that the military should also see a pay freeze:
There's no question that the federal government needs to vigorously curtail spending to shrink our ballooning deficit but the 'broad sacrifices' that President Obama said would be required to do that shouldn't be required of those who are already sacrificing the most.
