Military Review English Edition November-December 2015 | Page 102

put, on an unsustainable course.”14
Reinforcing Panetta’s remarks on
personnel expenses, Gen. Martin
Dempsey, former chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a 2013 joint
town hall forum stated, “But compensation … and health care costs
are growing at rates that are unsustainable to the all-volunteer force.”15
As costly as recruiting and
sustaining the AVF has become,
reformers and policy makers must
consider that young people in the
talent market have already factored
today’s military compensation into
their decision making. Consider that
today’s Marine or Army privates
receive compensation that puts
(Photo by Sgt. First Class Rebecca Doucette, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center)
them in the ninetieth percentile
Sgt. Janiece Marquez, a Pashto linguist, engages members of the Afghan Local Police
1 February 2011 in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. The Army must compete for the 4 perof their societal peer group.16 Even
cent of Americans who, like Marquez, are willing and qualified to serve.
with ongoing uncertain economic
conditions, especially those affectThe Political Challenges: Paying
ing young adults, today’s relatively generous military
for Talent
compensation and benefits package already is priced into
To support the military’s efforts to recruit talent,
the talent market where the military competes each day
Congress has not neglected compensating military service.
with businesses and colleges.17
Since 2001 especially, America’s leaders in the executive
However, even if the political will existed to approand legislative branches of government have recognized
priate more money to increase military compensation,
the challenging requirements of military service, with its
benefits, or even enlistment bonuses, such incentives
increased pace of operations on a global scale. Accordingly,
would have to alter the market calculus in favor of
Congress has enabled military recruiters to attract sufficient military enlistment. In terms of budget and relative
talent in most years to fill the ranks, in part by increasing
compensation, the AVF faces strong headwinds if it is
pay and benefits for military members and families.
to sustain its talent base, much less improve it, by addSteady improvements in compensation and benefits
ing fiscal incentives.
have sustained enlisted talent acquisition during very difTo complicate decisions in the current fiscal enficult years, especially for the Army. However, one result
vironment, Congress, with the power of the purse,
is that the AVF has become increasingly expensive over
has little flexibility due to the Budget Control Act of
the long term. Some would describe paying for the AVF
2011. Without action by both congressional chambers
as an economic challenge rather than a political one. But,
and the president to ease budget constraints, there
because Congress is constitutionally required to raise and
will be even less flexibility for spending on recruitsupport the Army and provide and maintain the Navy,
ment. Consequently, while DOD is asking for controls
these acts are inherently political.13
on compensation and benefits, it is also demanding
In 2011, then Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta
improved quality of its enlistees in the future force—
declared military personnel costs unsustainable in the
which implies increased compensation. Thus, the politilong run: “The fiscal reality facing us means that we
cal tensions with regard to quality versus quantity are
have to look at the growth in personnel costs, which
substantial. However, this is just one dimension of the
are a major driver of budget growth and are, simply
recruiting challenge.
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November-December 2015  MILITARY REVIEW