DôD pánel calls for radical retirement overhaul

[Deleted]

The only difference is we get a lesser deal on everything, we pay more for our healthcare, we have to work longer, we have to pay more toward our reitrement, we have our pay frozen while the military still get raises, we don't get lifelong healthcare. I'm not complaining as we still have it pretty good, but I'm trying to make the point that the military has it better and costs far more than we do. If we're going to talk about "what's fair" then I think it's fair the military have their pensions and benefits overhauled to bring it more in line with cooperate or civilian federal benefits.

My God Phenoix84 you sound EXACTLY like a recruter for the military. They too leave out people shooting at you, not seeing your family for 9 months per year, open ranks inspections & physical training at 5am (before you work your 8 to 12 hour day), poor pay, moving every 3 to 5 year etc. If it's so good, why not try to get in? They are taking a lot of people they wouldn't have taken a few years ago.

[safeharbor37]

This is what a lot of people are going to face. Fixed benefit retirement is a thing of the past [although I am getting it now]. It's a response to changing times. My son will currently have to wait until he's 67 to get full Social Security although he isn't likely to live any longer than I have [I'm hard to kill]. We got used to the idea that if we got a job at GM, John Deere, GE, etc. that we'd have lifetime employment and a comfortable retirement no longer applies ~ and we'd better get used to it.
There should be a "phasing in" of changes, but changes are necessary ~ we're running out of money. The nature of the military is different than when the retirement system was devised. Today many military have careers very much like they'd have if they did similar work in private industry ~ and in fact frequently continue to do virtually identical work in the private sector when they leave the military ~ with retirement [double/triple dipping, e.g.].
I don't like change either. It's makes me uncomfortable and I'm always concerned that I'll lose something I have or won't get something I want. But change is a constant and, for those of us who have been around for a while, upon us. It's time to quit complaining and adapt.
It is odd though, as our government seems more intent on providing more and more services to all kinds of people, that they would withdraw earned benefits from those who earned [or are earning] it to give similar benefits to those who didn't [and aren't] earning it. It'll all come out in the wash and a generation from now only a few will be left around to talk about the "good old days" [or, at least, "those' good old days].
What it looks like is a move to a system which will require more individual responsibility while providing a more comfortable "safety net." I think that is the way society is going and, like it always is, we'd be better served to adapt than to try to hang on to the past.

[Phoenix84]

Very good observations Safeharbor. I agree.

Today's military is very different than from the one when the retirement system was devised. Today's military is more professional and highly trained than ever before. Most people in the military work in a job that is the same or has some application to a job in the private sector or civilian government. Military folks are way more than just mere soldiers, they are engineers, nurses, vetrinary techs, police officers, firefighters, supply clerks, lawyers, accountants, dentists, secretaries, ect. Most of them leave with skills enough to earn a middle class living. I would say we need to take care of any who are wounded in the line of duty, but I just can't see why a healthy 40 year old should collect 50% of their pay for the next 50+ years.

[Phoenix84]

"My God Phenoix84 you sound EXACTLY like a recruter for the military. They too leave out people shooting at you, not seeing your family for 9 months per year, open ranks inspections & physical training at 5am (before you work your 8 to 12 hour day), poor pay, moving every 3 to 5 year etc. If it's so good, why not try to get in? They are taking a lot of people they wouldn't have taken a few years ago."

Because that's not what I wanted to do. I wanted to serve a different way. And for the record, I've moved every 1.5 years since I started with the government, only see my family about every 6 months, the vast majority of the military is never under real fire, and the pay isn't that bad, especially for people who never go to college.

I don't really want to get into a pissing contest with the military of "who has it worse". I respect what they do and think it's important, I just don't think they should be "untouchable."

Besides, I could turn the question back to you. If being in the military is so aweful, then why did you join the military, much less spend 20 years in? It couldn't have been that bad if you spent half of your working life there.

[handyman2]

They need to straighten out the mess they have with the current system. My friend retired after 22 years of service in the army. he received a letter last year telling him he was not elfgible for the retirement he was given and in fact he owed the army money back.
They stopped payments and he lost his retrement home and a vehicle. Six months later after he hired a lawyer they admitted they had made a mistake but the damage was done. The retirement program was handled by a private contractor and they were apperantly getting a bonus for saving the government money according to my understanding of it.
I would be leery of anything they do. What is to say they do not use the money like they did with SS and create a chance for it being used elsewhere?

[robbase]

This is still MANY years down the line to come...it will come, but military are sacred cows (deservedly so IMO) and the time to end their pensions will be last....right now we see all this fuss over teachers pensions, next will be other more "normal-ish" gov (at city, state and federal level) workers pensions (gov clerks, accountants etc), than Congress / other pensions, thsn Police / fire dept / ambulance medical emergency personnel, & than finally military pensions...there just is not enough to sustain it and this will generally be the order that pensions fall...miltary pensions will go away, but they will be last & there are easily 5 - 10 years left before this will happen

I probably left some worker categories off the above, but you get the idea

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I can understand the need to deal with budget issues.

And I think it would be reasonable to implement this new system for new recruits, or even people on their first enlistment.

But to even consider it for people like my wonderful DH (with more than 17 years in toward a 20-year retirement) seems .... unconscionable.

My biggest hope is that this gets fully discussed, well considered, and slowly implemented (if at all) so as to not screw up the retirement plans for career military people who already have been in 15 years or more...

[djAdvocate]

Jul 29, 2011 19:24:26 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

I can understand the need to deal with budget issues.

And I think it would be reasonable to implement this new system for new recruits, or even people on their first enlistment.

But to even consider it for people like my wonderful DH (with more than 17 years in toward a 20-year retirement) seems .... unconscionable.

My biggest hope is that this gets fully discussed, well considered, and slowly implemented (if at all) so as to not screw up the retirement plans for career military people who already have been in 15 years or more...

molly! what are you doing down here! i thought you only talked kitty!