Congressional panel recommends 15% pay increase for enlisted troops
The report focused on military family experiences with barracks, wages, food insecurity, health care, childcare and spouse employment.
BY PATTY NIEBERG | PUBLISHED APR 11, 2024 6:16 PM EDT
More private barracks and a 15% jump in enlisted pay are among the key steps the military should take if it wants to improve quality of life for service retention, a bipartisan report by a House Armed Services panel released Thursday found. Childcare and job opportunities for spouses were also high on the panel’s priority list.
“It is clear that we must address these issues if we are to sustain the All-Volunteer Force,” according to the report by the Quality of Life panel. The report was put together after months of hearings, briefings, roundtables, oversight visits, and interviews. The panel’s recommendations are aimed at inclusion in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.
“You think about these global challenges that we are facing. We think about our military branches, we think about conflict but really it comes down to people,” Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) said at a press conference for the report’s unveiling. “It’s not just the women and men who make the incredible sacrifice and commitment, it’s their entire family.”
https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/quality-of-life-report-congress/
