The Military Could Soon Face a Flag Officer Talent Crisis
Senior leader pay is seriously out of sync with the risks and responsibilities that come with the positions.
By Col. Charles Luke
Fellow, Army War College
March 16, 2021
Military service members received a heralded 3% pay increase under the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, but this increase camouflaged the continued stagnation in general and flag officer pay stemming from provisions in the 2015 NDAA six years prior. That law limits the pay of generals and admirals (officers in pay grades O7 and above) to the Executive Level II salary level for civilians.
This pay cap limits current and retirement pay of senior executives to $199,300. While that may sound like an impressive amount of money, these are executive leaders responsible for organizations larger than any of the companies whose chief executives earn, on average, $21.3 million. As a result of the cap, officers stop receiving pay raises at the two star rank. It’s a limit that discourages continued service and makes it harder to keep talent at the highest levels of the military.
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/03/military-could-soon-face-flag-officer-talent-crisis/172677/
