Basic Pay In The United States All-Volunteer Armed Forces
Abstract
As the United States enters the 21st century, the readiness of its over 1.4 million all-volunteer armed forces is as important today as anytime during the 27 year history of the modern all-volunteer force (AVF). Over the last several years, the AVF has faced significant retention and recruiting challenges while the nation's economy has enjoyed record low unemployment placing great demand on the AVF retaining the highly skilled and dependable professional forces. Hence, a significant debate on Capitol began on whether or not basic pay compensation is adequate, fair and comparable to civilian wages within the context of retention within the armed forces. This paper asks the question whether retention in the AVF would benefit from a more predictable and consistent basic pay policy. Those responsible for basic pay policy must understand and articulate the fundamental motivational underpinnings of the AVF in context with a national determination of what is fair and adequate basic pay for the future success of the AVF. The paper analyzes the historical, current and future underpinnings of the modern AVF as related to basic pay policy. Analysis is provided on periods of volunteerism in the 20th century; the decision for the U.S. to switch to a modern AVF in the early 1970s; and the lessons learned from the hollow force crisis (late 1970S's) with emphasis on the application of Charles Moskos' Institutional and Occupational motivational theory. The paper assesses the current forces that shaped basic pay policy in CY1999 for FY2000 and highlights differing opinions as to the adequacy of basic pay. Finally, the paper looks at future fiscal and workplace environment forecasts, the adequacy of indexes used to develop current basic pay policy and differing opinions on whether basic pay is comparable to civilian wages.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 15, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA377972
Entities
People
- Kenneth R. Carson
Organizations
- United States Army War College