Improving Military Educational Benefits
Abstract
I appreciate the opportunity to testify today on the status of military recruiting and the need to improve military educational benefits. Military educational benefits in the past have served a variety of purposes, including increasing society's educational level and helping military personnel readjust to civilian life. Recent proposals for improved benefits, however, have stressed their role in the recruiting and retention of military personnel. My testimony today will focus on that role. Military recruiting and retention are currently at historical highs and are likely to remain high for the next several years. Thus, for the next few years, there is no apparent need for new incentives--such as improved educational benefits--to meet military manpower needs. Problems could develop in the middle and late 1980s, especially if military pay and benefits do not keep pace with increases in private-sector pay, if the military grows substantially in size, or if the economy recovers from the recession more rapidly than is forecast. If recruiting problems occur, and the Congress considers meeting them with improved educational benefits, it should keep in mind several findings.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 31, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA528406
Entities
People
- Robert F. Hale
Organizations
- Congressional Budget Office