The congressionally established commission mulling changes to military compensation and retirement is requesting feedback from service members to gauge their preferences. The panel intends to survey a number of personnel from the Active Duty and reserve components during the next few months, according to a June 3 Pentagon release. There are also plans to survey retired service members. The survey will ask participants to value individual elements of their compensation package in relation to each other, said Alphonso Maldon, commission chairman. “Our fundamental objective is to craft an integrated compensation and personnel system that will continue to be valued by service members, provide flexibility for the uniformed services, and be cost effective,” he said. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) have been advocating for this input as the commission formulates its recommendations, which are due to Congress and the President in February 2015. Service members are also invited to submit comments via the panel’s website. (See also Joint Chiefs Unite for Pay, Compensation Reform.)
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Defense Department needs to upgrade its electronic warfare capability and its EW training ranges; just as his predecessor said at his own confirmation hearing.