CRS Issue Statement on Military Personnel and Compensation

Charles A. Henning, Coordinator
Specialist in Military Manpower Policy

Military operations undertaken in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 have significantly changed the duty requirements, expectations, and environment for members of the Armed Forces and their families, particularly in the Army, the Marine Corps, and the reserve components. These changes have resulted in congressional and executive branch action to: (1) increase the size and change the structure of the military services; and, (2) adjust certain aspects of the military compensation system to recognize the greater sacrifices being made by service members and to sustain acceptable recruiting and retention rates. The second session of the 111th Congress may well revisit these issues in light of ongoing concerns about these topics. For example, the Secretary of Defense recently announced plans to temporarily further increase the size of the Army by 22,000 soldiers. In February, the congressionally-mandated Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) is scheduled to be released and is expected to focus on the capabilities and forces needed to address today's conflicts and tomorrow's threats. The issues raised by the QDR and the continuing growth of the Army will likely be evaluated in light of both the dramatic increase in Department of Defense personnel costs over the past decade and the recent U.S. economic and financial downturn. 

The Administration's plans to redeploy over 100,000 U.S. personnel and most of their equipment from Iraq and to "surge" an additional 30,000 service members to combat operations in Afghanistan during 2010 will likely highlight other personnel issues. This realignment of forces has implications for the operating tempo, "dwell time," continued family separations, and, potentially, recruiting and retention. Efforts will continue to increase the supply of certain high skill units such as special forces, civil affairs, and information operations; improving training in foreign language and cultural skills; and enhancing the military's ability to train, equip, and advise foreign security forces.


Date of Report: January 13, 2010
Number of Pages: 3
Order Number: IS40349
Price: $7.95

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