Military enlistees could soon be offered a range of new retirement options as the Defense Department tries to get a handle on a retirement benefit fund that is spiraling out of control/.../
Todd Harrison, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said retirement should be assessed along with other forms of compensation.
A survey that he conducted of 2,600 servicemembers last year, shows most place a high value on increases to their base pay and tax-free shopping at military exchanges, but that they underestimate the value of free medical care, he said.
“Military compensation is the primary tool by which we induce people to serve in an all-volunteer force,” he said. “So any changes should be made based on the best available evidence of how it will affect the force.”