Would troops prefer the promise of Tricare for Life health care coverage or a cash bonus of $5,500 for every year they serve on active duty?
That’s the kind of question the Pentagon needs to start asking as it seeks “better value” for its personnel spending, according to a Washington think tank.
The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments released a report (PDF) Wednesday, “Changing the Business of Defense,” that says the Pentagon does little research into the kind of benefits troops really want and appreciate.
“Rather than focusing exclusively on how to reduce costs, [the Defense Department] should instead focus on how to get better value from its compensation and benefits programs,” stated the report.
Personnel costs have soared during the past decade and the military today spends 46 percent more per service member than in 2001. Yet a recent survey suggesting troops are less satisfied with current pay and benefits than they were before 2001, the report said.