{"id":51296,"date":"2021-11-16T18:41:53","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T18:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/11\/16\/rising-costs-for-troops-pay-and-benefits-could-hurt-military-readiness-experts-warn\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:17:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:17:50","slug":"rising-costs-for-troops-pay-and-benefits-could-hurt-military-readiness-experts-warn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/mil-money\/2021\/11\/16\/rising-costs-for-troops-pay-and-benefits-could-hurt-military-readiness-experts-warn\/","title":{"rendered":"Rising costs for troops\u2019 pay and benefits could hurt military readiness, experts warn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Military leaders will need to make some difficult choices on pay and benefits<\/a> in coming years if they want to maintain funding needed to keep up force readiness and end strength, a panel of defense experts said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to focus [military] benefits on those currently serving, but the problem is most of the benefits now have shifted to those no longer serving,\u201d said Arnold Punaro<\/a>, former staff director for the Senate Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are 2.4 million retirees [receiving benefits] compared to 1.3 million active -duty troops getting them \u2026 The deferred piece of military spending has to be dealt with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purnaro\u2019s comments came at a roundtable event on military challenges organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Other panelists echoed his concerns about personnel costs continuing to rise within the Defense Department even as the services\u2019 end strengths have declined.<\/p>\n\n\n\t