ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The mismatch between strategy, resources, missions and manning, a result of this nation’s security strategy of engagement, has had the greatest impact on the United States Army. Since 1989 the Army has been cut by more than 34 percent while undergoing a 300 percent increase in mission rates. Indeed, the Army has provided most of the forces used in the 35 major deployments in which it has participated since then. The average frequency of Army contingency deployments has increased from one every four years to one every 14 weeks.

The compensation and benefits paid to servicemembers must be fair and equitable based on their skills, experience, and nature of service.

Since 1989, the Army has reduced its civilian strength by 42 percent, while the average age of Army civilians has increased from 43 in Fiscal Year (FY) 1989 to 48 in FY 2000.During the downsizing in the 1990s, virtually all college recruitment, internships, cooperative education, etc., were dramatically curtailed or halted, thereby adversely affecting retention of existing civilian staff. As a result, there has been a sharp decrease in the number of employees under the age of 30, from 17 percent in 1989 to 6 percent in 2000.

The government pension offset unfairly reduces a retired government worker's spousal or survivor benefit from social security.

By the end of the 1990s, it had become apparent to the Army's leadership that more active duty troops were needed.

In his recent speech at West Point, President BUsh described an expansive and aggressive American foreign policy agenda.

The United States military is at an important crossroads in deciding how best to defend national interests. Do we continue with systems that served us well, or move forward with a transformation to new systems required to meet the changing environment?Past leaders faced similar decisions. The machine gun had a major impact on how wars were fought, just as the tank did in World War II. Vietnam saw the evolution to helicopters and air assaults; and Operation Desert Storm again proved the value of armored forces working in concert with artillery and air power.

With increased responsibility and deployments since the end of the Cold War, reserve component readiness has become a serious matter for national security. The Army’s greater reliance on reserve soldiers, especially after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States, has increased training missions and real-world operations for America’s citizen-soldiers. Despite shouldering a greater load, reservists’ financial well-being has been hindered by restrictions and oversights in the U.S.

The U.S. Army’s increasing reliance upon reserve component soldiers demands a review of the reserve retirement system. Today, soldiers in the active force who complete 20 years or more of service and choose to retire begin to draw their retirement pay immediately, regardless of age. However, soldiers who complete at least 20 years of duty as an Army reservist (in the Army National Guard or Army Reserve) must wait until age 60 to receive their retirement pay.

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act (SSCRA) of 1940 provides certain rights and privileges for men and women entering or called to active duty in the armed forces of the United States. The purpose of the SSCRA is to postpone or suspend some of the civil obligations of military personnel to allow them to give full attention to their military duties.