Our Military’s Pay and Allowances: A Decade-Old Message Resurfaces—Somewhat Hacked

I recently received an e-mail from a dear Republican friend. You know, one of those e-mails that float around cyber space for years—in this case for more than 10 years—and are sent to the world as being fresh off the cyber press and as containing startling new revelations, usually political and politically motivated.

Surprisingly, I happen to totally agree with this one as being timely, almost timeless and spot-on, albeit ignoring the nuanced “modifications” made to the original message and the resulting implications and insinuations. But more on this later.

First, some background.

On January 12, 2000—that is more than 11 years ago—“a Cindy Williams” wrote an editorial (“Our GIs Earn Enough”) in the Washington Post, highly critical of a pay raise our military had just received—still under the Clinton administration—and lamenting that while “[t]he ink on the paychecks is not yet dry…already some politicians and lobbyists are clamoring for bigger raises in future years…”

Ms. Williams argued that, contrary to claims that, even after that “hefty” pay raise, the military suffered a 13 percent “pay gap” relative to the private sector, there was no such pay gap and that “our armed forces are already paid very well compared with the rest of America.”

Well, a young U.S. Air Force A1C (Airman First Class) from Hill AFB, Utah, took issue with Ms. Williams’ claims and wrote a letter that was widely circulated then and has been verified by several sources, including “Snopes” and the Military Officers Association of America as being authentic.

This is the version of the letter as it circulated circa 2000-2001:

Ms. Williams:

I just had the pleasure of reading your column of 12 Jan. 00, “Our GIs earn enough” and I am a bit confused.

Frankly, I’m wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest leave and earnings statement (LES), see that I make $1,117.80, before taxes. After taxes, I take home $ 874.20. When I run that through Windows’ Calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40 after.

I work in the Air Force Network Control Center (AFNCC), where I am part of the team responsible for the administration of a 25,000-host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment.

A quick check under jobs for Network Technicians in the Washington, D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years experience with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year, nor does it pay less than this. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum. I’m sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.

Also, you tout increases to Basic Allowance for Housing and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (housing and food allowances, respectively) as being a further boon to an already overcompensated force. Again, I’m curious as to where this money has gone, as BAH and BAS were both slashed 15% in the Hill AFB area effective in January 00.

Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you have NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces. Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military’s lowest pay brackets off AFDC, WIC, and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for Saudi. I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make, though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full “deployment experience”.

As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they’ll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone. Obviously they’ve been squandering the vast piles of cash the DOD has been giving them.

Try to deploy over a major holiday. Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites. And when you’re actually over there, sitting in a DFP (Defensive Fire Position, the modern-day foxhole), shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren’t enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything.

Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won’t nearly be long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your op-ed piece. But, tomorrow from Sarajevo, I will defend to the death your right to say it.

You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment rights and every other right you cherish. On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective nose at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can’t offer the stability and pay of civilian companies. And you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve?

Rubbish!

A1C Michael Bragg Hill AFB AFNCC

The letter is followed by the now-customary prompt to “IF YOU AGREE, PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE …”

A strange thing, however, happened as this great letter continued to be passed along during the current administration:

Cindy Williams, then a senior research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who had been an assistant director for national security in the administration (Republican or Democratic)-independent CBO, suddenly became an Obama appointee at CBO, or—in other versions—that Hollywood actress from Laverne & Shirley.

While the editorial was printed in January 2000, long before we had “heard of “ Afghanistan or Kabul, and the letter was “penned” shortly thereafter, the self-appointed editors in 2009 and later years changed “I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for Saudi” to “I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN,” and “ But, tomorrow from Sarajevo, I will defend to the death your right to say it” to “But, tomorrow from Kabul, I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

As Congress and the administration get ready to ”tackle”—i.e. slash—the Defense budget, I hope that politicians pay attention to the plight of our service men and women, especially those in the lower ranks whose financial struggles and sacrifices are accurately painted by Michael Bragg, and whose lot has really not changed very much in the last 11 years. Indeed, there has been little change, regardless of the political affiliations of recent Congresses and administrations and notwithstanding the attempts by some to politicize such a non-partisan issue.

And, I hasten to add, both Republicans and Democrats “do it.” And, yes, it may be much ado about nothing—perhaps. But, if I got you to read A1C Bragg’s original. unedited letter and to empathize with our military, especially those in the enlisted ranks, I have accomplished something.