Hagel: "Careful. Don't step on my prayer rug, Sgt. Major."
Posted on 04/10/2014 5:01:45 PM PDT by servo1969
Sgt. Major Michael Barrett greets Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. (American Military News)
Idiot Sgt. Major Michael Barrett, the highest enlisted member of the US Marine Corps, told Congress Marines don’t need higher pay. Barrett said he believes lower pay will “raise discipline.”
Nice job looking out for your brothers, Sergeant Major.
American Military News reported:
The highest enlisted member of the United States Marine Corps said that lowering salary of Marines will “raise discipline” and make Marines less wasteful. The comments come as a debate in Washington talks about cutting active duty member pay in order to make sharp budget cuts at the Department of Defense. The comments came as he testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The base salary for the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is $7,816.20 per month. ______________Lower pay and slimmed-down benefits will make Marines more disciplined and less wasteful, according to the Corps’ top enlisted Marine.
In comments before a Senate Armed Services Committee panel on Wednesday, Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Micheal Barrett dismissed lawmaker concerns that proposed compensation trims in the Pentagon’s fiscal 2015 budget proposal would hurt troops’ morale or desire to serve.
“Marines don’t run around asking about compensation, retirement modernization,” he said. “That’s not on their mind. As I talk to thousands of audiences, they want to know into whose neck do we put a boot next.
“They want to know about what new equipment are we getting, are we continuing to modernize. Just because the budget sucks, does that mean we’re not going to get our new gear?”
Barrett’s comments came in contrast to his counterparts in the other services, who conceded to senators that lower pay raises, scaled-back commissary offerings and smaller housing stipends would be problematic for many service members.
Instead, Barrett argued that the lower quality of life would be beneficial to Marines.
“I truly believe it will raise discipline,” he said. “You’ll have better spending habits. You won’t be so wasteful.”
“Marines don’t run around asking about compensation, retirement modernization,” he said. “That’s not on their mind. As I talk to thousands of audiences, they want to know into whose neck do we put a boot next.
“They want to know about what new equipment are we getting, are we continuing to modernize. Just because the budget sucks, does that mean we’re not going to get our new gear?”
Seems like a very Marine thing to say and I sure they would rather have new gear so they come home safe but they still have families to take are of - bills to pay.
That works if you re institute the draft. Then you can pay whatever you want, even if it puts recruits below the poverty line. Is the SgtMajor calling for the draft?
Oh yeah, that’ll really encourage intelligent, patriotic young men to sign up, no won’t it? I say cut HIS salary in half and also all those who think this is a good idea!
He’s a politician now, not a warrior. Most flag officers are like that as well. Interacting with those infected with the D.C. poison was always awful when I was in the Corps. It must be even worse now.
He knows the facts. It is time for some fine tuning, for instance giving low pay during the first enlistment and the first three ranks, and changes in new recruits having families and being female, and changes in treating everyone the same, regardless of MOS.
“Military pay, allowances, and health care costs have risen more than 90 percent since 2001, while the size of the active duty force has grown by less than 3 percent in that same time, according to the Council on Foreign Relations . Today the average total cost per sailor, Marine, soldier, or airman is nearly $115,000 compared with $58,000 in 2001, according to a study from the Center for American Progress. The military retirement system is projected to have an unfunded liability of $2.7 trillion by 2034, according to a Defense Business Board report.
Yes, that was trillion—with a ‘T.’”
http://news.usni.org/2013/07/10/opinion-military-pay-and-benefits-unsustainable
Where is Al Grey when we need him x5.
So they’re cutting military salaries? When did that happen?
I don't think it's happened yet, but if this is one of those times when they float a trial balloon of an idea, in a week all the stupid Progressives wil be on board and will already have their catch phrase memorized.
I never bumped into the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps when I was in but if I had, the LAST thing I would've done is complain about pay. If I'd felt compelled by circumstance to ask him something, it wouldn't have been that, or anything like it.
Kind of wondering if he's forgotten what it was like to be a non-rate or a junior NCO.
Or something.
You mean the Principle of he must be thinking with his Peter because he sure isn't using his brain!
RIIIIIIIGHT! Marines never give any thought or consideration to their families or life after the Corps!
Nice little Dhimmi Marine.
(Yes, I know I spelled Dhimmi wrong...)
So, if they get no pay, I guess they’ll be ecstatic.
What if the institute a policy of no extra pay for married military people unless they are at least E-4? Don’t pay extra for gold diggers who marry new recruits.
Great idea. Let’s prohibit young, patriotic men in the prime of their lives from marrying and having children.
Is he getting ready to retire? Is he looking for a job in the DoD? Or maybe as Obama’s shoe shine boy?
Ansel, you’re wrong. We insist that our first-term enlistees can be married and then we insist that our troops have to be able to support their families while we deploy them six months at a crack.
We either provide the compensation their service requires, or we go back to the draft - or learn Chinese.
Total fool.
He needs a slap in the face.
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