How many active duty serving in the combat zones think that overall, their field graders are overpaid and want to see lower-paid people in their places
I dunno and neither do you.
I think the name silverleaf is a clue I might have some insights you lack.
Many of today’s field graders are on their 3rd or 4th tours to Iraq and Afghanistan and the retired ones served in Southeast Asia, the DMZ and on NATO and nuke alert lines.
How many times have you served there? Remember that wonderful feeling in the pit of your stomach as the transport or helicopter circles to land at that deployment base or on that carrier (or dives in to defeat SAMs) and all those kids on their first combat deployments are looking at you? How little pay would you accept to do that over and over again?
You sever pay from qualification?
I challenge you to recruit your next generation of mid and upper level military command from teacher’s colleges where $100K after 10 years of 24/7 looks attractive, especially if every 3 years they send you to serve somewhere where your decisions affect the likelihood of success of people who are trying hard to kill you and your subordinates.