Since the greatest concern should always focus on the lowest-paid junior enlisteds, let's look at the pay of a Lance Corporal (E-3, equivalent to PFC, SN and A1C) at Camp Lejeune, NC with only 2 years in service... His base pay is $1,919 per month, or $23,028 per year. His tax-free Basic Allowance for Subsistence (food) is $352 per month, or $4,224 per year. He may live rent-free in government quarters with utilities provided. If he lives off base and is single, he receives a tax-free Basic Allowance for Housing of $11,016 per year ($918 monthly); if married, his tax-free BAH is $14,472 per year ($1,206 monthly). In the real world this is excellent pay for someone only two years out of high school.
As for SZonian's point that 90% of the commissaries will be closed and not realigned... Good! There's no reason that Exchange stores can't sell groceries -- but I'd privatize both functions, just as we've done successfully with on-base fast food restaurants. Short of fighting wars, enforcing and adjudicating laws and a very few other few legitimate functions, there is NOTHING that private, competitive industry can't do better, more efficiently and at a lower cost than government. It is time to privatize the Exchanges and Commissaries!
The rate of inflation over the years since we separated or retired is what? Just how does one compare my basic pay of ~$600 per month in 1983 to today’s? Was I compensated much better than those who preceded me?
AAFES is a for profit venture...the prices will neccessarily go up as they are obligated to return a certain percentage of their proceeds back to the installations.
As for the pay and allowances, you’re making alot of assumptions...many of those allowances only come into play if the servicemember qualifies for them, they are not automatic.
Edwards AFB closed their dining hall a few years ago and started paying all the single enlisted in the dorms BAS...few choices available, but the commissary offered them the chance and choices they didn’t have through the fast food joints and AAFES to prepare healthy meals. Then there’s the distance from ED to Rosamond or Lancaster to purchase groceries...another point that is DELIBERATELY ignored...
If the claims of DeCA are accurate, notwithstanding the personal motive to disclaim them, that the average savings is ~ 30%. Another posited that I endorsed government inefficiency because of my support for DeCA and when I challenged him to support his assertion, crickets. No honor, no truth.
You are sliding down that slippery slope as well since you have failed to offer ANY proof that DeCA is inefficient. Yet, you keep claiming that private industry can do DeCA’s job better.
How do you know?
The intangibles of the DeCA system are part and parcel of the overall initiatives and benefits to lure young men and women to serve...it is but a pittance in the spending and yet, through your constant ignoring of my previous points, we need to cut the military first and above all the other “entitlement” spending to the leeches and dregs of society.
Based on that, I think I can draw a reasonable conclusion on where you stand...
Post away, you get the last word...I won’t bother wasting my time anymore.