Our Most Valuable Military Asset U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski Success and survival on the battlefield often depends on a weapon in good operating condition, so good soldiers never let their weapons reach a state of disrepair. That is why I am concerned that our most important military asset the men and women who serve in our armed forces have not been receiving the quality treatment they deserve. President Clinton, who campaigned to cut defense spending, has deployed thousands of U.S. troops to trouble spots around the world including a few where significant national security interests were not at stake. As a consequence, the defense budget has been stretched thin, deployments have lengthened, readiness has eroded, and military families have suffered. Many of our soldiers, sailors and airmen have families with children.
Increased deployments create tremendous strains on family life.
While Congress is limited in its powers to constrain the President s short-term deployment decisions, we are working to improve the quality of life for those that repeatedly answer their nation s call, and their families who miss them. Congress recently passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, which takes a major step towards restoring much needed funding for our nation's military. A primary focus of this act was to address the pressing financial needs of our military personnel. They will receive a 4.8 percent pay raise beginning Jan. 1, 2000. The following six years will include a raise of 0.5 percent above the annual increase in the Employment Cost Index, which measures changes in private sector wages.