Evening star., 1955-01-13

=
Ito secure insurance coverage
and those who can get it must
pay . sizeable premium differ
Iential.
While we are in a peacetime
situation, many men in the
Strategic Air Command. the Air
| Defense Command and various
naval units are on alert UP to
so hours per week. subject to
sudden and prolonged absences
from home and loved ones. Air.
borne troops of the Army and
submarine crews OF the Navy
are also exposed to discomforts
and dangers not found in civil
ian pursuits.
CONCLUSIONS. !,
The fundamental objectiyes to
be attained by the proposed leg
| islation are the attraction Of
young men TO a military career
and the retention of men in this
career once they have chosen it.
In addition, it is necessary to
offer special attractions to men
who undertake the particularly
hazardous jobs that are becoming
more important as weapons be-
come increasingly complex.
These detectives require COM
pensation which is more in line
with that offered by private in
dustry. They also require
strengthening OF traditional serv-
ice benefits in recognition of the
unusual difficulties facing the
serviceman and his family. Serv-
icemen frequently live in isolated
areas and under circumstances
that can be extremely trying.
They are subject to frequent and
long absences from their families,
enforced on them by their de-
Tense missions.
Both pay and the non-pay
/ benefits are important, varying
with the status of the men we
are trying to attract. At the
present time. so per cent of per-
sonnel on active duty are un-
married. These men are less
likely to be attracted by deferred
or family benefits than by an in
crease in pay.
So our prablem is twofold. On
the one hand we must attract
more Of the young, unmarried
men into a military career. On
the other. we must provide ad-
vantageous benefits for those
who have families.
| In proposing adjustments in
pay, do not recommend that
any across-the-board increase
should be authorized. Such pay
| adjustments should foster career
service. Specifically, no increase
is proposed In the first two years
for enlisted men, because this is
the least valuable period of a
mans service, and no increases
are proposed in the first three
years for officers. Our efforts
should be. directed at inducing
men to stay on after those
periods. For this reason, / con-
slider 1t highly important that a
schedule of selective adjustments
be approved.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
In summary. my recommended
tons are ais follows:
|. The compensation Of mill
tary service personnel should be
increased on selective basis.
The aggregate increase proposed
would add approximately 81 per
cent to the present level Of pay
and allowances.
2. Hazardous duty pay for
.airmen and submarine crews
should be increased, also on a
selective basis, and increases
also should be made in the
hazardous duty pay for para
chute duty, demolition work,
deep-sea diving and certain other
specialties.
3. Other non : pay benefits
should be provided. including:
(a) A "dislocation" allowance
for military personnel with de-
pendents who are ordered to a
new permanent-duty station.
tb) An increase in the per
diem allowance for temporary
duty travel from 50 to $l2, in
keeping with a comparable pro-
posal for civilian Government
employees.
tcl More housing for service
families in areas where present
facilities are insufficient and
authority for reduced rentals
where men and their families
must live temporarily in sub
standard housing.
(d) Removal of existing in
equities and provision for better
medical care for military fam
flies.
disqualification of survivor
benefits according to rank for
active and retired personnel.
These recommendations are
vitality important to the welfare
of our military people and to the
sustained security of the Nation.
1t is the objective of the Gov
ernment that the size of the ac-
tive military establishment shall
be no greater than Is consistent
with the needs of national se-
curity. 1t shall always be our
objective, in the present world
situation, to maintain a mill
tary force that we can support
for the many years that may
be necessary to dispel the sha-
dow Of Communist threat, In
my judgment, the measures
herein presented win strengthen
our security and preserve our
way of life.
I urge that the Congress give
early and favorable considera-
tion to the recommendations I |
have herein submitted.
Drnniiee and Enrl Rnlvnir