Generals Make More In Retirement Than In Service

The Hidden Costs of Star Creep: Generals Making More in Retirement Than In Service -- Ben Freeman, POGO

The cost of our nation's top-heavy military--which now features a historically large proportion of generals and admirals, a trend called Star Creep--doesn't end when these top officers retire. Indeed, top generals and admirals can make even more in retirement than they do on active duty, as USA Today’s Tom Vanden Brook revealed last week.

After the Pentagon lobbied for changing the pension rules at least as early as 2003, Congress passed the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, which increased retirement pay for general and flag officers. These changes allow retirees with more than 40 years of service to receive pensions greater than their basic pay at the time of retirement. Specifically, 2.5 percent greater per year they serve beyond 40. Previously, generals and admirals’ pensions were capped at 75 percent of their pay.

The cost of these changes is not trivial.

Read more ....

My Comment: So much for a lean military.