Washington, D.C. — The Center for American Progress will host a discussion on May 7 about possible reforms to the military compensation system. Military personnel costs are more than one-third of the Pentagon’s total spending, and military retirement costs more than $100 billion each year, though four out of five enlisted service members will receive no retirement benefits at all. Congress has taken some steps to reform aspects of the system, including the recent inclusion of a 401(k)-type retirement plan into the House Armed Services Committee’s defense authorization bill. However, there is a great deal that needs to be done in order for the compensation system to meet the needs of the future force.
WHO:
Welcoming remarks:
Rudy deLeon, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; former Deputy Secretary of Defense
Keynote remarks:
Hon. Alphonso Maldon Jr., Chairman of the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission; former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management and Policy, 1999–2001
Panelists:
Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro (ret.), Founder of The Punaro Group; Chair of the Reserve Forces Policy Board
Lawrence Korb, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; former Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations, and Logistics), 1981–1985
Phillip Carter, Senior Fellow, Counsel, and Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program, Center for a New American Security
Moderator:
Katherine Blakeley, Policy Analyst, Center for American Progress
WHEN:
May 7, 2015
10:00 a.m. ET – 11:30 a.m. ET
WHERE:
Center for American Progress
1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Tom Caiazza at [email protected] or 202.481.7141.