Charles Skelton: “this year, at the urging of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior military leaders, Congress has taken some…”

“this year, at the urging of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior military leaders, Congress has taken some critically important steps to improve military pay and benefits. Both the House and the Senate have now approved versions of the Fiscal Year 2000 Defense Authorization Bill that provide higher than requested pay raises for service personnel and reforms the pay table to better reward personnel who have performed particularly well and that repeal reductions in military retirement benefits enacted in 1986. Although there remain minor differences between the two chambers on some details, service members can be assured that these much needed and much deserved improvements in pay and benefits are on the way. I hope that the fine young men and women who serve in our Nation's military will see this as evidence that we appreciate what they are doing, that we are aware of how hard they are working, and that we understand, to some degree at least, the tremendous personal sacrifices we ask them to make for our country.”