A recent Fleet Reserve Association survey found that more than 80 percent of the 1,700 respondents strongly opposed proposals to “civilianize” the current military retirement system. In addition, more than 80 percent of the active duty and Reserve component respondents said they’d shorten their term of service if the retirement benefit were changed to reflect the recommendations made in the Defense Business Board’s “Modernizing the Military Retirement System” report.
According to FRA, respondents from the active duty, Reserve, retiree and veteran communities overwhelmingly predict that the DBB proposals would be bad for military recruiting and retention. More than 83 percent of participants believed fewer people would join the military and serve shorter terms if a 401(k)-type benefit were instituted. More than 89 percent believed delaying retirement benefits to until age 60 or 65 would have a similar effect on recruiting and retention.
FRA intends to share their survey results with members of the House Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee and its Senate counterpart, as well as with leaders within the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security – ensuring these key decision-makers understand the enlisted perspective.
To learn more about FRA, visit www.fra.org.
