Better pay, retirement benefits, technology all needed, Army leader says

Monday, Aug. 16, 1999 | 2:47 a.m.

U.S. armed forces have shrunk below the numbers of our traditional enemies -- China, North Korea and Russia -- but even a smaller force remains "the strongest and the best," the nation's top soldier says.

Army Gen. Henry H. Shelton Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in Las Vegas last week to tour Nellis Air Force Base and to address the Jewish War Veterans national convention.

Since 1989 when the fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end of the Cold War, U.S. forces have been reduced by 40 percent, or 700,000 people, Shelton said.

Some was by design as Congress sought a peace dividend and ordered a military reduction. But as the unemployment rate has gotten lower in recent years, the services have problems recruiting and retaining personnel to fill positions, he said.

Even young and inexperienced people -- the market the military targets -- have good jobs, Shelton said.

"They say we are an all-volunteer force, but really we're an all-recruited force," said Shelton, a Vietnam War veteran who was commander of operations for the 101st Airborne during the Persian Gulf War. "Joining the armed forces has never been about the money -- it's about sacrifice and love of country. But today's military (members) need a good quality of life."

Even short-handed as the services are, "we are approaching the 21st century from a position of great strength," he said.

"We strive to remain the strongest and the best even if we are outmanned by ... China, North Korea and Russia."

The military is battling the shortage of people with initiatives in the current defense bill to increase pay and reform retirement benefits, he said.

The idea is to make the military more attractive to young and talented people and keep its current soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in uniform longer.

The biggest increase since 1982 in military pay was approved recently, Shelton told the veterans.

Shelton also has been credited with leading the effort to restore retirement pay for 20-year veterans to 50 percent of their salary. It was reduced in 1986 to 40 percent, but the first retirees due to receive the reduced benefits would not retire until 2006. The lower retirement benefits, however, have been frequently cited as a reason for service members not staying for a full 20- year career.

The 50 percent retirement pay has been included in the yet-to-be-approved defense bill, along with a provision that would allow retirees to choose to keep the reduced benefits and receive a $30,000 bonus at retirement.

"We have to make dramatic changes, and we have received great support from Congress and the president," Shelton told the Sun in an interview prior to his half-hour speech to the veterans.

The bonus proposal is a good option, he said, "because it gives people a choice. They can invest the money and end up doing slightly better."

The military may be making an effort to take care of its active force, but Shelton told the veterans -- mostly senior citizens -- that he agreed with Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who during his introduction of Shelton said the nation has "failed" in its veterans in health care efforts.

"Veterans' health care is a top priority for the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Shelton said.

Another priority is technology, which is vital when the number of people is low, he said.

Today's war technology is "first class," but advances must continue to be made, he added. Pentagon officials have been fighting to preserve funding for the F-22 Raptor, the next-generation Stealth fighter that would be based at Nellis Air Force Base. Some in Congress have proposed delaying the F-22 and buying more F-15 jet fighters.

Because it is still being debated by Congress, the production of the F-22 is still up in the air, Shelton said. Still, construction of support buildings for the aircraft continues at Nellis.

Shelton said it is essential for America's defense that Congress has the foresight to have the F-22 up and flying by 2015.

To that end Shelton said, "There is no backup if we (U.S. forces) fail."

Paraphrasing George Washington, Shelton, 57, said being prepared for war is the best way of protecting peace.

He noted that America and the free world today face threats from many angles -- "well-trained organized terrorist organizations, ethnic hatred like that in the Balkan (region) and obstinate tyrants in countries like Iraq and North Korea.

"History has taught us that if we ignore the world's problems we will see the world dump those problems on America's doorstep," said Shelton, who has been awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

"If we make a commitment to attain stability now, we will prevent war, destruction and loss of American lives."