Senior Officials Testify About Quality of Life

By: Garrett Briggs, Legislative Intern

​On January 31, 2024, the House Armed Services Committee convened a Quality of Life Panel featuring senior enlisted officials discussing concerns such as military compensation, childcare, and recruitment. Enlisted officials highlighted the urgent need for compensation increases to address food shortages and childcare waitlists, emphasizing that improving these areas alongside recruitment initiatives is essential for sustaining a robust military force.

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On January 31, 2024, the House Armed Services Committee welcomed senior enlisted officials to a Quality of Life Panel discussion. Throughout the meeting, military officials fielded questions from Congressmembers on a variety of concerns, including military compensation, housing, childcare, and recruitment. In attendance as witnesses were: Sergeant Major Troy Black, Sergeant Major Michael Weimer (Army), Master Chief Petty Officer James Honea (Navy), Sergeant Major Carlos Ruiz (Marine Corps), Chief Master Sergeant Joanne Bass (Air Force), and Chief Master Sergeant John Bentivegna (Space Force). 
The topic that demanded the most conversation throughout the hearing was the compensation of enlisted members. On multiple occasions, panel members agreed that compensation increases were necessary in order to maintain a consistently strong military. In fact, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Honea asserted that if we do not reform our compensation plans soon, our military will miss the curve necessary to remain competitive in the future. In agreement with this claim, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) Bass noted that there has not been a targeted pay increase for service members since 2007, making simple living expenses difficult to afford. In all branches of the military, concerns were expressed pertaining to food shortages and insufficient food security for members. In fact, in the past year, an estimated 25% of service members have experienced food shortages. MCPON Honea explained that insufficient pay is a contributor to these shortages, and Sergeant Major Black elaborated that these compensation concerns not only affect access to food, but access to the right kinds of food. All military officials in attendance were in agreement that compensation increases are necessary to contribute to the continued growth of our military forces, making it a concern of immediate priority. 
In addition to compensation, childcare concerns were addressed during this hearing. Not only is single mother enrollment growing among service members, but so are the waitlists for childhood services such as daycare. Luckily, the senior officials noted progress on providing increased access to childcare. According to CMSAF Bass, staffing in childhood services has increased from 60% to 80%, and service members with children on waitlists have decreased by 31%. MCPON clarified that currently infant care is experiencing the largest gap in care capabilities, but the military is working to increase community relations to facilitate proper childcare. In the future, officers noted that working alongside community organizations such as the Boys and Girls club will be crucial to meeting the demand for childcare among service members. 
Following their previous discussions, the enlisted panel members began to discuss recruitment numbers. As has been the pattern recently, many in attendance remarked that recruitment numbers are not where they should be, despite growth in the past year. SEAC Black remarked that problems with compensation, housing, and food security make employment less enticing to potential service members, especially when in competition with the labor market universities. However, there have been promising breakthroughs in recruitment resulting from the Future Soldier Prep Course, which is a course designed for potential youth soldiers to overcome physical and academic barriers to service. Since its founding in August of 2022, there have been 15,000 graduates with a 95% passage rate to the military. This program, in tandem with improvements to military compensation and childcare, could work to ensure that service members continue to increase recruitment numbers into the future. 
While there are certainly quality of life concerns being echoed through military officials, it appears that there are steps being taken to address those matters. Through continuing to address compensation, childcare, and recruitment shortfalls in the future, senior enlisted officials agree that room for growth is possible, but that it is only possible through the dedicated and continued support of the members of Congress.

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