United States Army
Warrant Officers Association
462 Herndon Pkwy. Suite 207 Herndon, VA 20170-5235
03-742-7727 1-800-5-USAWOA (FAX) 703-742-7728
Email usawoa@erols.com USAWOA Online www.usawoa.org
June 8, 2001
The Honorable John P. Murtha
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Murtha;
This Association appreciates your support of proper pay for service members. We also believe that the DoD pay tables need a total reform. However, the Army Times of June 11 reads that you favor an across-the-board pay increase, instead of the "targeted" increases recommended by the DoD.
We understand that DoD proposes that warrant officers receive targeted pay raises. We firmly believe that this is essential to correct a long-existing problem with "pay compression." We wish to present our position and bring information concerning warrant officer pay to your attention.
1. Warrant officers are a small part of the DoD uniformed strength. Therefore, this population is frequently, inadvertently overlooked in compensation studies. However, we understand that the Ninth QRMC is the only DoD pay study that actively considered warrant officers throughout the study.
2. Several pay increases in past years targeted noncommissioned officers and chief petty officers (NCO/CPO). This resulted in the pay of the NCO drawing closer to that of the warrant officer, thus creating the problem of pay compression. Pay compression does not exist when comparing the pay of the NCO force and the pay of commissioned officers.
3. Pay compression adversely affects the warrant officer community. Although active duty strength levels are being maintained, a diminishing number of NCOs/CPOs seek to enter the warrant officer program. The number of applicants for each opening in the active Army has decreased from 3.3 (FY 96) to 1.9 (FY 01). For several years, certain warrant officer career fields have not have enough applicants to meet needs. The Army National Guard and Army Reserve warrant officer programs have been below required strength for several years.
4. An increasing number of Army warrant officers leave the service before completing a twenty-year career. The percent of warrant officers leaving "early" increased from 29% (FY 98) to 37% (FY 00). While many factors are involved, pay compression is likely a contributor.
The Army has seventy percent of the total warrant officer community. We understand the Army strongly supports the proposed targeted pay raises for warrant officers, in part to reverse the pay compression situation. The attached material presents a comprehensive presentation of the pay compression problem and the affects.
We respectfully ask you to reconsider your position regarding targeted pay, particularly that recommended for warrant officers.
Sincerely,
RAYMOND A. BELL
Executive Director
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