The Congressional Budget Office has put forward an idea for the Defense Department to save $19 billion over 10 years by replacing tens o thousands of uniformed soldiers with civilian personnel, Federal Times reported Thursday.Andy Medici writes that CBO’s method would have DoD to convert 70,000 of its 500,000 military positions into 47,000 civilian jobs, as well as to cut military end strength by 70,000.
BO told a recent Western Economic Association annual conference that average compensation for military personnel is higher than compensation for civilian employees, according to the report.
Federal Times reports that CBO also outlined how the Pentagon could demobilize 10 U.S. Army brigade combat teams, 34 warships and 170 U.S. Air Force fighters; limit the basic pay hike for military employees and increase TRICARE enrollment fees for retirees.
Medici writes the Budget Control Act of 2011 requires the Defense Department to save more than $500 billion over the next decade.
