Dignity for our troops

It is about time! The increase of combat pay for our troops from around US$5.7 (P260) to around US$11 (P500) is one of the best thing that PNoy did since taking office.

It was so simple but had lasting effect in the morale of the soldiers. Yeah, many of them are corrupt. Many of them are abusive. But those are directly related to several factors, and one of them is compensation. Discipline is another matter, but that is for another article.
Are you wearing a smirk because the soldier got a pay increase while you did not? Well, boohoo! They deserve every pay increase we can give them. Do not forget that lay their lives everyday. So any increase going their way is well worth it.

According to the two Senate committees (finance and national defense) the combat pay was last increased 22 years ago through Executive Order No.1 017 issued on March 22, 1985.

Good gracious! How can so many presidents, generals, legislators be so insensitive to the plight of our troops.

With that in mind, we (as a nation) should collectively ask the PNoy and Congress to improve the pay scale of the security and law enforcement agencies of the country.

With better compensation, we are able to secure the services of good people who generally would avoid military service because of low pay. We must remember that ours is a purely voluntary military service with a sole exception during time of war.

There are at least 27 countries that exercises mandatory military service for all males (some even females). IN the case of Israel, all citizens are conscripted at age 18 or the conclusion of 12th Grade. Typically, men are required to serve for 3 years while the ladies for less than 2 years.

Closer to home, in South Korea, mandatory military service lasts for about 18 to 21 months.

The next step, I hazard to say, it to improve discipline. But do start with the officers, please Mr. President.