Arlington, VA, September 19, 1995 -- To maintain a high-quality, all-volunteer military, the Air Force Association bluntly stated that it is time to pay the bills.

While the Association applauded Secretary of Defense William Perry's efforts to substantially increase the resources devoted to quality of life programs, it pointed out that years of neglect have created a situation that threatens the future of the All-Volunteer Force.

AFA added its voice to the administration's in opposition to a House proposal to recalculate retirement benefits of those currently on active duty. The proposal, known as "High One," was unanimously denounced by delegates to AFA's National Convention.

It is time to ante up, AFA said in its 1996 Issue Paper on Manpower and Personnel, released during AFA's 1995 National Convention. "If the Administration wants to maintain a quality, All-Volunteer Force, it, along with Congress, must pay for it and explain to the American public why it is necessary to provide adequate pay to the men and women who protect this country's very way of life and, with it, every individual's potential to prosper."

AFA cited a number of adverse trends affecting the force, from the erosion of pay and benefits to other quality of life issues, like inadequate housing, health and child care concerns, attacks on the retirement system, and employment hardships faced by Guard and Reserve members.

The gap between private sector pay and military pay has increased to 12.6 percent and is headed toward 18 percent by the turn of the century, the paper said. "Adequate pay is essential to maintaining a quality force. Moreover, housing allowances should reflect the realities of the marketplace. Today, young airmen with families often have to absorb up to 22 percent of their housing costs."

The paper points out that the changing demographics of the force have led to new requirements. "Today's volunteers are more diverse than the force of the past. They are more often married, and there are couples where both serve and a greater number of single parents than ever before. That means more families, more children, and a greater emphasis on quality of life issues."

At the same time, the operational demands placed upon a smaller force are putting stress on service members and their families. On average, four times as many Air Force people are deployed today as there were in 1989, from no-fly zones in Iraq, to air drops in Bosnia, to humanitarian relief in Rwanda, to drug interdiction in South America. These demands increase the need for an adequate family-support infrastructure.

"The Air Force is not a 9-5' job, and child care that is only available during daytime hours does little good when mission dictates evening or night hours," according to AFA. Active members and their families also deserve full access to military health care with no enrollment fees, the paper said.

In terms of the retirement system, AFA criticized the reductions in cost-of-living adjustments and threats to access to health care.

To help relieve special problems related to deployment of the Guard and Reserve, AFA strongly supports tax incentives for employers and mobilization income insurance.

People are the backbone of the All-Volunteer Force, the paper concluded, and it is time to pay bills that are long past due.