Modernizing Pension Eligibility for the U.S. Military

Abstract

The U.S. Congress has not changed the retirement age eligibility requirements for pensions for the U.S. military in nearly 70 years, and retirement ages for the military in other NATO countries are as much as two decades higher than they are in the United States. U.S. military pensions are four times as expensive relative to wages than are pensions for federal civilian employees, primarily because military pensions can be received 20 years earlier. This article presents the case for raising the eligibility age for military pensions to bring it in line with that of other NATO countries.