By Abaraham Kenmore
SCDailyGazette.com
Military service members are set to receive their largest pay increase since 2002 in the $884 billion annual defense package on its way to President Joe Biden.
For the more than 33,000 active-duty military members in South Carolina and hundreds of thousands of others across the world, the 5.2% pay increase is just part of the benefit changes aimed at making life more affordable. The pay raise also applies to civilians working for the Department of Defense.
Quality of life for troops
Changes in the bill include allowing the Secretary of Defense to pay bonuses to enlisted service members under the rank of E-6 (sergeant and below in the Army), depending on economic conditions.
It also lets the military calculate gross income without including a service member’s basic housing allowance when determining financial assistance. And it allows junior enlisted members to receive a basic housing allowance based on the same criteria as other ranks. Previously, there were additional requirements.
SC delegation splits on vote
Congress passes a National Defense Authorization Act every year, which sets policy on a wide range of military issues. The Senate approved it 87-13 on Wednesday, Dec. 13. The House followed Thursday, Dec. 14 with a vote of 310-118.
South Carolina Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott both voted in favor and released statements praising the passage of the bill.
South Carolina’s U.S. House members split their votes. Three voted in favor: Rep. James Clyburn, the only Democrat in the delegation, along with Republican Reps. Nancy Mace and Joe Wilson. Four voted against: Reps. Jeff Duncan, Russell Fry, Ralph Norman and William Timmons.
“From the Lowcountry to the Upstate, this bill invests in South Carolina’s military facilities and supports our critical defense industry, ensuring our state continues to serve an important role in our national security at home and abroad,” Scott said in a statement.
Duncan also released a statement on his opposition to the final bill, which had been stripped of several conservative proposals on abortion, transgender care and other social topics.
“I remain committed to reining in government overreach, encroachment on your civil liberties, and attempts to treat our military like a liberal social program,” Duncan’s statement read.
Military construction in SC
New recruits at Fort Jackson could see a very different reception complex in coming years when they arrive on post, with Congress putting $66 million toward completing a renovation.
Fort Jackson trains roughly half of all soldiers as they join the Army, about 45,000 yearly. The reception area is the first stop for new recruits. There they receive medical checks, uniforms and other necessary preparations before formal training starts, according to Cliff Costa of the Army Corps of Engineers.
“It’s where American Army soldiers are made, and I can’t emphasize enough, that that’s the first thing they see when they get in the Army,” said Costa, who serves as the chief of regional reimbursable and military construction management.
Renovating the reception complex is a two-part project. The first phase, which was bid out for $68 million, is already under construction and includes some new equipment buildings, dining facilities, landscaping and more. It should be completed by late 2024.
Phase two will include a new battalion headquarters, a medical clinic, an optical lab, trainee barracks and other facilities. It was initially planned to begin several years ago. But the $88 million Congress initially allocated for it wasn’t enough to even put it out for bids.
“Market conditions had changed significantly,” Costa said. “There were additional requirements, there’s normal escalation involved. So bottom line is additional funding was needed to execute the phase two program.”
The Army requested $101 million to finish out the project, but the proposed $66 million in additional funding — for a total allocation of $154 million — would allow the second phase to be put out for bids next year, with work scheduled to finish in late 2027, he said.
Also included in the bill are three Army National Guard centers:
• $20 million for a national guard readiness center in Aiken County
• $4.4 million for a national guard readiness center at Joint Base Charleston
• $7.9 million for an automated machine gun range at McCrady Training Center
Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering elections, health care and more. He joins the SC Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues.
