the key point you are deliberately ignoring is i am pulling the numbers directly from the article that tony404 quoted his pay cut arguement from
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...14/MN94780.DTL
in 2002 the combat pay was $150
in 2003 the combat pay was still $150
that is not a cut it a freeze in pay
but the problem is that military recieved a minimum pay increase of 4.5% (maxed out 9.5%) for that fiscal year. Which both the article you quoted and MM decided to ignore.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/blpay.htm
btw those number are from the army payroll not some "think tank"
A combat deployed soldier (E3) base salary went from
1303.50 in 2002 to
1442.10 in 2003.
all of that is BEFORE you add one cent of combat pay (which was not reduced once cent just frozen at the old levels)
add to fact that 2003 was the first year in which the new combat zone tax abatement came into effect which made base pay tax free if you were in a combat zone ("Unless serving in a designated combat zone, base pay is taxable ")
Republicans more than doubled combat bonus pay ( 30% $1500 > $150)