Where Do They Go from Here?— Retired Military in America

Albert D. Biderman

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1973, vol. 406, issue 1, 146-161

Abstract: As one heritage of an armed era, the United States will have for the foreseeable future a large—currently, almost one million—and growing population of retired military professionals. One resulting problem involves the sheer cost of military retired pay—$4.8 billion in 1973 and rising rapidly. These costs would be even higher save for the assumption that most retirees can sustain themselves largely by earnings from second-career jobs. In the long run, the cost could be reduced by limiting armed forces size; by having fewer persons serve until retirement; and by having even longer service from the few who do. Any major short-term—within ten to twenty years—cost curtailment requires remunerative second-career employment for those already at or close to retirement eligibility. The nature of such employment also poses problems for public policy: potential conflicts of interests, the infusion of militaristic outlooks into institutions and localities in which retirees concentrate, and some opposition to job-competition from retirees. Although there may be legitimate qualms about jobs taken by ex-military, there are equal if not greater grounds for concern if many of them fail to get jobs. Second-career employment in the past has depended heavily on a thriving economy with substantial defense and aerospace sectors and growing opportunities for public service employment. Whether the military retirement system can remain viable under markedly altered economic conditions remains untested.

Date: 1973
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anname:v:406:y:1973:i:1:p:146-161

DOI: 10.1177/000271627340600113

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