Since 9/11 the millitary has had an open check book. Contracts were signed that encouraged government spending. I know I am retired military and also worked for a military contractor. Our hiring was based on the company would recieve twice the employee pay for hiring. Example: So a Bacon Davis job that payed $40 an hour was possibly hired as $60 an hour. The gov paid the Company $120. The contracted company made $60 an hour that way, so did employees. Then when Obama was elected that all stopped. When contracts were up for rebidding the pay was contracted to save the government money by filling positions at lowest pay on the federal scale for that comparable position. A lot of employees were outraged in pay cuts of 50% or more in some cases. A lot of contracts ended as well due to the end of many deployments. This support spending in the billions today is deplorable. Many of those jobs should be held by active duty or active guard or active reserve. A pay grade E4 is not $200,000 yr.