President Donald Trump may have misstated the facts Dec. 26 when he told U.S. troops in Iraq that he had secured their first pay raise in 10 years, but this year’s pay raise is the largest pay hike in almost a decade.
The 2.6 percent increase in basic pay that took effect Tuesday, the largest boost since the 3.4 percent pay hike in 2010, is 0.3 percentage points above last year’s raise.
SEE THE 2019 MONTHLY BASIC PAY RATES
For junior enlisted troops, it amounts to about $670 more a year in pay. For senior enlisted and junior officers, the hike equals about $1,300 more. For an O-4 with 12 years of service, it’s more than $2,300 extra a year.
The 2.6 percent mark matches the federal formula for military pay, designed to keep troops’ wages on par with their civilian peers. However, Pentagon planners in recent years have advocated for trims in those raises to help pay for other recapitalization and modernization priorities.
Basic Pay Raises Since 2007
♦ Jan. 1, 2007: 2.2 percent
♦ April 1, 2007: 0.5 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2008: 3.5 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2009: 3.9 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2010: 3.4 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2011: 1.4 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2012: 1.6 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2013: 1.7 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2014: 1.0 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2015: 1.0 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2016: 1.3 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2017: 2.1 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2018: 2.4 percent
♦ Jan. 1, 2019: 2.6 percent
