European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 6, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes wine Day March 6, tie presented in two s salary system ready for Congress by marc1 Hiuet Washington Bureau chief Washington is there is every indication at the de sense department that the Long awaited study and recommendations to overhaul the system of military compensation and Ca reer retention will be presented to Congress within the next few weeks. If approved by the administration and by Congress the pay study directed by rear adm. Lester e. Hubbell could result in a differential increase this y e a a giving some grades As much As 12 per cent More than the average 6.9 per cent of Basic pay due to go into effect july 1. The study group has recommended Many changes which will put servicemen on a More simplified salary system like civilians so at any Given Point they will know exactly How much they Are earning. Although informed Pentagon sources say All the top defens department officials agree with the recommendations of the Hub Bell study group the recommendations have not cleared the administration or even been officially made Public because i approved by Congress they would add another $1.3 billion tothe $77 billion defense budget for fiscal year 1969 or 1970, depend ing upon the effective Date of the changes. This would be on top of the $950 million to match the Cost changing citizenship so he9s not Bach Home by Bob ii oyers a . Bureau chief Lakenheath England is when Stephen g. Hughes accompanied his Raf father to Washington in 1961 he was immediately impressed by life in the United states. Although he saw no cowboys and indians in official washing ton Stephen then 16, did find the Hustle arid Bustle of american life invigorating. At Woodward prep school i Washington he quickly made a number of friends. And by the time Stephen s father Squadron Leader Derek p. Hughes had completed his tour As Raf Exchange officer Stephen had decided he would like to become an american citizen. In april 1964 he returned tothe states alone and took a Job in swimming Pool  fall he went to work for a men s clothing business in Arlington va., and a year later he enlisted in the . Air , somewhat past the mid Way Point of his four year enlist ment Stephen 23, is Back in Britain with his american wife Linda a native of Falls Church a sergeant assigned to the 48th Field maintenance so at Laken Heath England he is clue to get his citizenship in  three stations in the states including a stint at tech Nical training school he was sent to Vietnam in september 1966.his one year tour was divided seven months at Phan rang air base and five months at Tuy Hoa. At Lakenheath with the Fiel maintenance Squadron Hughes is involved in heavy maintenance work on 48th tactical fighter Wing floor. He and his wife live in the Vil Lage of Burwell 16 Miles South of the base. It s a quiet town and they Are pleased with the rustic  weekends Hughes often visits his father who now serves As commanding officer of station services so at no. 5 flying training school Raf Oakington Cambridge. Hughes Uncle Glyn Hughes his father s younger brother is a flight lieutenant in the Raf. At Home somewhat sgt. Stephen Hughes and his Amer ican wife Linda pose with their Yorkshire terrier in the doorway of their cottage in Burwell England. A native of England Hughes is presently enlisted in the . Air Force and will become a american citizen this fall. To same profession . Air Force  Hughes visits with his father who is now commanding officer of station services so no. 5 flying training school at Haf Oai Silig Tou England. Hughes also has an Uncle who is a flight lieutenant in the Tafs a of the average 4.9 per cent pay raise for Federal civilian employ is salaries and the 6.9 per Cen for military Basic pay that is due in  $1.3 billion Price tag to improve military pay is broken Clown this Way $650 million to make up the loss in tax advantage for the conversion to a salary sys tem that anyone can under stand and $750 million to equalize the pay of some officer warrant officer and enlisted grades which have been lagging be Hind the civil service and the private sector for years. In going from a pay and Al Lowance system to a salary sys tem much attention has been focused on some of the fringe benefits that would be eliminated. The reenlistment Bonus is one of these. Another is the tax advantage now enjoyed by military personnel who presently Only pay income tax on base pay. All the advantages of the Hub Bell recommendations would More than outweigh the disadvantages pay experts believe and the $650 million extra Cost to the defense department for the tax advantage would not represent an outlay since All of the Money would return to the Treasury in increased income tax receipts. The $750 million would be needed to equalize pay for some grades. This is Felt to be Nec Essary because previous administrations and the Congress in their efforts to make the serv ices More attractive at certain career decision Points have in effect compressed the pay table at the Center. Some grades have benefited More than others. Defense officials Point out that officers in grades of Sec Ond lieutenant5 lieutenant colonel and of colonel chief warrant officers \v3 and \v4, and enlisted men and women in grades e4 army Cor poral air Force sergeant and e5 army sergeant air Force staff sergeant have been earn ing As much As 12 per cent be Low what they should be receiving in a new pay curve that is tied in with the pay of civilians and recommended by the Hub Bell pay study group. Over All the pay study group recommends an increase that would average about 5 per cent for enlisted men and women and 7 per cent for officers to make up the lag behind present Civ service pay. Us the curve is based on Arlson of military and civilian employee pay urn is linked with the those with comparable skills to private Industry. S in in the Case of the military civil service comparison an is r?f0rnfbttra is linked Wiki j officials Here say. , w the latest available ii ivs the Pentagon the rates an1.  year 1965 1966 Tut 7iuoa  to 6 ."j.7 i  21.1  / j  i i / a to id j of 1/1 3 16.1 16.4 10 10.41 u. 25 1h 8to.  1