Refuse to cut or in any way diminish the pay or retirement benefits for military service members past present or future.

As a cost-cutting move, the Defense Business Board, the Pentagon's private sector advisory panel, has recommended a corporate-style benefits program for our military members that would contribute money to a retirement savings account instead of the monthly pension program that has existed for generations. We urge you to resist any compensation or benefit changes that would ultimately see less net pay or benefits than presently allowed. We urge you to resist any effort that requires a forced savings from gross pay intended to provide for retirement unless pay is increased proportionately. We urge you to resist any retirement plan that would fail to guarantee the veteran a lifetime benefit. This means the refusal to accept any plan, 401K-type or other, subject to stock market forces.