Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Micheal Barrett doesn't get it

Top enlisted Marine pens open letter after testimony angers troops
Stars and Stripes
21 minutes ago

What started as a hard-charging Marine comment to Congress has turned into a public relations emergency for Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Micheal Barrett.

Speaking to the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel on Wednesday, Barrett was making the case that personnel costs needed to be reined in to maintain readiness — as all the services have in recent testimony — but went a step further by saying that lower pay would actually improve discipline within the Corps.

“I truly believe it will raise discipline,” Barrett said. “You’ll have better spending habits. You won’t be so wasteful.”

He told lawmakers that if the service didn’t check growth on personnel costs, “we will become an entitlement-based, a health care provider-based Corps, and not a warfighting organization.”

His comments lit up Facebook and other social media sites. Marines and their supporters derided foreign aid, spoke of themselves or comrades getting state or federal financial aid — “read that as welfare” — and chided Marine Corps leadership as being out of touch.

“Says the SMMC who is knocking down $8K+ a month, living in gov’t quarters, etc. You have forgotten your roots and have no clue how some of your Marines are living,” said one commenter on Facebook.
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April 11, 2014

Marine Sgt. Major wants less pay for troops?

Sgt. Maj. Of The Marine Corps Says Lower Pay For Marines “Will Raise Discipline”, Make Them Less Wasteful 

The highest enlisted member of the United States Marine Corps said that lowering salary of Marines will “raise discipline” and make Marines less wasteful. The comments come as a debate in Washington talks about cutting active duty member pay in order to make sharp budget cuts at the Department of Defense. The comments came as he testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The base salary for the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is $7,816.20 per month.

When you are done screaming, read more here Maybe they should start with his pay?

He doesn't seem to know that a lot of his Marines and Soldiers are living on food stamps.