Executive Order 11998—President's Commission on Military Compensation -

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States of America, and as President of the United States of America, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. I), it is hereby ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. (a) There is established the President's Commission on Military Compensation, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, which shall be composed of not more than nine members who shall be appointed by the President.

(b) The President shall designate a Chairman from among the members.

SEC. 2. (a) The Commission shall review at least the analyses, findings, and recommendations related to military compensation which have been completed by the Quadrennial Reviews of Military Compensation, the Comptroller General, the Interagency Committee Study of Uniformed Services Retirement and Survivor Benefits, the Department of Defense Retirement Study Group, and the Defense Manpower Commission.

(b) The Commission shall identify, study, and make recommendations on critical military compensation issues, specifically addressing the following issues:

(1) What form of military compensation is the most effective for meeting the needs of the Nation in peace and war? Is the present pay and allowances system appropriate? If not, what changes (such as some form of military salary) offer greater potential to serve the national purpose?

(2) Are specific standards appropriate and necessary for setting and adjusting military compensation? If so, what should the standards be? What elements of compensation should be based on such standards?

(3) What provisions are appropriate for differential compensations) such as special and incentive pays) and what are the appropriate criteria for using them?

(4) What are the purposes of the military retirement system? Is the present system effective in achieving these purposes? What changes are appropriate?

(5) Should the unique characteristics of military service be reflected in the compensation system, and, if so, how?

(c) The Commission shall submit a report to the President through the Secretary of Defense by March 15, 1978. The report shall recommend how the military compensation system can best be structured to serve the national interest. If changes are recommended, the Commission should estimate their cost and propose an implementation plan and timetable.

SEC. 3. In performing its functions the Commission shall conduct such studies, reviews, and inquiries as may be necessary. In addition to conducting open meetings in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Commission shall conduct public hearings to identify critical issues and possible solutions related to the structure of military compensation.

SEC. 4. The Commission is authorized to request from any Executive agency such information that may be deemed necessary to carry out its functions under this Order. Each Executive agency shall, to the extent permitted by law, furnish such information to the Commission in the performance of its functions under this Order.

SEC. 5. Each member of the Commission who is not otherwise employed in the Federal Government may receive, to the extent permitted by law, compensation for each day he or she is engaged in the work of the Commission at a rate not to exceed the maximum daily rate now or hereafter prescribed by law for GS-18 of the General Schedule, and may also receive transportation and travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5702 and 5703).

SEC. 6. The Chairman of the Commission is authorized to establish such additional advisory committees as may be deemed appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Order.

SEC. 7. All necessary administrative staff services, support, facilities, and expenses of the Commission shall, to the extent permitted by law, be furnished by the Department of Defense.

SEC. 8. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other Executive order, the functions of the President under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. I), except that of reporting annually to the Congress, which are applicable to the Commission, shall be performed by the Secretary of Defense in accordance with guidelines and procedures established by the Office of Management and Budget.

SEC. 9. The Commission shall terminate thirty days after submitting its report.

JIMMY CARTER

The White House, June 27, 1977.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:42 p.m., June 27, 1977]