Team Trump Faces Backlash After US Hackers Face $1,000 Monthly Pay Cut
The US military is restructuring incentive pay for cyber personnel, resulting in pay cuts for entry-level staff while increasing compensation for elite 'masters'-level operators. The move has sparked internal backlash, prompting leadership to consider a gradual transition period.
Why it matters
The policy highlights the difficulty of retaining skilled cyber talent within the military as the US increases its focus on offensive cyber operations.
US soldiers tasked with hacking American adversaries and defending the nation's computers are set to see their incentive pay cut by as much as $12,000 a year as part of an overhaul that's drawn ire from the ranks, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg and people familiar with the situation.Cyber Command analysts, developers and operators with a basic-level proficiency are set to see their incentive pay drop by as much as $1,000 a month, according to US Army documents. Meanwhile, a small group of "masters"-level soldiers who are highly trained and certified will get raises of as much as $3,500 a month, the documents show.The internal backlash over the plan has proven so strong that senior leaders are drafting talking points to address concerns and lay out the rationale, emails reviewed by Bloomberg show.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in