Grayson Legislation Capping Number of Flag, General Officers Becomes Law

Press Release

Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-09)'s legislation, H.R. 3866, guarding against excessive increases in flag or general officers in the military was included in the "Omnibus Appropriations Act' for Fiscal Year 2014.

Grayson's bill was incorporated into section 8129 of the "Omnibus Appropriations Act'. It will prevent increases in flag or general officers (sometimes referred to as "brass creep" or "star creep") by capping the number of flag and general officers employed by the military at their existing levels. The U.S. military has seen a disproportionate rise in the number of these officers, even as the number of enlisted troops shrinks. Estimates suggest that for each general, American taxpayers pay more than $1 million in support staff, and the U.S. Navy reportedly has more admirals than ships. There are as many flag officers commanding the 1.4 million GI's today as there were commanding the 12 million GI's in uniform during World War II.

"Our military is more top-heavy than ever," Grayson said. "The ratio of officers to enlisted personnel is skewed heavily towards officers, which presents a problem, given the high expenses associated with employing these officers -- particularly at a time when we are facing leaner budgets. Our limited resources should be directed to supporting our troops on the battlefield, not funneled towards administrative personnel. As the U.S. draws down two wars overseas, it makes sense to place a hold on the number of generals and admirals employed by the military. My provision aims to restore a more appropriate balance between officers and troops, and I'm pleased to see it become law."

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