Letter to Congressional Leaders on the Recommendations of the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

After having reviewed the recommendations proposed by the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (the "Commission"), I believe the recommendations are an important step forward in protecting the long-term viability of the All-Volunteer Force, improving quality-of-life for service members and their families, and ensuring the fiscal sustainability of the military compensation and retirement systems. Our men and women in uniform and their families deserve nothing less, and I thank the Commission for its work.

My Administration fully supports the underlying objectives of each of the Commission's 15 recommendations. Upon receipt of these recommendations, I directed my team to consider these recommendations and to work with the Commission to adopt or refine the specific proposals in as many instances as possible. Given the complexity of military compensation and retirement programs and our solemn responsibility to ensure that any changes further the objectives above, I will report to the Congress by April 30, 2015, on the initial results of this work and with proposals that I recommend be enacted without delay; subsequent analysis may be needed for some of the recommendations.

BARACK OBAMA