Raise stirs questions on 'fair pay'.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: Washington Pulse - Brief Article

A proposed 2.2 percent pay raise for military personnel--the same raise that the Bush administration recommended for civilian workers--raised eyebrows in Washington in recent weeks. Giving equal salary, increments to military and civilians, critics argue, implies that the Pentagon is failing to reward the dangerous work that troops are doing in Iraq.

Not so, Pentagon officials counter. "The 2.2 is what we think is about the right amount," says Vice Adm. Evan Chanik, director of force structure, resources and assessment for the Joint Staff.

The Army's...