The average cost of one US Navy SEAL, after minimum training, is somewhere near the figure of one million US Dollars. That is about the same price as a Tomahawk Cruise Missile. While each one has its uses, it is obvious that the SEAL is much more applicable to a wider range of tasks than that of the Cruise Missile. These warriors are invaluable in any war, and especially in the global War on Terror, as they bring an element of warfare that is perfect in countering the tactics of groups like Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
SEALs earn around $50,000-60,000 yearly, which is little more than a high school teacher in the state of Texas. Hardly enough pay considering the amount of work and the line of work these men do. It would seem fitting that SEALs should get paid enough to support a family they don’t get to spend enough time with because of their duties. Also, there is the problem that with this level of income, contracting companies like Blackwater (now known as ‘Xe’, but that is another story) can swoop in and hire these warriors and pay them as much as $1,500 a day. This is problematic because the military is finding it hard to keep these specialized soldiers in the ranks with such lucrative offers luring them away after one or two stints in the Navy. It is so problematic, in fact, that the Government is offering reenlistment bonuses to Special Operations troops up to $150,000.
The skills these men posses are extremely valuable, and they are the best at their craft, yet the US Government must do a better job of keeping a one million dollar investment. One way to do so is to increase the amount of money given to Naval Special Warfare, thus the salary of the SEALs goes up. They can also increase reenlistment bonuses and increase the monthly rate of hazardous duty pay. I’m not big on extreme Government restriction of private companies, but another path is to set salary caps on Blackwater (and other private contracting firms) employees.
