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. They’re also considering a grace period to cut incentive pay gradually rather than all at once, according to the people familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters.
The debate over incentive pay highlights the US military’s broader challenge of keeping skilled cyber specialists in uniform as President Donald Trump’s administration puts greater emphasis on offensive operations. The White House’s March cyber strategy calls for using the full range of US offensive cyber capabilities, and an August presidential memorandum directed the creation of a program for vetted companies to conduct cyberattacks against foreign cybercrime groups.
While Cyber Command needs experienced operators to carry out its mission, the proposed overhaul could reduce pay for many personnel before they reach the elite ranks the Pentagon is seeking to build.
The new pay program took effect on Oct. 1 and staff will start seeing the changes in their paychecks this month, according to a Pentagon spokesperson. The Pentagon developed a one-year transition plan so that no service members will immediately see a pay reduction, the spokesperson said, adding that the plan provides personnel an opportunity to achieve necessary new qualifications over the coming year. The spokesperson said more military staff will see increases in pay than decreases, but declined to share exact figures.
DefenseScoop previously reported on the plan.
Incentive pay is added to the regular salaries of soldiers in critical roles to help recruit and retain them. For many, at Cyber Command it’s been part of their monthly paycheck for years. In late September, the Army’s cyber commander summarized the pay concerns in a message offering advice to other military leaders facing questions from troops, according to emails reviewed by Bloomberg.
Lieutenant General Christopher Eubank wrote to colleagues on Sept. 25, outlining a scenario in which a soldier asks why their monthly incentive pay was being slashed from $1,000 to zero. Eubank suggested telling troops that the cuts are “just half the picture,” explaining that they could volunteer for additional duties to qualify for more pay and directing them to financial assistance programs.
Cyber Command ranks troops by expertise from basic to master, with the latter working most directly on military hacking missions. The new pay structure is set to take effect this month. The Pentagon and Cyber Command didn’t respond to questions about its current status.
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The pay changes are a central part of the Pentagon’s broader effort to remake Cyber Command. “We’re ripping out the bureaucratic debris and replacing one-size-fits-all career paths and incentives with a system built strictly on meritocracy, technical excellence and uncompromising standards,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an August video about the initiative, dubbed “CyberCom 2.0.”
Cyber Command staff has been under intense pressure and heavy workloads driven by the war with Iran, other foreign conflicts and artificial intelligence technology that’s increasingly adept at hacking computer systems. Personnel also are still grappling with a cluster of deaths by suicide among their colleagues over the summer.
Cyber Command has struggled to develop and retain master operators, its most highly skilled specialists, according to people familiar with the matter. Master operators are key to overseeing and executing cyber operations, especially the most important and sensitive missions, while basic operators rarely contribute directly, the people said. Though the command says its core team numbers more than 6,000 people, about two dozen are master operators, according to people familiar with the matter.
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Training one master operator can cost more than $1.5 million over several years, according to the people, but the investment may bring little return if those soldiers depart for private sector jobs that can be less stressful and more lucrative. The shortage also puts greater demands on the people who stay, contributing to further burnout.
Among the Cyber Command employees who face incentive pay cuts are basic capability developers who build tools that are used in operations, according to the people.
“I don’t think it will have a positive effect on morale,” said Matt Pearl, the former director for emerging technologies on the Biden White House National Security Council. “They’re not thinking about developing the talent pipeline in a holistic way.”
Pentagon and Cyber Command leaders anticipated blowback after the policy was announced publicly earlier this year, but staff have widely complained that it wasn’t adequately explained, the people said.
In the talking points he circulated, Eubank, the Army cyber commander, also urged leadership to handle “danger areas” in conversations with frustrated soldiers and acknowledged “there is no doubt the execution will inevitably create friction for some of our soldiers.” He told commanders to respond with a message of “optimism and progress.”
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