Basically, the subset of public employees who are often placed in harm's way. Should these people be treated any differently that other public employees as far a benefits and public support? I'm often asked to give to things like the Wounded Warrior Project and the Policeman's Pension fund in addition to paying my taxes. Ostensibly these are worthy causes but I'd feel the same way about being asked to contribute to the School Teacher's Retirement fund and the recently disabled Parks and Rec Facility Supervisor's house remodeling fund. Is that wrong?

Basically, these jobs come with high risks and yet people still readily sign on to do them. Now, if the draft were reinstituted that would change everything for military service, of course. However, in a free-market economy without a draft, if you have an excess of willing and ready labor, is there a need to compensate highly? This is what we are seeing though, particularly with respect to civil servants like Firefighters, State Patrolmen and some other first-responders. Salaries are quite high and benefits are excellent as well. I should know, I'm involved with filing claims to their insurance companies on a daily basis. I'm not sure where military salaries fall but I know their benefits are quite nice, particularly for officers. There always seems to be keen competition to get into the Service Academies. That hasn't changed in decades. Not sure how recruitment is going for the different services. My guess is that they are filling their quotas, as I haven't read anything in several years about a lack of enlisted personnel. Perhaps someone here will know.

If the risks didn't match the compensation levels, there wouldn't be so many candidates for these jobs, correct? The fact that there are often lengthy waiting lists to get trained and posted to these jobs tells me that compensation and other benefits must be pretty good and at the very least commensurate to the job descriptions, dangerous though they may be. Do they really need extra support in the form of charities and drives and auctions and walk-a-thons from the tax-payers that have already footed the bill for their salaries and benefits? Should the market be allowed to dictate the level of compensation/public funding, like it does in most other non-civil service fields?

Thoughts?