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Hayden Exit Wouldn't See Drop in Rank, Pay NewsMax.com Wires WASHINGTON -- If Gen. Michael Hayden, President Bush's nominee to head the CIA, were to voluntarily quit the Air Force in order to head the spy agency as a civilian, he would not drop in rank or retirement pay. The 37-year Air Force veteran would give up other benefits that accrue to senior generals, however, such as his free housing at Bolling Air Force Base along the Potomac River, and other privileges of rank. Leaving the service now also would eliminate the option of him taking another four-star position in the military in the event his CIA stint was short-lived. Hayden began his Air Force career in 1969 and has been a general officer since Sept. 1, 1993, when he became a one-star. He was given one additional star in 1996 and another in 1999, and he reached his current four-star rank on April 22, 2005. Basic pay for a four-star general this year is limited by law to $12,666.60 per month, or $151,999.20 a year. A three- or four-star general may, at the discretion of the president and with the consent of the Senate, be retired in the highest rank held while serving on active duty, according to the official Air Force Officer's Guide. Officers above the rank of major or below three-star general must have served on active duty in that grade for at least three years to be eligible for voluntary retirement in that rank. Hayden would not rise higher on the retirement pay scale by staying in the Air Force longer because retirement pay is capped at 75 percent of basic pay after 30 years of service. He is already well beyond the 30-year mark.
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© 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Editor's note: Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
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