Military career in Russia is traditionally held in high esteem. At the same time, the state is trying to make it attractive also from a material point of view. The Russian soldier must be sure that in peacetime he and his family will be provided with financial support and housing. Many contract soldiers go to the army, believing that the attitude of the state will be appropriate. To what extent do officers' expectations correspond to the real state of affairs in the Russian army? What laws work to solve problems related to financial and other types of support for soldiers?
the federal law
The material support of the Russian military is regulated by several regulations. Among the main ones is the Federal Law “On monetary allowance”, adopted on November 7, 2007. The subject of regulation of this legal act includes financial payments in favor of military personnel, taking into account the positions they hold, their ranks, duration of service, characteristics of tasks and other conditions.
Allowance structure
The key provisions of the law governing, in fact, the monetary allowance of servicemen are set forth in its 2nd article. There, in particular, it is said about the structure of the corresponding payments. The monetary allowance of servicemen, therefore, consists of two monthly salaries - determined by military rank and formed in accordance with the position held by the person, as well as a number of additional payments. This applies to the military under the contract. The material support of conscript military personnel in terms of monetary allowance, in turn, is formed from the only type of salary - by position and, when possible, additional payments.
Salaries
According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, the salaries in the framework of the military salary are the same, it is established by the Government of the Russian Federation. This body as a whole is responsible for all major changes in the monetary allowance of military personnel. In some cases, part of the authority is delegated to other executive structures.
Also, in accordance with the legal norms contained in the Law on the monetary allowance of servicemen, salaries in the army must be indexed on an annual basis. The basic criterion here is the dynamics of inflation officially calculated by Rosstat. The calculation of the monetary allowance of the military involves the use of appropriate ratios.
Additional payments
Let us examine in more detail the essence of those same additional payments that, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation, can be accrued to military salaries. The nature of the corresponding allowances for the satisfaction of contract soldiers and conscripts is different. We study the features of additional payments for both.
If a person is serving on conscription, then he can count on the following salary increases: for the qualification class, for special conditions of service, for performing complex tasks that involve risk in peacetime, and also for working with information representing state a secret.
Contractual cash allowances for military personnel are also accompanied by additional payments. In particular, this is a percentage increase in salary (total) for years of service. It varies from 10% (with a length of service between 2 and 5 years) to 40% (with an indicator of 25 years or more). A bonus for the qualification class is also provided, as is the case with conscript soldiers. It varies from 5% of the salary of the position (for 3rd grade) to 30% - if the qualification category of the master is assigned.
With regard to the allowance for working with information related to the state secret, its value - up to 65% of salary. The specific indicator for this additional payment depends on how secret is the information with which the person works.
The allowance accrued for the fact that a soldier serves in special conditions can reach 100% of the salary. The criteria reflecting its size are determined by the Government of the Russian Federation. The specific conditions of service, as well as the categories of soldiers, are taken into account. Also, a premium for performing tasks that involve risk in peacetime can reach 100%. Similarly, the specific amount of the additional payment is determined by the Government of the Russian Federation.
There is a bonus for special achievements. Its value can also be up to 100% of the salary formed on the basis of a military post. The rules for its payment, in turn, are determined by the competent executive authority.
We also note that in some cases, contract soldiers can count on additional fixed payments in the form of material assistance. Another source through which it is possible to increase the monetary allowance for military personnel is bonuses for good faith service. Their value, as a rule, is commensurate with the salary of the rank. However, the payment of monetary allowances to servicemen in terms of the bonus for conscientious service may, according to the law, amount to three salaries. In turn, the annual amount of material assistance should not be less than one total salary of an officer.
Boost Odds
We examined how the monetary allowance of servicemen in Russia is calculated. However, a significant amount of the tasks of the Russian army requires the presence of officers abroad. If a soldier fulfills his duty in formations located abroad, then he has the right to rely on various kinds of raising factors. Their calculation is determined by the Government of the Russian Federation.
Similarly, the Law on monetary allowance of servicemen establishes rights in respect of officers who solve problems in case of emergencies, armed conflicts and counter-terrorism operations, as well as in ensuring public order in some territories of the Russian Federation.
In addition, officers who serve in the Far North and regions that are equated with them, as well as in areas with an unfavorable climate, for example, in desert regions, also receive salaries with corresponding coefficients.
When a soldier leaves the army, the state guarantees the payment of a lump sum. Its size depends on the length of service. If it is less than 20 years, then the corresponding allowance is 2 salaries, if more than 7. The law provides for scenarios in which lump-sum benefits upon the military retirement may not be paid. This may be due, for example, to the deprivation of officer rank, to punishment in the form of imprisonment, expulsion from a military university for indiscipline, failure to fulfill the conditions of a signed contract. It is interesting that in some cases the allowance is also not paid if a person transfers to military service in the state power structures or customs.
Other aspects of material support
Material support for military personnel is not only monetary allowance. The state guarantees the military also other support options. So, for example, the payment of lifting allowances is provided - when moving from one point of service to another. Their size is equal to one salary, as well as 25% of its value in favor of each member of the military family. In some cases, the military has the right to receive a daily allowance in addition to lifting. As a rule, they are appointed in connection with the transfer of an officer to a new place of service. Per diem is paid based on the number of days a soldier is en route. Their specific value is determined by the Government of the Russian Federation.
The state policy, within the framework of which material support is provided to military personnel, also includes compensation payments related to the rental of housing. Their value depends on the specific region of service. For example, in Moscow and the region it is about 15 thousand rubles.
Social package
An example of a large-scale support measure, supplementing the monetary allowance of military personnel, is the state social package, which is supplied to soldiers serving on a contract basis. One of the key components of its structure is housing. The state helps military service housing.
If a person has served in the army for more than 20 years, then he has the right to contact the authorities for assistance in acquiring an apartment in his chosen place of residence. A similar right arises for a soldier after leaving the army upon reaching the age limit, due to health or due to organizational measures. An employee can buy housing on a preferential basis through participation in the state mortgage program of the corresponding orientation.
Regarding the program for providing military housing, in 2015-2017, for example, a significant amount of allocations from the state budget is provided - about 81.5 billion rubles. Regarding housing subsidies, the authorities expect them to spend about 40 billion rubles in 2015. Note, by the way, that the share of total army spending in the state budget is about 20%.
The next component of the considered social package is getting an education. A serviceman has the right to study during the period of service in the army, and also has priority in entering higher educational institutions and institutions of secondary vocational education after leaving the army.
As part of the social package guaranteed by the state for the military, soldiers are also entitled to rely on benefits in medical care. At the same time, the corresponding support measure is designed not only for the military personnel themselves, but also for their family members.
The state social package also provides for the provision of soldiers with food and necessary household items. This is primarily the organization of food in the military units, the issuance of rations, providing uniforms and other things.
Another important measure of state support for military personnel is free travel. Its use is possible if the soldier goes to a new object of service, on vacation, on a business trip. But there is a condition - this benefit is provided only to the military, who serve in the Far North, as well as equated with them. If this criterion is met, free travel is also guaranteed to one of the soldier’s family members. Moreover, compensation is not prepaid. The soldier must pay the ticket himself, then, in accordance with the procedures provided for by law, the Russian Ministry of Defense returns the expenses to him.
Satisfaction of conscripts
Let us consider in what specific figures the monetary allowance of the military personnel of the Russian Federation can be presented. To begin with, we will study the indicators specific to soldiers of military service. Now the size of the corresponding payments for draftees is modest enough - 2 thousand rubles. per month. At the same time, additional payments can be up to 100% - in practice, this usually applies to cases when a soldier serves in peacetime at risk. For example, if he is involved in parachute operations, is engaged in diving, works with explosives. There is information in the media that in the coming years, the Russian state may increase the monetary allowance of draftees.
Contractor satisfaction
Consider the numbers for contract soldiers of some rank and file. Such an aspect as the material support of UCP military personnel (public-state training), people who decided to join the army on a professional basis, is of great concern. Future officers who wish to defend their homeland want to be sure that in peacetime the state will be able to take care of the material component of the officer and his family. We will also try to make an approximate calculation of the monetary allowance of servicemen of the corresponding categories.
The shooter, or ordinary, has a salary based on a military post of 10-12 thousand rubles. The squad leader can rely on the base payout of about 15 thousand rubles. In general, a contract soldier who has just started serving in the army can count on an initial salary of about 15 thousand rubles.
The next type of army salary is by rank. Its value is significantly less than for payments correlated with posts. For ordinary people, the figure is about 5 thousand rubles, for corporals - already more: about 5.5 thousand rubles. Junior sergeant can expect a salary of 6 thousand rubles. A soldier a step higher - 7 thousand rubles. Senior sergeant - about 7.5 thousand rubles. Petty Officer, in turn, may have a salary of about 8 thousand rubles. These values, as we noted above, are indexed in accordance with the level of inflation.
In order to calculate the monetary allowance of servicemen of the indicated categories, we will have to add both types of salary and increase them by the size of the corresponding allowances. Consider a simple example.
Junior sergeant will most likely have a salary of 15 thousand rubles for a military post, and 6 thousand rubles for a rank. Most likely, he has been serving in the army recently: 2-5 years. The corresponding allowance for the length of service, if we take the current figures determined by the Government of the Russian Federation, will amount to 2.1 thousand rubles. The sergeant is likely to be qualified in grade 3. This circumstance causes a slight increase in monetary allowance for military personnel according to the results of calculations. For the sergeant, the corresponding allowance will be 750 rubles. Suppose also that he was charged a bonus of 50% of the salary of the position for special conditions of service.
We will carry out the calculation of monetary allowances for servicemen in the sergeant’s position by adding up both salaries, adding additional payments, as well as 50% of the part of the financial base that is based on the position. It will turn out 31,350 rubles. We also note that the calculation of monetary allowance for military personnel may include various kinds of bonuses or material assistance. This can increase our figure by about 7-8 thousand rubles. Thus, if it affects the UCP military personnel, then future or novice officers will see that their prospective salary as a whole corresponds to the national average or may even be higher than it. Although in some regions of the Russian Federation this indicator will be considered decent.
An interesting fact is that if a contract soldier occupies a certain position within the framework of temporary performance of duties, then according to her, and not with his own current status, he will receive a salary and other allowances. In turn, the monetary allowance provided for by his personal rank and position is not paid. A soldier will receive a salary as if he had served in a temporarily occupied vacancy indefinitely.
Material support for military pensioners
We examined aspects that reflect the payment of cash allowances to military personnel, but mainly only with respect to those who are currently serving in the army. It would also be useful to study the aspect of the material security of persons who retired after being dismissed. As in the case of salaries for current officers, the indexation of the monetary allowance of retired military personnel is carried out by the state. In particular, in October 2015, its value will be 5.5%.
The general formula for calculating the retirement of a retired military is as follows. If an officer has served 20 years or more, then the corresponding payments will generally amount to 50% of the allowance, as well as 3% for each year in excess of the basic service of 20 years. However, the maximum pension cannot exceed 85% of the allowance. In turn, if the military served 25 years, then the pension is based on the same 50% of the allowance, as well as 1% for each additional year.
The laws of the Russian Federation guarantee that the pension of a retired military will not be reduced due to possible reforms in approaches to calculating the amount of monetary allowances of officers. Theoretically, an option is possible in which, due to adjustments to the legal acts regulating the salaries of the military, the Ministry of Finance may have formal reasons for reducing the absolute value of the military pension, as well as compensations for the current military. According to the 5th article of the Federal Law "On the monetary allowance of military personnel" in such cases it is guaranteed that the actual amount of payments will be at least no lower than before changes in laws.