Pay Raise, Plus-up, War on Terror Highlight Budget Requests

, WASHINGTON: A 3-percent pay raise for service members, an increase in ground forces and continued funding of the global war on terrorism are on the table now that President Bush has delivered his fiscal 2008 defense budget request and 2007 emergency supplemental request to Congress today. 
 
The total DoD 2008 budget request is pegged at $481.4 billion. This represents an 11.3-percent increase over fiscal 2007.