The Pentagon says US troops' pay is 'strongly competitive' compared to the private sector

Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

• A new Pentagon report said its troops earn more than most of their full-time civilian counterparts.
• It said that after one year of service, the top 70th percentile of enlisted earners get about $1,000 a week.
• But that figure includes far more than base pay, which Congress recently voted to raise significantly.

A Pentagon...