The White House March 11 backed a 3.1 percent pay raise for the military as part of its overall defense spending proposal of $750 billion for fiscal 2020. The roughly 5 percent increase for defense, up from a total $716 billion defense budget enacted in fiscal 2019, was included in the record $4.75 trillion budget request for all government spending for fiscal 2020 that President Donald Trump sent to Congress. According to the Pentagon, the military pay increase for 2010 was 3.4 percent. The increase must be approved by both the House and the Senate before it becomes law. The approval process will likely stretch into late this year. Read more about the proposal on Military.com.