This was a big issue in the APMSA house in 2002-2003. I can try to see what came of it then to see why it is dead in the water
I led this effort in 02-03, and I'll tell you, I didn't only hit road blocks with the DoD, but with APMA as well. After APMSA passed the resolution to seek equal pay for equal work for military DPMs, Faye Frankfort the legislative liaison at APMA, did not feel it an important enough issue to pursue. Probably because there are few DPMs in the military. But we have to speak for them, since the are censured and can not speak for themselves.
I did write letters to the DoD and eventually VP Cheney. The DoD said that there is 1. no 'wartime mission' for DPMs, and 2. no shortage of them in the military. But if you look at the wartime mission of a dentist, it is triage. And the wartime mission of a veterinarian, is food inspection/safety. VP Cheney's staff wrote me and said they investigated the matter with the DoD and gave me the same response.
The central issue is that DPMs are in the Medical Services Corps, with PTs, MHAs, etc. They are not in the Medical Corps with the MDs and DOs. Dentists and Vets (and nurses) have their own corps. If you are not in the medical corps you don't qualify for scholarships or loan repayment, or for the medical corps bonus pay with brings your salary up from an standard O-3, to that commensurate with a physician.
I communicated with a DPM in the military who was an O-6 (Capt. in Navy, Col. in others), he had served 16 years and earned ~ $76,000 per year. Compare that with the years of double average pay in the civilian sector.
This should be a major issue. My suggestion is to contact the 2 presidential candidates staff members from the APMSA, ask them to commit to moving the DPMs into the Medical Corps, or at least providing the same benefits.
The sad truth is (where the military is right), if there are DPMs willing to work for $60k, why pay them any more??? We need a little more professional self-respect, and say "NO", we won't let our highly trained military surgeons who keep the boots on the ground to be indentured.
If you do decide to go into the military as a DPM, go into it realizing you'll make half to a third as much money as your civilian colleagues, and make sure your primary reason is because you love the military and this country.
LCR