"How is the Retirement Amount Calculated?"
"The retirement benefit is based on years worked and rank. If the colonel has worked 20 years, then the government would calculate the retirement benefit at 50 percent of their base pay. If the colonel was to retire after 22 years, then there is a multiplier that is used. For every year in service over 20, the colonel receives an additional 2.5 percent. The maximum is 75 percent of their base pay at 30 years. So, at 30 years, the base salary of $10,736.70. Multiply that by 75 percent, and it equals $8,052 per month."
Sounds like a megabuck is pretty easy to come by. It doesn't looks like it doesn't even take a 7-star colonel to pull a megabuck over a decade or two.