Military Pay

[Mistyfogg]

My husband is an E-3 in the Marines. Honestly, we struggle but we manage. But it is also because I am a full time student and I volunteer in a hospital and I do medical research for free (because it looks good for Med school) so I don't work. We live in San Diego which is a very expensive town. After 3 years in, my husband makes roughly about 2600 dollars a month max. That is including everything. We live off base and our apartment is $800 a month. Now you would think we live in a lavish apartment on the beach. But we live in a 700 sq. foot apartment in a modest neighborhood. Then we have onecredit card bill because we had to buy stuff for a new a apartment so we had a sofa to sit on. Then gas is about $2.20 a gallon here, and we have to drive in traffic everywhere we go, so we spend about $160 a month in gas. Then we have a 2000 Ford Ranger truck payment that is $340 a month. Truck insurance is $130. Electric is about $60 a month because rates are high (we never use A/C or heat because then our bill would be in the hundreds.) Cellphone bill-$70, Cable and internet-$80. Food-$250. Personal Loan my hubby took out before we met=$70. Savings=$100. Credit card bill=$100
So all added up= around 2200. So we have $400 to play with after all of our bills are paid.
I have my own car that my parents pay for. If we were paying for the other car, we would have no money. My husband pulls 60 hour work weeks. He leaves at 5 am and doesn't get back until around 5 or 6 at night. He has logged over 300 days in the field (including deployment time) since he has been stationed in San Diego (for about 2 1/2 years). If he could get out right now, he would. But has a little less than a year to go.
According to my calculations, he makes about $11 an hour. In SD, cashiers at the grocery stores start at around $15-18 and hour. Yes we have free medical care. But the word free doesn't mean it is quality. Often, I don't even bother with TriCare because they take so long or they misdiagnose you (happened a couple times, good thing I volunteer at a hospital and talk to the Doctors there to see what they think). Dental isn't free though. They only pay a percentage of my care so it is still a little pricey with meager earnings. The comissary is not that cheap. They have a few good sales on things and meat is usually cheap. Other than that, it as the same prices. Plus the baggers work for tips, so you have to tip them a few dollars for bagging your groceries. My husband gets a "clothing allowance" of about $200. Well, my husband has already spent $600 this year on stuff (they order you to make alterations on your uniforms several times a year, buy needless stuff for field assignments, buy new cami's all the time, get a haircut once a week, donate $20 to the plaque fund for the shop, buy starch and other little things like boot bands or insignias. So actaully that is about an extra $100 a month average on military expenses. My husband will be making about $10,000 a year more when he gets out. He already has a guarenteed job lined up that still has pretty good benefits. I am not whining, I just wanted to illustrate another military families life and wages situation. We don't know live beyond our means. My parents help us out a lot. They pay for my tuition for college and give us food packages and money occassionally.We don't wear designer clothes unless someone bought it for us. We have a tight budget and for the amount of stress and time my husband has to commit, it isn't worth the pay. He doesn't get paid overtime. But we really don't mind not having a lot of money. It is humbling that we really just have each other. We aren't in huge debt and we are happy because we can do a few things here and there. We will have money someday, but we are still young and have more school and bigger jobs ahead. This is just a starting point. Money doesn't buy happiness.

Thank goodness we don't want to start a family. I have noticed that people my husband works with have kids when they complain about money problems!!! Or they go out and buy an F-250 extended cab lifted brand new truck with a baby on the way (no joke, there were 5 different people who did it in my husband's shop). I have tried and talked to a few people, to tell them they should see if a baby fit's into their budget but it is in one ear and out the other. Well, my post has rambled on....lol

 

[Matthew Hobbs]

In fact, while I don't have any hard numbers, I am willing to bet that the majority of the military is combat arms. (Go figure).

Gee, while we're exposing false facts - anyone can tell you that's incredibly false. Care to guess what the second largest branch is, after Infantry? Ordnance. That's right - the "pogues" who make sure your ammo gets to you, that make sure your Bradleys keep running, and that the Bushmaster 25MM keeps doing its job. Once you add in the Quartermasters, Transporters, MPs, Intell folks, nurses, docs, engineers, etc., etc., combat arms don't even make up 25% of the Army.

It does pain me to say that - I used to be in the Cav.

Additionally, while I may be incorrect, I can only surmise by your attitude that you were/are an officer.

This is an insult?

How they do this I have no idea. I certainly couldn't when I was an E3. And WOW, A 100 DISC CD CHANGER?! What did that cost, $89? And brand new $40,000 SUV's huh? Like what, escalades and what not?

Soldier, I see it everyday.

And does anyone else see anything wrong with this------->They wear clothes they buy at the PX, for around $100 - $150 an outfit

Why is there anything wrong with that? The PX is too expensive - it exploits soldiers. Jeans that cost $60, shirts for $40 - ridiculous. I can't afford that, and an E-3 most assuredly cannot.

And not matter what you think Hobbs, not everyone can be an officer.

I never said that - I said everyone could be - not "should" or "can." There's a difference.

You seem to have a real chip on your shoulder, about a lot of issues - pay, officers, etc.

 

[Sybaris]

I simply believe that a man/woman and their family who are willing to die for our country, who go through immeasurable emotional sacrifice, deserve more than just enough to get by.
I never said that they couldn't "get buy" on the money they are paid, I am merely stating my opinion that they get no where near the compensation they deserve for what they give.

OK. So by what criteria do you propose to increase pay? By what amount? For what instances? Should everyone receive the same pay, Admirals and Seaman? Have you written to your representatives and expressed your concerns? What is your solution to the problem you perceive? You want to deem it as the gov't taking advantage of patriotism, people still join knowing it's not a profitable and sometimes dangerous occupation. Are you a Liberal, a Socialist?

I simply asked you if you thought that a soldier was 1)Not deserving of a family because he is serving his country and 2) If you thought that the amount of pay a soldier gets is appropriately compensating.

1) Deserving? A soldier or sailor can have a family if they want to, most of the time. Prudence just dictates that they ensure adequate support beforehand. Your reasoning is like the case on coffee at MacDonald's, yes, it will burn you. I think a service member still has to get permission to marry. Anymore just a formality and notification for administrative purposes to start the allowances but a request nonetheless. It can serve to inform a supervisor of a service members intentions and be alert for a possible hardship or marriage under fraudulent pretext. I've known more than a few to marry illegals so that the alien could stay in the U.S. while the member pockets the extra cash. Anyway, it's a funny question, but I have had to respond to some domestics on base where marriage and child rearing probably weren't in the best interest of the parties involved. You are a Liberal, aren't you?

2) Yes. Been there done that, paid commensurately and well.

I've never been in a unit that didn't put in ATLEAST 60 hours a week.

What units were those?
Actually, in the military you're on duty 24/7 so if you want to split hairs you get paid, as an E-3 under 3, about $1.94 an hour (base pay).

And you sir, disgust me. You try to bring an air of simplicity and ease to the job a soldiers does. You make it sound as if the life of a soldier is candies and cupcakes, and that they give nothing of any deserving notice. I served for a thousand reasons other than pay but that does not make me short sighted to the fact that a soldier and his family are all already some of America's best citizens.

I disgust my wife sometimes too so, duly noted.
Unfortunately the adage of giving credit where credit is due has been substituted for blanket compensation and entitlement for breathing right.

Simply because you served 22 years does not give you the right to question my partiotism, and it makes my blood boil. I would knock you off your high horse if you were in reach.

Keyboard bravado

Are you confused about that particular issue? Not every Patriot serves, some win the Superbowl and some serve their country via other means. Some have different levels of commitment and some let their ambitions override their sense of patriotism for personal gain. Where do you fall out?

Additionally, while I may be incorrect, I can only surmise by your attitude that you were/are an officer.

And not matter what you think Hobbs, not everyone can be an officer. Eventualy there would be too many chiefs and not enough indians. Additionally, you aren't going to see the things I saw as an officer.

These last two quotes just don't mesh and lack insight. Were you or weren't you an officer or are you reflecting on your own attitude?

It is nice however to see that you guys are so Anti-Family. Very reassuring.

Please, don't tell my wife and daughters.

Obviously, if it worked like that, soldiers would be cutting out when they hit 40 hours 2 days into the week. Why do you suppose soldiers are salaried? Certainly wouldn't have anything to do with the number of hours they put in in a week.

Right......lets take a quick little survey here. How many people in here would stand on the business end of a firing range for 30 days just so they could get a tax free paycheck and $150 imminent danger pay? Hmmmmm....not seeing to many hands. .

In fact, while I don't have any hard numbers, I am willing to bet that the majority of the military is combat arms. (Go figure).

Hmm--apparently I stand corrected on a few assumptions about your attitude. You apparently are not an officer. You sure sound like one though.
Probably safe to assume you saw your fair share of sea duty, and weren't desk bound, so tl guess I can't hold that against you
Guess you are just weird

Something's amiss here, all your posts. The things you say just aren't consistent with honorable and unselfish service and it's typical of persons of your generation. You don't express a singular commitment; only whine about what service is not giving you.
I started noticing a change in personal accountability, commitment, and entitlement round 1993. A lot of young Sailors and Marines didn't feel like they should have to sweep a deck or perform any menial labor. No, most came in to get some college and mooch off the military. Sweating or going to war wasn't in "their" job description.
No, the majority of the military is not in combat arms, it's in a support function. Also, there's a lot of people in the Navy who never go to sea. Had you possessed any kind of appreciable experience you would know that.
The last four quotes really question your motive for serving, if in fact you did. Were you a military brat, a military groupie or if you did serve was it for very long? Did you acquire a sense of ownership of the branch you were in?

You know what they say when you assume something.