US military payraise

GWC Community GWC Hive Mind
#1

Ok, i got this story from twitter. Here goes :

just a while ago, there was a story going around about a woman bitching about the US military getting a payraise.

then came a reply from a US airman, claiming he had worked in an actual battlefield, and was responsible for a network of 2000 computers (or something to that matter), all that for a fat salary of $11,000 & some loose change per annum. And that he would’ve earned 7-8 times that amount in the private sector.

And he ended his letter by saying that that he may disagree to that said woman’s opinion, but he will defend to the death for her right to have that notion (Note to self: that was Sweet!)

Anyways, hive mind, does anyone have that link to the US airman’s rebuttal?

#2

11k? Base salary is like 23 k I’m pretty sure

#3

how is day to day life handled with military pay? is it like presidential pay, where obama draws a paycheck but most of his expenses are covered, or is it somewhere in the middle? i don’t know how housing, food, transportation,e tc. works out.

#4

Basically everything is covered. If you’re in combat or hazardous duty you get additional pay.

Also the lowliest private with zero time in gets 17.6k a year.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_pay_scale.asp

#5

DP, could you clarify what you mean by “everything is covered?” Also, do you know what the hazardous duty pay rate is for military members?

(Leading questions, I know).

~Shooter Out

#6

Everything is covered if you’re single, live in the barracks and eat every meal in the mess hall. Married GIs can get base housing if there is any room, or a housing allowance to live off-post. That housing allowance may or may not cover all living expenses. There’s also what used to be called separate rations, which was a another allowance in your check to cover feeding the family, since they aren’t eating every meal in the mess hall. Again, that may or may not actually cover all the eating expenses. Depending on the soldier’s pay grade and the local economy, sometimes it was ok and sometimes it wasn’t enough. I saw guys & families living in some pretty crappy apartments because that was all they could afford on a private’s pay. Granted, I’ve been out of the military for almost 20 years, but I don’t imagine it’s changed that much. When you also consider that sometimes the soldier is away from the family and in harms’ way for long periods at a time, it’s not enough. IMO, soldier’s are like teachers. You can’t put a price on what they do, so you shouldn’t haggle.

#7

Uh I hope you don’t think I’m on the side that they get paid too much, I was just commenting on the figures in the original post and the query of what’s covered.

http://www.swapmeetdave.com/United/Airman.htm also that’s probably the letter in question

#8

thanks y’all for your input :cool:

#9

All I know is (sorta*) that my buddy is always talking about ways to make more money and gets really aggravated at anyone who comes anywhere near damaging his truck that he mostly paid for with three tours in Iraq.

*Here be a link to their pay rates