33 replies to this topic

[CommunitarianKevin]

People are complaining about government benefits (commonly known as welfare to some…) being handed out to people. From the outrage of food stamps to Mitt Romney’s 47%...With all of the outrage over working people getting some government help, why do we not hear outrage about the military getting the same thing?

To start, here is the military pay scale…This is what military members make whether they are on deployment or working at their home base.
http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_pay_scale.asp

Choose whatever rank you want to go by but I will be using E-3 with over 3 years for the simple fact that in the Air Force, you automatically get E-3 at your 3 year mark. An E-3 gets paid about $2,000 a month. If you compare that to someone working a 40 hour week in the civilian world, they are making about $12.50. That is not great pay in itself… $24,000 a year, but more than your typical person on food stamps would make.

In addition to that enlisted members either get to eat at the dining facility for free, or if they live off base (once they become an E-3 or get married,) they receive something called BAS or basic allowance for subsistence. This is something a member receives whether they are single or not. This is the military “Food Stamps.” BAS was around $300 a month. I personally ate at the dining facility because the food was dirt cheap. I could eat breakfast for about $1.50. I ended up pocketing most of the BAS.

Also, military members that live off base get BAH or basic allowance for housing. The price of this depends on the area you live. When I was living in Virginia, BAH was $1,500. That is a check that they give you every month and if you do not spend all of it on rent, you pocket it. On the flip side, if rent is more, you pay that out of pocket. My rent was $1,200 a month. I pocketed $300 a month. I do know guys that had rent around $1,500 but lived with 3 people…they pocketed a lot more money.

If you look at just those 2 things, they are nearly giving me my salary again…for free…$2,000 compared to $1,800. That does not even include the extra money one gets when they are deployed which is also tax free.

In addition to that we have socialized healthcare. Free medical and dental for the entire family…Also things bought on base were tax free...

When you think about it, our military is an example of a socialist government.

Obviously many of you will say “they deserve it because they are serving their country,” but they would clearly be part of the 47%. Military members receive more free money than any working poor person does, but no outrage…This should be just as much, if not more disturbing than government assistance programs that are out there for the poor…but hey, I enjoyed being a 21 year old making $45,000 a year. Bought me a sports car, tons of clothes, tons of electronics, plus I saved up enough to live off of for over a year when I got off of active duty. Thank you socialist America.

Edited by CommunitarianKevin, 21 November 2012 - 02:31 PM.

[questionmark]

Very simple, if you cut the pay and benefits good luck finding anybody to do that ****ty job. If I have the choice of flipping burgers and joining the Forces for the same pay I wind up with an tennis arm.

[CommunitarianKevin]

questionmark, on 21 November 2012 - 02:30 PM, said:

Very simple, if you cut the pay and benefits good luck finding anybody to do that ****ty job. If I have the choice of flipping burgers and joining the Forces for the same pay I wind up with an tennis arm.

Funny story...I flip bugers...

People would still join...What we should do is switch to a guard/reserve only type thing and get rid of active duty personel. We would have just as many troops, if not more, and you only pay them $200-$300 dollars a month, except when they are deployed, obviously.

[questionmark]

CommunitarianKevin, on 21 November 2012 - 02:34 PM, said:

Funny story...I flip bugers...

People would still join...What we should do is switch to a guard/reserve only type thing and get rid of active duty personel. We would have just as many troops, if not more, and you only pay them $200-$300 dollars a month, except when they are deployed, obviously.

See, I worked for the Air Force long enough to know that most of the guys deserve every penny they get, when is the last time you worked 16 hours? I could do that every day to my goons if I felt like it, and the funniest thing about it, being a civilian, I could just go home after 8 hours. And that in times between alarms. During alarms and exercises I could make them work 24 hours on a whim.

And while I was pretty lenient (cause I believe in not doing onto others what I don't want to be done to me), there were plenty of a&$eholes around who did that just for sport.

Complaining that the enlisted military is overpaid can just come from those who never were anywhere near it.

[Gromdor]

I did military service right out of high school.  The GI bill and reduced tuition costs while in the military helped pay for an education without the student debt that cripples many of the students that go direct to college.  The free housing and free food allowed me to save a considerable chunk of money, for when I got out.  My first duty base was England, which for a 17 yr old was a blast. RAF Upper Heyford- 15 minutes from Oxford University.  When Robin Hood came out, my friends all went on a road trip to Sherwood Forest.  It was a great experience.

The trade off, of course, was that I had to go to Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm to do that whole war thing.

[Thanato]

I'm a Canadian equivilant of an E-4 (A Corporal). I'm a reservist however which is 80% that of reg force pay if I was on full time duty. I would net more then an E-6 with 6 years of service. Now when I was over seas I was making much more then a US First Sgt. About $1500 more a month then he was making. Is that fair?

The US Military is paid very little. Or maybe it's just the Canadian Military is paid really good. I dont know. If I was full time at my pay grade I would be making bout 43,000 after taxes a year.

~Thanato

[wolfknight]

Being a navy vet. I know what the paid was for E3 it sucked.E4 wasn't much better A sailor,or soldier can't feed his wife and child on that paid. You damn rght they deserve food stamps.

[Kasey2601]

CommunitarianKevin, on 21 November 2012 - 02:24 PM, said:

Obviously many of you will say “they deserve it because they are serving their country,” but they would clearly be part of the 47%. Military members receive more free money than any working poor person does, but no outrage…This should be just as much, if not more disturbing than government assistance programs that are out there for the poor…but hey, I enjoyed being a 21 year old making $45,000 a year. Bought me a sports car, tons of clothes, tons of electronics, plus I saved up enough to live off of for over a year when I got off of active duty. Thank you socialist America.

They do deserve it! A good portion of the poor in this country are just too lazy to get off their ass and find work. Military actually do something and the majority of the time, if a soldier comes home disabled in anyway, he's instantly forgotten. So yeah, I do think they deserve every penny given to them.

[CuriousGreek]

In my opinion they deserve it. It's way too difficult to be a soldier. You put yourself in danger every day and that means you have to live only with fear by your side, let alone you could lose a part of your body in a conflict. Besides, all these training that soldiers have to pass through every day is really exhausting. So, i totally agree in them getting this amount of money.
P.S. I am not a US' citizen and i haven't gone to the military yet. But, that doesn't mean i shouldn't form an opinion about this issue.

[CommunitarianKevin]

Lady Kasey, on 21 November 2012 - 03:14 PM, said:

They do deserve it! A good portion of the poor in this country are just too lazy to get off their ass and find work. Military actually do something and the majority of the time, if a soldier comes home disabled in anyway, he's instantly forgotten. So yeah, I do think they deserve every penny given to them.

Not true. Actually when I got off of active duty I could not find a job. Many vets cannot find jobs. What makes you think it is any easier for the poor?

Here is the thing a lot of people do not understand about the military...not all of the jobs are that difficult. Maybe different jobs should get paid different amounts? Sure there were long days and tough situations but there were also people that worked in a dining facility for years and never deployed. Not everyone is special forces...

I just find it odd that no one complains about the way the military works as far as paying its troops. You want to cut the national debt, look at the military.

I don't know...I felt the pay on my deployments was good but that I was over-paid when I was not deployed...I also think I am ripping the government off with my disability pay...I guess maybe I do not give myself enough credit?

[praetorian-legio XIII]

To communitariankevin...... so you think that the general US population should be pissed off, excuse me, outraged  because of what our military personel are payed?

Tell that to the mothers and fathers and husbands and wifes and brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of the thousands who've died.  

"Sorry your family member died in the dust thousands of miles away, but he did eat for free"

[CommunitarianKevin]

praetorian-legio XIII, on 21 November 2012 - 05:41 PM, said:

To communitariankevin...... so you think that the general US population should be pissed off, excuse me, outraged  because of what our military personel are payed?

Tell that to the mothers and fathers and husbands and wifes and brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of the thousands who've died.  

"Sorry your family member died in the dust thousands of miles away, but he did eat for free"

*rollseyes*
Of course I think they should be paid. Hell, maybe we should give them millions of dollars...

What do you tell any person that loses someone? The fact of the matter is that many people die or get injured in jobs that pay less. Did you know that combat is not the leading cause of death in the Air Force? Did you know there are more deaths due to suicide and car accidents than combat in the Air Force?

Edited by CommunitarianKevin, 21 November 2012 - 06:04 PM.

[praetorian-legio XIII]

You didn't specify Air Force, you referred to the military as a whole.

First they don't deserve what their pay and benefits add up to, now their worth millions.

And please don't spout off death stats regarding accidents and suicides when the topic is "over payed" american men and women putting their lives on the line so you can drive a sports car and flip burgers.

[CommunitarianKevin]

praetorian-legio XIII, on 21 November 2012 - 06:16 PM, said:

You didn't specify Air Force, you referred to the military as a whole.

First they don't deserve what their pay and benefits add up to, now their worth millions.

And please don't spout off death stats regarding accidents and suicides when the topic is "over payed" american men and women putting their lives on the line so you can drive a sports car and flip burgers.

Well that is the thing. Military is military. You get paid the same regardless of branch or job. Maybe it should vary depending on those things?

Sorry, I didn't understand your second sentence. Are you saying they are not worth their pay? That was kind of my point...

You brought up the topic of deaths, not me.

And what is your point about me flipping burgers and driving a sports car?

[praetorian-legio XIII]

OK kid, you've stated your opinion that our military personnel are over paid, which is your right and I respect that, but at least pay enough attention to your own posts so as not to confuse yourself.