Quoted: I get paid adaquately. I don't need to pay for a house, or (most) utilities. (Pay my own cell, Lima-Lima, and internet.) I still pay for my own food. (MPs get seperate rats cause shift work means you dont eat when the D-FACs open.) But, I survive on 1200 a month. Its not a lavish living, but I still manage to blow most my spending cash on mil gear. (Better than issue.) And I'm only a PV2. Its not enough to own a new car, maybe a hoopdie. (Like a 500 dollar car.) I dont currently own one though. (deploying soon....Im gonna save up a bunch and get me a new truck when I get home after a year.) John

My base pay $2060/month for me (E-5, 5 years in) is shit. I am single so I dont get any housing money, I dont get money for food, the army still thinks all single soldiers eat in the Dfacs 24/7.

I try to save as much money as I can, I drive a 94 Ford Escort as I cannot afford a new car that I want.

With all the things that military poeple have to go thru, I think that $50,000 a year starting would be good. For the first 2 years the army should make you sve $50% of your pay since 99% of privates blow there whole paycheck in hours because the financial class they got in basic todl them to but extra life insurance which they dont need.

The biggest gripe from a lot of soldiers is pay. I fix NVGs, computers, power supplies, and Chemical Detectors, last year after taxes I made $28,000 or so. I know if I was a civy now I would make at leat double that.

You cannot say that for all MOSs but there are more high paying jobs in the army than low paying ones, if you know what I mean.

The differance in base pay between an E-7 with 12 years in and O-2E with 12 years in is over $1000 a month.

WTF, LTs dont do much at all but they get paid more than the E-7 who has to train the LT how to be a leader.

I joined the Navy when Jimmy Carter was the president.  Carters military was paid very little, and pretty much was worth what they were paid.  Along comes Ronald Reagan and the major military overhaul.  One of the first things he did was give an 18% pay raise, then kick out a bunch of the dead wood.  "Pride and Professionalism" were the words of the era.  There were other smaller raises to come.  With a more professional military came better pay.

Starting pay in the military is pretty good for an 18 year old, not so good for a 30 yo with a family, but the military is not activly recruiting 30 yo moms and dads.

I got out of the Navy after 13 years (just couldn't work for Mr. Bill), and was doing a bit better than the average civilian in the area I lived.  I'm not posative, but I believe that cost of living raises have kept the military up with inflation since that time.  I do not think that is enough though.  Just as Reagan awarded his military for improving and becoming the force it is today, Bush should do something similar for the outstanding military we have today.  An 18 to 20% pay raise would be well deserved and highly appreciated.

On another note 95% tax on the entertainment industry????  Sheesh... never realized there were so many socialist on this board.

Quoted: On another note 95% tax on the entertainment industry????  Sheesh... never realized there were so many socialist on this board.

Welcome to Arfcom.

If yer not shocked and saddened at least once a week, yer not here enuf.  

Quoted: That is something you can't put a $ figure on.

Agreed.  But if ya NEED a number I'd say somewhere around 250,000.00 per year of active service.  Active service being actually being involved in a conflict.  And I'd say 50-75 thousand a year non active in a conflict.  

Anyone know what the current base salary amounts are for Army/Navy/MC/GC rates/ranks?

I got a LES right here.

ENTITLEMENTS: (What GOV pays me.)
Base Pay: 1384.50
BAS: 267.18 <-- This includes my seperate rats.
BAH: 7.20
COLA: 199.74 <--- This is to help offset the difference between the Euro and the Dollar. (A dollar twenty to the Euro. Hurts badly.)
TOTAL: 1858.62

DEDUCTIONS: (The money I never see, nor touch.)
Fed Tax: 129.73
FICA-Soc Security: 79.64
FICA-Medicare: 18.63
State Taxes: 15.95
SGLI: 26.00 <--400k life insurance. Default amount. Can pay less and get less coverage.
AFRH: .50
MGIB: 100.00 <-- Still paying that GI Bill....
Meal Deduction: 226.50 <---- Mistakenly being taken out. Fianace or HQ is dragging ass getting this fixed. Been having it taken out since June. On up side, looking forward to backpay paycheck. Compare amount deducted to BAS. That amount is how much I am alotted for food.
Mid Month Pay: 619.45 <--- This is how much I'll get paid on the 15th.
TOTAL: 1216.40

Allotments: (Things I've volunteered to be taken directly out of my paycheck.)
AER Allot: 10.00 <-- This goes to the Army Emergency Relief Fund, a charitable donation that goes to the AER which gives interest free loans and grants to soldiers who might not have enough to cover a bill, or an emergency trip home for a death in the family. I figure if I donate 10 bucks a month, I won't feel bad about having to use it if I do for some reason.
TOTAL: 10.00

Total Pay: 632.22

EDIT: This is a Private/E2 pay, for a single soldier stationed overseas in a rather expensive area. I live in the barracks, and cook for myself. Almost wish I had a meal card instead so I could eat at the DFAC routinely.

I have heard that some in the service are eligible for welfare, food stamps, and WIC?  This is a travesty.  Enlisted in the military should not put you below the poverty level.  

Quoted: I want idealogues. Money isn't worth dying for. Ideas are.

You have them.  You also have many people for whom .mil is the 'employeer of last resort'.

Quoted: Quoted: I want idealogues. Money isn't worth dying for. Ideas are. You have them.  You also have many people for whom .mil is the 'employeer of last resort'.

That is a bullshit argument.  The job they do is not "employment," as doing a good job in the military often involves doing things that civilians would never be asked to do.

That is a cheapshot as some good men.  I know because I led them.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I want idealogues. Money isn't worth dying for. Ideas are. You have them.  You also have many people for whom .mil is the 'employeer of last resort'. That is a bullshit argument.  The job they do is not "employment," as doing a good job in the military often involves doing things that civilians would never be asked to do. That is a cheapshot as some good men.  I know because I led them.

No, its a shot of some of the worthless shitbirds wearing uniform who do anything and everything possible to duck out of service because when they joined, they didn't expect to fight.  Haven't met any?  Lucky you.  Unfortunately, I've met a few.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I want idealogues. Money isn't worth dying for. Ideas are. You have them.  You also have many people for whom .mil is the 'employeer of last resort'. That is a bullshit argument.  The job they do is not "employment," as doing a good job in the military often involves doing things that civilians would never be asked to do. That is a cheapshot as some good men.  I know because I led them. No, its a shot of some of the worthless shitbirds wearing uniform who do anything and everything possible to duck out of service because when they joined, they didn't expect to fight.  Haven't met any?  Lucky you.  Unfortunately, I've met a few.

I have to ask, what type of unit were you with?  We always got good troops in the Infantry.

Living wage pay. Make base pay for a soldier at least above the poverty line. $25k base to start. Make all benefits apply to all troops. Midwinter

I'd vote for that.

You don't  sign up for the pay, at least I didn't.   The amount you make is known up front if you don't like it don't sign up.  I paid more in income taxes this year than I received for my entire 4 year enlistment.   I signed up to help protect my country and see the world.  Well, I did help protect my country by keeping the B-52's flying.  I didn't travel the world but I did spend a large amount of money buying new Brass Monkeys every winter in Minot ND.

Quoted: People serve their country for reasons other than money, such as selfless service, patriotism, duty, honor, etc.   Having said that, the enlisted men with families desperately need more money.

Amen...I've been out a long time and as an E-5 with 7 years in I was making squat when I got out in '92. I honestly don't know how these men and women (esp. reservists who are now active duty and have families here they need to support) can pay their bills.

Quoted: Quoted: $250,000 a year with full salary and life time benefits for their spouse/children in the event of death in the line of duty. I propose we pay for this by instituting a 95% tax on all those you make their living in the entertainment feild. (Actors, Musicians, Directors) +1,000,000,000,000,000

Go back to Russia ya pinko.

Just for fun I added up the 'relative' pay a sailor would receive.
We 'assume' a E-5 with one wife and one kid stationed at a NAS in Louisiana.
He will retire as a E-7 after 20+ years of service and live until he reaches 70.
All future increases (COLA, payraises etc) are ignored.

Base Pay = U$ 2205
Housing = U$ 900 (tax free so add 25% = U$ 1125)
Food = U$ 267 (tax free so add 25% = U$ 333)

Tax benefits (PX, Comm, MWR) = U$ 100
Family Medical/Dental = U$ 1000
Retirement money = U$ 2587 (See below)

Total monthly income before deductions and taxes = U$ 7350

You would have to get paid just about U$ 46 an hour in a .civ 40 hour / week job.
This does not take into consideration up to two years of schooling worth up to U$ 250,000.  The GI Bill and Tuition assistance while on active duty can add up to another U$ 100,000.
You can get medical cheaper through a company but it would not be as good as Tricare - really.

*** Retirement pay:  He retires as a E-7 making U$ 3458.  50% retirement = U$ 1725.  He lives for 30 years after retirement so he gets U$ 621,000.  Spread that out over the 20 years he worked gives U$ 2587 per month.

I think for a .mil guy doing regular duty without dodging bullets it's damn good money.

Fritz

Quoted: I have heard that some in the service are eligible for welfare, food stamps, and WIC?  This is a travesty.  Enlisted in the military should not put you below the poverty level.

There are some personnel eligible for food stamps, or there were in the late '90s at least in some locations.  That was more the result of the way pay and benefits are counted.  In San Diego, I had two sailors of identical ranks and with the same sized family.  One qualified for assistance and the other did not.  The difference...housing allowance.  

The sailor who qualified lived in on-base housing.  The military provides your quarters and pays for electricity, heat, water, and sewage.  The sailor who did not qualify lived in civlian quarters.  The military paid that sailor a housing allowance instead of providing him quarters.

The WIC/food stamps program only uses monetary compensation as a metric for determining eligibility.  The sailor in town earned over $12K more per year than the one living in base housing.  If WIC incorporated the housing benefit, that sailor would not have qualified for food stamps.

Link to military compensation tables.  www.defenselink.mil/militarypay/pay/bp/paytables/Jan2005_Basic_Pay.html