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You do not "get" those things "in addition" to anything. They all come out of your paycheck via suppressed wages. They used to send all of us a little statement each yr showing us how much our "total compensation" was worth if we were getting paid a full wage.
The college is a good deal though. vacation? It's better in the early years but NOBODY ANYWHERE is forced to take normal days off as vacation time except in the military. bless they've changed that rule since I retired.
Anybody in the civilian world who get two weeks vacation plus holidays and the odd personal and sick days that have traditionally accompanied employment adds up to 30 days off per year.
But what is your point? We had a unit member who got over a year of "sick days" while recovering from an injury.
"It's better in the early years but NOBODY ANYWHERE is forced to take normal days off as vacation time except in the military." What are you talking about?
"bless they've changed that rule" What rule? The military is a giant rule machine, constantly changing, sorry your statement is vague...
"It's better in the early years but NOBODY ANYWHERE is forced to take normal days off as vacation time except in the military." What are you talking about?
If you are in the military and on leave you are charged for weekends even when you don't normally work weekends. For example, you take off for two weeks and leave on a Friday and return on a Monday two weeks later you are charged leave for six days to cover the three weekends you were gone. Even if you don't normally work weekends. You are charged 18 days of leave even though you only missed 12 days of work.
It doesn't work that way in the civilian world. I can't count how many days of that "30 days leave per year" I wasted over my 26 year career to cover weekends that were not normally work days.
If you are in the military and on leave you are charged for weekends even when you don't normally work weekends. For example, you take off for two weeks and leave on a Friday and return on a Monday two weeks later you are charged leave for six days to cover the three weekends you were gone. Even if you don't normally work weekends. You are charged 18 days of leave even though you only missed 12 days of work.
It doesn't work that way in the civilian world. I can't count how many days of that "30 days leave per year" I wasted over my 26 year career to cover weekends that were not normally work days.
I've been with my current Fortune 50 company for 10 years. I get two weeks paid vacation per year. The first five years, I only got one week paid vacation per year. Military leave is still vastly more lucrative. I get an unspecified number of paid sick days per year, but I got that in the military as well.
For the vast majority of Americans working an hourly job, military benefits totally swamp what they get in civilian jobs.
As has been mentioned, the major "con" of the military is the "unlimited liability" contract, but in terms of compensation, the military will leave more dollars in the pockets of most 18-year-old high school graduates than any civilian job they might have.
I've been with my current Fortune 50 company for 10 years. I get two weeks paid vacation per year. The first five years, I only got one week paid vacation per year. Military leave is still vastly more lucrative. I get an unspecified number of paid sick days per year, but I got that in the military as well.
For the vast majority of Americans working an hourly job, military benefits totally swamp what they get in civilian jobs.
As has been mentioned, the major "con" of the military is the "unlimited liability" contract, but in terms of compensation, the military will leave more dollars in the pockets of most 18-year-old high school graduates than any civilian job they might have.
I have asked several times around here and yet to get an answer...
If it is such a great deal why isn't everyone doing it?
I have asked several times around here and yet to get an answer...
If it is such a great deal why isn't everyone doing it?
I already stated it: As has been mentioned, the major "con" of the military is the "unlimited liability" contract, but in terms of compensation, the military will leave more dollars in the pockets of most 18-year-old high school graduates than any civilian job they might have.
For the vast majority of Americans working an hourly job, military benefits totally swamp what they get in civilian jobs.
As has been mentioned, the major "con" of the military is the "unlimited liability" contract, but in terms of compensation, the military will leave more dollars in the pockets of most 18-year-old high school graduates than any civilian job they might have.
Main problem every time this comes up. Yes, if you want to compare military to low-rung go-nowhere job sure the bennies sound pretty good. But that's low hanging fruit. Almost anything looks good compared to that. Compare it to something comparable.
Main problem every time this comes up. Yes, if you want to compare military to low-rung go-nowhere job sure the bennies sound pretty good. But that's low hanging fruit. Almost anything looks good compared to that. Compare it to something comparable.
The military is marketed mostly to 18-year-old high school graduates. The military is going to take them, train them, not fire them while they learn adult work habits, provide them with decent OTH benefits, and provide them with significant benefits afterward.
Whether you want to pejoratively characterize that as "low-hanging fruit" or not, 18-year-olds are the major target market of the military. Most 18-year-old high school graduates are not going to be making any more in total compensation in their next four years, whether you like it or not.
Comparing it to job offerings available to IT college graduates would be the fake comparison.
Main problem every time this comes up. Yes, if you want to compare military to low-rung go-nowhere job sure the bennies sound pretty good. But that's low hanging fruit. Almost anything looks good compared to that. Compare it to something comparable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph_Kirk
The military is marketed mostly to 18-year-old high school graduates. The military is going to take them, train them, not fire them while they learn adult work habits, provide them with decent OTH benefits, and provide them with significant benefits afterward.
Whether you want to pejoratively characterize that as "low-hanging fruit" or not, 18-year-olds are the major target market of the military. Most 18-year-old high school graduates are not going to be making any more in total compensation in their next four years, whether you like it or not.
Comparing it to job offerings available to IT college graduates would be the fake comparison.
The military presents a set of opportunities. They can be exploited.
I figured out ways to maximize my take-home pay. I completed a series of college degrees and some civilian credentials while amassing an assortment of apartment complexes. When I reached my 20 year pension I was able to actually retire.
How each person sees the opportunities and plays them will be different.
I already stated it: As has been mentioned, the major "con" of the military is the "unlimited liability" contract, but in terms of compensation, the military will leave more dollars in the pockets of most 18-year-old high school graduates than any civilian job they might have.
Again, you're not comparing apples to apples. I worked much harder as an 18 year old in the Navy deploying around the world on a aircraft carrier than any of the punk 18 year olds I employ now as a civilian.
I worked sometimes 16 hour days, stood duty every four days (couldn't leave the ship), spent months at sea working 12+ hour days 7 days a week, slept in a coffin and ate slop on the mess decks, etc. If you do a apples to apples comparison I made less than minimum wage even with all the benefits that are being thrown around here.
I wasn't home partying, smoking dope, drinking beer, and hooking up with suzie every night, like all my buddies were.
If it was as great of deal as is thrown around in here, everyone would do it and no one would get out once they were in.
Reality is, it is very hard work, a lot of time away from home, very stressful with little say in what is going on around you. There is a reason why so few do it and why so many that do join don't stick around for the long term. The benefits don't make up for the hardship for most people.
Of course there are a few of us that did find the positives in the opportunities the military had to offer, however, that doesn't mean it was a good deal or that service members are getting paid what they should.
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