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In the 1980s and 1990s a married E5 with two children would qualify for food stamps.
States administer the Food Stamp programs, and then they look at your LES half of it is stuff that they do not understand. They will only care about your base-pay.
Within my community [subs] base-pay is commonly 1/3 of your total paycheck.
It all depends on what pay-grade you are and how many children you have, it was very common to see sailors qualifying for food stamps.
Hah, when I was at Pearl Harbor in the 90s as an E-8 with one child, I qualified for food stamps--for that very reason. They didn't look at COLA, either.
Anyone in the military on food stamps is working the system. Despite what anyone thinks, military pay is quite a bit more than civilian pay. There is no way the administrators would approve the benefits if they actually knew how to read an LES.
At one time, lower ranks had to have counselling prior to getting married. I think that the CDR had to approve marriages also. The junior pay grades were not designed to support married individuals.
The ones I knew already had a family when they enlisted. One had three kids.
I don't care either way (yes I know I'm posting)...but it appears that Ft. Hood does not care either or they would not appear in "My Base Guide" website....
I am going by my tour of the Air Force from 74-80, and in the Air Force, we called the Air Force installations 'Base'. I forgot to use the correct terminology for the Current Army Installation.
The main thing is, base, post , GSU, or whatever, everyone got what I was talking about, I think?
Okay, again , I stand corrected. I did not use/mention all military installation terms.
Air force= AFS(Air Force Station) is another I did not include. I was at Finley Air Force Station, N.D., which was also called GSU(geographically separated unit) of the mother 'Base' Grand Forks Air Force Base.
I don't care either way (yes I know I'm posting)...but it appears that Ft. Hood does not care either or they would not appear in "My Base Guide" website....
Except that's not an official military website. MARCOA Media is a government contractor. Next.
Having served in the military for 10 years I don't understand this, despite what many civilians think I actually got paid pretty well in the military as enlisted. I was a single mom and never had a problem supporting my children on my military pay, housing/utilities are paid for if you live in base housing, on-base childcare is priced on a scale based on rank, if you live on-base your job is very close by so you aren't spending a ton of money on gas and prices at the BX are much cheaper then anything you find off-base. Not to mention if you live in a high cost of living area you are paid extra for that (I was stationed in AK for 8 years and got COLA) and with Tri-care there are no out of pocket costs for medical. I did know a few people who relied on benefits because they chose to buy a house off-base that they couldn't afford, drove fancy cars and decided to send their children to off-base expensive childcare. Not saying this is the case with everyone but I just can't imagine living within your means on military pay and having to get benefits.
Depends on where they were stationed. When I was in CA, I had a couple of enlisted who worked for me that were not only on food stamps, but were working part time jobs to pay rent, even with quarters allowance. The base didn't have sufficient housing so they put all the officers and about half the enlisted out "on the economy." I always felt it was almost a crime to assign a young Airman to Silicon Valley and tell them to get an apartment because even with the extra allowance for California, it didn't cover rent. Heck even as an officer it was tough.
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