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The soldiers who work for the US army get paid too little when you consider that the Iraq contractors make a hell of a lot more than the soldiers who are actually fighting.
What makes you think the military gets too much pay? All the miliary families I know that are in the reserves get less pay than their regular jobs which makes it hard on their families to pay bills. Also, military families often struggle to make ends meet. The extended family often helps to keep them afloat financially. How much would you work for for putting your life at stake?
For risking life and limb, being away from their families for over a year at a time, having to live with 100 other people in a small cube, having no say in what you do at all with your days? Absolutely! Not to mention the free medical care and other perks they get after they are shot or blown up. Hrummph. Man those guys got it good.
Regular troops and reserves get paid way too little. Officers are about right. mercenaries way too much and their employers are ripping off the taxpayers.
IIRC an E-3 to E-6 soldier cannot support a family on their pay (at least they could not when I was an e-3 in the Navy) and, if we are to have a "professional" army the people need to be able to afford to be soldiers or sailors.
If you get wounded you are really screwed because you loose your military job and no civillian employer can afford to carry your health insurance.
What makes you think the military gets too much pay?
If you ask me if they are getting too much, I would have to say "no." I'm a military spouse so I know; however, many civilians think that this is the case. BTW my husband is deployed for his second time.
Well Skittle, here's my honest opinion..... During times of war, like now, no, they are underpaid if anything. During times of peace, yeah, I think they're overpaid....
Help me get my facts straight (and I'm serious, not being nasty). Military personell don't make that great of money or anything usually, BUT get free housing and such, right??? What does the government provide that a civilian would have to provide for themselves??? I'm unsure, but it makes a difference in answering your question.
Well Skittle, here's my honest opinion..... During times of war, like now, no, they are underpaid if anything. During times of peace, yeah, I think they're overpaid....
Help me get my facts straight (and I'm serious, not being nasty). Military personell don't make that great of money or anything usually, BUT get free housing and such, right??? What does the government provide that a civilian would have to provide for themselves??? I'm unsure, but it makes a difference in answering your question.
Let's see... you get "free" housing for yourself. As for "military housing" you must be an E-3 or greater, have a family, and be put on a waiting list (the list is pretty huge in my area.....).. Then, maybe if you're lucky, you might get to live in it about a year before being moved to a different base.
As for pay, E1 and E2 are in the "SOL" group because you don't get enough pay to live off of base. It's about $1300-1400/month. You don't qualify for housing allowances *to live off base* until you make E3... then you have to apply for it, and you might get denied for any number of reasons.
Military Pay charts and allowances (http://www.dfas.mil/army2/militarypaycharts/2007MilPaycharts-cc.pdf - broken link)
Officers can make a pretty penny... but the base pay of the enlisted... is shoddy at best.
Even out of times of war, the military don't get paid enough for what they do. Not everybody in the military is a "grab a gun and go shoot" person. Military hospitals? Those are military personnel working there... and 9 times out of 10 making less than their civilian counterparts.
The free healthcare bit... it's only free if you go to a military hospital. Military dependents usually get seen outside of the military hospital, where there are co-pays and such. This much I do know from experience. Civilians may not get "free" health insurance (Except welfare), but most get it through their jobs, so.. since this is their job, why not?
Free housing.. the barracks or whatever you want to call them.... it's not as "great" as you'd think. In a lot of places, the barracks are 60+ years old, cockroach infested and downright nasty. But some bases really maintain their barracks. I'd rather room with 3 or 4 other personnel off base. Even without housing allowances.
Contractors are the smarter ones who left the military and are making around 100k a year, however it is more dangerous.
No offense to people in the military. How much should they make? Officers obviously a little more with academy,ocs or a 4 year degree/Rotc.I think the training they get factors in for part of their pay in the post-service sector.
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