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Sufficient income?

Discussion in 'Other Discussions' started by Salty, Dec 18, 2009.

  1. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Much has been said about military income - that it is often hard for a solider to make ends meet.

    Well this government web site will give you the full story

    The day a man joins the army here is his pay: (monthly rates)

    Basic........1,294.50
    Housing.......600.00 + local cost of living
    rations........323.80

    Total.......2,318.30

    He may also be entitled to family separation allowance
    The housing and rations are tax exempt - over $100 monthly benefit
    Even GI's who live in the barracks received a partial housing allowance
    While in a combat zone all pay is tax exempt
    Also, you can shop in the commissary (food store) all food is sold at cost
    Each year a man receives an allowance of about $300 (?) to maintain his uniforms.

    and after four months a private gets a $100 dollar pay raise, unless you get promoted to E-2 - which is common and then you receive a raise of $170!

    and there are more pay and benefits....

    So could you handle living on just $2,480 per month

    and then in another year, you will be promoted to E-3 ...

    I do realize that our men are sent into combat and conditions are not perfect, but I don't think our military are living in poverty.

    Salty

    PS my first pay check was $124.50 per month - with NO additional pay -
    other than living in the billets and eating in the mess hall.
     
  2. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    No. MY house payment is $3000 per month.
     
  3. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    John

    The housing allowance for (note: PDF file) individuals is based on local costs. For Los Angles it is $1908 for an E-1 private and $3210 for a full bird Colonel.


    For the Salt City it would be $966 for a private and $1689 for a Colonel


    From the website homepage
    The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is based on geographic duty location, pay grade, and dependency status. The intent of BAH is to provide uniformed service members accurate and equitable housing compensation based on housing costs in local civilian housing markets, and is payable when government quarters are not provided.

    John - is that rent or a mortgage you are paying. I realize that Sou Cal has a high cost of living - but I'm sure it exceeds equitable housing.
    Very few GI's are able to own a home - due to excessive moving - and therefore are unable to acquire equity in a home.


    In Los Angles :
    So if you were an E-5 Sergeant with 8 years, your RMC would be some $7,000 per month.
    & then if you were a Major with over 8 years, your RMC would be some $10,000 per month.
     
    #3 Salty, Dec 18, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 18, 2009
  4. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    Blimey! When I joined in 1949, my Captain's pay was $80.00 per month, plus $30.00 for airborne allowance and another $30.00 for war engagement. The trenches were free, and so was food, when we got it. Officers paid for their uniforms, but enlisted men were issued them free.

    I think military are well paid to-day.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  5. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    That's mortgage. Average rent will run about $1500 here. A typical house will go for 400k-600k, even in the current depressed market. And that's not an extravagent home. Typically about 1800sqft.
     
  6. abcgrad94

    abcgrad94 Active Member

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    Consider the job they have to do compared to their pay. They are putting their lives on the line and sacrificing time away from their families, for what? My brother has been a mess ever since he returned from Iraq and is now getting a divorce from his wife. You can't put a price tag on something like that.

    The stress of military duty, especially overseas combat, cannot be measured in terms of money.
     
  7. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    IMO, military pay should be similar to police or firefighter pay. In some areas it is, and some it isn't. It should definitely be regional, depending on where one is stationed. I don't think there's a simple standard that can be applied across the board.
     
  8. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    You know what is involved when you sign the dotted line. We had no special care when we came home from Korea. I still served until 1958, and that included another tour of war at the Suez Canal.

    I did have my university paid for, however.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  9. Thinkingstuff

    Thinkingstuff Active Member

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    You had trenches in Korea? I thought that was limited to WWI.
     
  10. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    When I joined the Air Force, my monthly income was $85--period! Just before I got out 7 years later, I was getting a total of just over $600 per month. I'm now retired from the government and still don't have anywhere enough to pay my bills, buy groceries, and do everything else I need to do. My day consists of eating, playing on the computer, eating, watching TV, eating, and did I mention eating? :laugh:
     
  11. abcgrad94

    abcgrad94 Active Member

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    I'd like to see the professional sports players and movie stars trade incomes with our firefighters, cops, and military.

    I know, I know, but I can always dream, right?:tonofbricks:
     
  12. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    would be glad too, our income is around $1,300 a month. so $2,480 looks real good, no reason we couldn't live comfortable with it.
     
  13. John Toppass

    John Toppass Active Member
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    I know several military famlies, I am not offendended by their pay or lack of it. I do think that at least the enlisted men's pay should be totally tax exempt period.
     
  14. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    I fully disagree everyone should be part of the solution - including those who receive govt give-a-way's ie welfare, food stamps, ect. (though I would exempt Social Security)

    Now several States or Commonwealths do exempt income tax. NY has (had ?) and interesting law - you are tax exempt if you are stationed and living in permanent housing outside NY. So when I was stationed in GA and living in the barracks - I still had to pay State taxes!:BangHead:, but when I lived in VA in an apt off post with my family, I was taxed exempt from NY Taxes.
     
  15. billwald

    billwald New Member

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  16. padredurand

    padredurand Well-Known Member
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    I doubt the average kid is purposely put in harms way for months at a time, gets pulled away from family and friends, gets shot, blown up, watches friends die, lives in tents, eats meals out of plastic wrappers and often works for long stretches with little or no sleep. $30,000 is a bargain.
     
  17. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    JUST!? That a lot more than I get on retirement--over $900 more!
     
  18. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    $2,480 is not small change. they do make more stationed in a war country though. My nephew made a lot more when he was iraq.
     
  19. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    When I re-up back in '74 I recd - at the time the max for a RRB of $2,000 and they withheld a flat 20%

    and that is the best time to re-enlist - hey, if you get a 5,000 dollar bonus, it would be tax free!!! From Stars and Stripes If reupping in CONUS - they would withold $1000 for tax.

    Of course for shortagae MOS's, the re-up bonus would even be higher.
     
  20. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Not so sure about that. The acting industry has a 98% unemployment rate. When an actor is working, the income is usually less than 30k a year. Even among the 6 and 7 figure income earners, it's usually a case of making a lot of money one year, and then not making any money for the next 2 or 3 years.

    Professional sports is similar. Starting pay for a professional baseball player is $300k, but that's only after spending 4 to 8 years in the minor leagues playing for $800 a month or less. And the average life span on a pro ball player is 4 years before he can't play anymore.
     
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