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xepherys · 07-31-2007, 06:53 AM

There seem to be a few misconceptions about military pay in the past few posts that should be cleared up.

First of all, servicemen deployed to a combat zone DO in fact get additional pay already. This was stated, but I'm just backing that point here. We get combat pay as well as an increased BAH (basic Allowance for Housing) as well as and end-of-tour travel voucher allowance to reimburse for packages mailed home at the end of deployment (getting stuff home), haircuts, laundry and the like.

However, a flat pay increase is beneficial. While there are some nitwits here that would probably fare no better in the civilian world, there are many who willfully took a significant paycut to deploy for what they feel is right.

At home, I make upwards of 60k per year and not long ago made more than 70k. This, by the way, is not a bragging point, but I feel is needed to fully bring this into light. When I first enlisted I was even making 50k or so. I joined the National Guard after 9/11 because I felt it was my obligation as an American citizen. While things have gone awry with the invasion of Iraq (in my opinion), I still feel that I made the correct decision. 9/11 after all was a terrorist attack on our own sovereign soil, and I doubt many if any TFPers would disagree that homeland security (as in actual security, not political DHS bullshit) is important at this juncture in the world political climate.

I was "voluntold" that I was deploying, pulled from my unit to fill an infantry spot in an infantry unit (I am not an infantryman, but a combat engineer). When I was first given the news, I applied for a hardship discharge due to having a young baby and being the primary breadwinner for the family. Please, before judging on that, note that I had previously, before having another child, volunteered for deployment three times and not been sent. So be it! After my CO told me the discharge was all but assured at the next officers gathering, I spent my second drill with this new unit. After that I emailed my CO asking him to terminate my application. I could not look at myself in the mirror if I had backed out and let these brethren go and possibly fall in my stead.

Here I am, a newly promoted E-4 making far less even with combat pay and tax exclusion than I did at home. Yes, I chose this for myself and my family, and my family universally supported my decision. This does not mean that additional pay would not make my mind more at ease knowing my wife was better able to care for herself and our child.

As for the USAF pay issues, please note that congress budgets money for military spending specifically for the purpose of pay, including bonuses. This does not take away, specifically, from monies put into place for R&D, equipment purchases and repairs. As I stated before, at least on the Army side of the house, much of the funding seems to be going towards useless technologies. Without being able to go into detail, let's just say that one of the most beneficial and expensive technologies we have in the field today could be easily overcome by the jihadists trying to blow us up if they thought a bit harder about it. Overnight, hundreds of millions of dollars could just be flushed down the toilet from our side. It's sad, really.

07-31-2007, 06:53 AM	#23 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	There seem to be a few misconceptions about military pay in the past few posts that should be cleared up. First of all, servicemen deployed to a combat zone DO in fact get additional pay already. This was stated, but I'm just backing that point here. We get combat pay as well as an increased BAH (basic Allowance for Housing) as well as and end-of-tour travel voucher allowance to reimburse for packages mailed home at the end of deployment (getting stuff home), haircuts, laundry and the like. However, a flat pay increase is beneficial. While there are some nitwits here that would probably fare no better in the civilian world, there are many who willfully took a significant paycut to deploy for what they feel is right. At home, I make upwards of 60k per year and not long ago made more than 70k. This, by the way, is not a bragging point, but I feel is needed to fully bring this into light. When I first enlisted I was even making 50k or so. I joined the National Guard after 9/11 because I felt it was my obligation as an American citizen. While things have gone awry with the invasion of Iraq (in my opinion), I still feel that I made the correct decision. 9/11 after all was a terrorist attack on our own sovereign soil, and I doubt many if any TFPers would disagree that homeland security (as in actual security, not political DHS bullshit) is important at this juncture in the world political climate. I was "voluntold" that I was deploying, pulled from my unit to fill an infantry spot in an infantry unit (I am not an infantryman, but a combat engineer). When I was first given the news, I applied for a hardship discharge due to having a young baby and being the primary breadwinner for the family. Please, before judging on that, note that I had previously, before having another child, volunteered for deployment three times and not been sent. So be it! After my CO told me the discharge was all but assured at the next officers gathering, I spent my second drill with this new unit. After that I emailed my CO asking him to terminate my application. I could not look at myself in the mirror if I had backed out and let these brethren go and possibly fall in my stead. Here I am, a newly promoted E-4 making far less even with combat pay and tax exclusion than I did at home. Yes, I chose this for myself and my family, and my family universally supported my decision. This does not mean that additional pay would not make my mind more at ease knowing my wife was better able to care for herself and our child. As for the USAF pay issues, please note that congress budgets money for military spending specifically for the purpose of pay, including bonuses. This does not take away, specifically, from monies put into place for R&D, equipment purchases and repairs. As I stated before, at least on the Army side of the house, much of the funding seems to be going towards useless technologies. Without being able to go into detail, let's just say that one of the most beneficial and expensive technologies we have in the field today could be easily overcome by the jihadists trying to blow us up if they thought a bit harder about it. Overnight, hundreds of millions of dollars could just be flushed down the toilet from our side. It's sad, really. __________________ The prospect of achieving a peace agreement with the extremist group of MILF is almost impossible... -- Emmanuel Pinol, Governor of Cotobato My Homepage