Posted on Nov 20, 2015
SFC Stephen King
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Posted in these groups: 38326e5d Military Pay
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Responses: 16
SGT Richard H.
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I'll say this: The most broke I've ever been was right after I got out and had to start paying for my own housing, food, electric, etc. Suddenly the fact that I had been making a couple of dollars less per hour than the average civilian of my age didn't seem so bad.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
9 y
Concur. The problem is that we have "incomparable pay scales" because of the benefits vs. wages issue. If you look at raw wage, civilians are going to trump. If you look at benefits which have a monetary value, military comes out lightyears ahead, especially at the junior levels.

Massive tradeoffs though. There's no reasonable way to make an apples to apples comparison, especially in a nation the size of the US.
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SGT Richard H.
SGT Richard H.
9 y
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS - The "incomparable pay scales" analogy is a great way of explaining it.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
9 y
SGT Richard H. - I use that with Skilled Labor and Unskilled Labor as well, especially when the minimum wage debate pops up. It's like trying to compare cats and dogs. We're taking to things that just aren't comparable, and trying to make them the same. They might sorta, maybe look alike in low light, if you're drunk.... but they really are "incomparable."
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SPC Mechanic
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Just as others have said, what we lack in pay we more than make up for with benefits. The problem is that young soldiers don't realize the weight of those benefits until they get out so they spend their time complaining until they get out and realize how good we have it.
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SPC Ryan D.
SPC Ryan D.
9 y
If you live in the barracks, I would have to disagree with you. The benefits that make up for the pay discrepancy are BAH, BAS, and the ability to live in base housing, or off base in housing of your choice. Single, low ranking soldiers are the the major cost savers for the military. They stick them in tiny shared rooms, where not even a hot plate is allowed. They are without BAH or BAS, but yet they are on the same pay scale as everyone else. The young soldiers in this situation are just in their complaints because they do not receive equal benefits.
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LTC Stephen F.
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I certainly feel that the deliberate minimizing of pay increases is having a detrimental impact on both active duty military members and retirees SFC Stephen King.
The chart you are displaying doe not reflect the true impact on the lower pay grade because it is an aggregate chart or federal employees.
The administration has gone to lengths to keep the pay raises low unfortunately.
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