Military pay: This is how much US troops are paid according to their rank

It's public knowledge. Do they understand how it works? Perhaps.Most do not though or don't care enough.

COL Mikel J. Burroughs Maj Marty Hogan SGT John " Mac " McConnell LTC Stephen F. Sgt Randy Wilber CW5 Jack Cardwell TSgt David L. Cpl (Join to see) Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPL Dave Hoover SPC Douglas Bolton LTC Greg Henning Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Lt Col Charlie Brown SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SPC Margaret Higgins PO3 Phyllis Maynard PO2 Kevin Parker

Pay start is low but moves up relatively quickly.

No question about it, I'd be making a significantly higher paycheck "in" than I do "out"...but one pays for that. I've got friends who are still serving at the O-5 level, and from what I can tell, my life is comparatively MUCH easier. Sure, I have the "daily grind". No doubt, their lives are more "dramatic", and they have the honor of continuing to serve...but they are also still deploying on a regular basis, working long days and forgoing the privileges of watching their children grow up and enjoying time with their spouses. Each night when I come home to kiss my wife, hug my son, and enjoy a meal together, I think of how blessed I am, and how in a very real sense, I owe my sense of security to those who still have "the watch".