Military Pay

[Tiercel78]

I think that people need to read this cause it's soo true.

On Nov. 12, Ms Cindy Williams (from Laverne and Shirley TV show) wrote
a
>piece for the Washington Times, denouncing the pay raise(s) coming
service
>members' way this year -- citing that the stated 13% wage was more
than
>they deserve.
>
>
>
>A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought
to
get
>a bonus for this.
>
>
>
>"Ms Williams:
>
>I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GIs earn enough"
and I
>am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted
overpayment is
>going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between
DFAS
>(The Defense Finance and Accounting Service)and my bank account.
>
>Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117.80
before
>taxes. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the
>calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before
taxes,
and
>$10,490.40, after.
>
>I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the
team
>responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with
>infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A
quick
>check under jobs for Network Technicians in the Washington, D.C area
>reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years
>experience with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a
year.
>No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum...I'm
sure
>you can draw the obvious conclusions.
>
>Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the
>pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces Before you take
it
>upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership
for
>attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets
off of
>WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying
soldiers
>headed for AFGHANISTAN; I leave the choice of service branch up to
you.
>
>Whatever choice you make, though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it
will
>guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and
friends,
>thus giving you full "deployment experience." As your group prepares
to
>board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are
saying
>good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several
>families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet
while
>the primary
>breadwinner is gone -- obviously they've been squandering the "vast"
piles
>of cash the government has been giving them.
>
>Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are
>perennial favorites. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a
>foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night; and the flight
sergeant
>tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for
>chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage
to
>get for
>the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to
>everything. This gives some flavor. Talk to your loved ones as often
as
you
>are permitted; it won't nearly be long enough or often enough, but
take
>what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the
fact
>that I disagree with most of the points you present in your opened
>piece.
>
>But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will defend to the death your right to say
it.
>
>
>You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First
Amendment
>rights and every other right you cherish. On a daily basis, my brother
and
>sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can
thumb
>your collective nose at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of
>pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We
>hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we
can't
>offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.
>
>And you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we
>deserve? Rubbish!
>
>A1C Michael Bragg Hill AFB AFNCC

[Weasel]

Ah heck, Laverne and Shirley sucked anyways....bet they made alot more that 13,000 at that job........

[Pixie]

yep... very ture. It really disgusts me that serving men and women along with their dependants have to go through so much sh!t for people to be able to say crap like that while they sit on their fat a$$es and do nothing. It is VERY hard, if not impossible, to make ends meet on that undeserved pay. I don't know about any other dependants, but there were some weeks over the passed few years where we couldn't put food on the table because paying for my dad to call home for two minutes to tell us that he was okay was far more important.

[swblade5984]

hey all im a US Marine....reserve...

the money we get for the things we do.....ha its a joke

i am heavy equipment or HE

civilian world 35-120$ per hour

military 65 CENTS to 1.50 an hour.... because we are on call 24/7/365

thanks for the support!

[colohen]

Just think of all the free air miles you have comeing aboard a Sh*t Hook .
FACT: It was not enough for this old solider then and it is DAMM shire not enough NOW !!!!

[flyboy1326]

Active duty Air Force here. I am the same rank as the airman who wrote that article and I agree whole heartedly. If any of you remember when the tsunami hit Thailand at the beggining of this year. Kadena Air Base was the primary processing port for over 80% of the supplies going to Thailand. Since I am stationed here at Kadena, and my job being what is is (air transportation), I worked well over 18 hours days loading the planes headed to Thailand. Pushing over 9,000 pound pallets, tyeing down C-5's full of Humvee's, building up pallets of water, food, and medical supplies. I gave up the leave I had scheduled to come home, just so I could help out my brother and sister "Port Dawgs". I still have yet to hear one of my fellow airmen complain about what we went threw. We are proud of what we did. So if that woman who wrote that we make enough or even too much, would like to do my job for a day, and still say we get paid enough, she should be commited into a mental institute.

Ya'll take it easy,
flyboy1326