Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
12-28-2006, 11:36 PM
#41
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
> The Merg proclaimed:
Hey - I didn't 'proclaim' anything. I was only repeating what I had
heard; or at least what I thought I heard. I've been known to be wrong
on rare occasions.
But that's corroborating evidence by two former military personnel
against room and board deductions - good enough for me.
Either way the enlisted men don't get paid nearly enough for the work
they do.
Lon wrote:
> Never heard of enlisted men being charged room and/or board unless they
> were married and getting allowances or were on some type of TDY where
> they were being paid per diem. That might have changed since I was in
> the military.
>
> Yes, you got free room and board. In some bases, the military meals
> were really quite good as some of the cooks actually took pride in their
> ability to turn available stock into edible results. ..and there were
> a few of the other type as well. As for the free housing, that was if
> you lived in barracks and were single. If you were a platoon sergeant
> or squad leader you typically got a private room. Otherwise you might
> be clustered with a small group of folks in your squad or you might be
> in the larger flat barracks where everyone was on cots or bunk beds in
> one big room. With one exception at White Sands, never ran into any
> military single housing that was as good as the worst college dorm room.
>
> Married personnel were allowed to live on base and/or get a housing
> allowance and food allowance. If they ate in the mess hall they had to
> pay.
>
> If officers ate in the mess hall they had to pay.
>
> In some bases, if a non-com ate in the enlisted mess they also had to
> pay but if single did not get a meal allowance unless they were on some
> sort of detachment.
>
> Or you could eat at the nco club or officers club, but those were not
> free.
>
> The pay scales sucked. As an E5 with proficiency pay in two different
> skills, I managed, but lower enlisted men were chronically short of
> funds. Even as an E5, the pay for civil service GS-7 was considerably
> higher even after accounting for house payment and buying your own food.
> Civilian jobs paid even more.
>
>
>
> The Merg proclaimed:
>
> > I was always under the impression that American enlisted had a pretty
> > good deal, free room and board and etc. However, I played club
> > lacrosse in Norfolk with a bunch of Navy guys, couple enlisted guys and
> > a couple Academy guys and they told me that the enlisted guys actually
> > get room and board taken out of their paychecks. So not only do they
> > make jackshit, but they then get more money taken out.
> > The officers, most a few years out of the Academy, were all making
> > pretty good money - in addition to the money they made while at
> > Annapolis.
> >
> > My father is a civil servant - mechanical engineer for the DOD/Navy.
> > He's been there for 30 or so years and makes nothing near what he'd be
> > worth in the private sector.
Hey - I didn't 'proclaim' anything. I was only repeating what I had
heard; or at least what I thought I heard. I've been known to be wrong
on rare occasions.
But that's corroborating evidence by two former military personnel
against room and board deductions - good enough for me.
Either way the enlisted men don't get paid nearly enough for the work
they do.
Lon wrote:
> Never heard of enlisted men being charged room and/or board unless they
> were married and getting allowances or were on some type of TDY where
> they were being paid per diem. That might have changed since I was in
> the military.
>
> Yes, you got free room and board. In some bases, the military meals
> were really quite good as some of the cooks actually took pride in their
> ability to turn available stock into edible results. ..and there were
> a few of the other type as well. As for the free housing, that was if
> you lived in barracks and were single. If you were a platoon sergeant
> or squad leader you typically got a private room. Otherwise you might
> be clustered with a small group of folks in your squad or you might be
> in the larger flat barracks where everyone was on cots or bunk beds in
> one big room. With one exception at White Sands, never ran into any
> military single housing that was as good as the worst college dorm room.
>
> Married personnel were allowed to live on base and/or get a housing
> allowance and food allowance. If they ate in the mess hall they had to
> pay.
>
> If officers ate in the mess hall they had to pay.
>
> In some bases, if a non-com ate in the enlisted mess they also had to
> pay but if single did not get a meal allowance unless they were on some
> sort of detachment.
>
> Or you could eat at the nco club or officers club, but those were not
> free.
>
> The pay scales sucked. As an E5 with proficiency pay in two different
> skills, I managed, but lower enlisted men were chronically short of
> funds. Even as an E5, the pay for civil service GS-7 was considerably
> higher even after accounting for house payment and buying your own food.
> Civilian jobs paid even more.
>
>
>
> The Merg proclaimed:
>
> > I was always under the impression that American enlisted had a pretty
> > good deal, free room and board and etc. However, I played club
> > lacrosse in Norfolk with a bunch of Navy guys, couple enlisted guys and
> > a couple Academy guys and they told me that the enlisted guys actually
> > get room and board taken out of their paychecks. So not only do they
> > make jackshit, but they then get more money taken out.
> > The officers, most a few years out of the Academy, were all making
> > pretty good money - in addition to the money they made while at
> > Annapolis.
> >
> > My father is a civil servant - mechanical engineer for the DOD/Navy.
> > He's been there for 30 or so years and makes nothing near what he'd be
> > worth in the private sector.
12-28-2006, 11:36 PM
#42
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
> The Merg proclaimed:
Hey - I didn't 'proclaim' anything. I was only repeating what I had
heard; or at least what I thought I heard. I've been known to be wrong
on rare occasions.
But that's corroborating evidence by two former military personnel
against room and board deductions - good enough for me.
Either way the enlisted men don't get paid nearly enough for the work
they do.
Lon wrote:
> Never heard of enlisted men being charged room and/or board unless they
> were married and getting allowances or were on some type of TDY where
> they were being paid per diem. That might have changed since I was in
> the military.
>
> Yes, you got free room and board. In some bases, the military meals
> were really quite good as some of the cooks actually took pride in their
> ability to turn available stock into edible results. ..and there were
> a few of the other type as well. As for the free housing, that was if
> you lived in barracks and were single. If you were a platoon sergeant
> or squad leader you typically got a private room. Otherwise you might
> be clustered with a small group of folks in your squad or you might be
> in the larger flat barracks where everyone was on cots or bunk beds in
> one big room. With one exception at White Sands, never ran into any
> military single housing that was as good as the worst college dorm room.
>
> Married personnel were allowed to live on base and/or get a housing
> allowance and food allowance. If they ate in the mess hall they had to
> pay.
>
> If officers ate in the mess hall they had to pay.
>
> In some bases, if a non-com ate in the enlisted mess they also had to
> pay but if single did not get a meal allowance unless they were on some
> sort of detachment.
>
> Or you could eat at the nco club or officers club, but those were not
> free.
>
> The pay scales sucked. As an E5 with proficiency pay in two different
> skills, I managed, but lower enlisted men were chronically short of
> funds. Even as an E5, the pay for civil service GS-7 was considerably
> higher even after accounting for house payment and buying your own food.
> Civilian jobs paid even more.
>
>
>
> The Merg proclaimed:
>
> > I was always under the impression that American enlisted had a pretty
> > good deal, free room and board and etc. However, I played club
> > lacrosse in Norfolk with a bunch of Navy guys, couple enlisted guys and
> > a couple Academy guys and they told me that the enlisted guys actually
> > get room and board taken out of their paychecks. So not only do they
> > make jackshit, but they then get more money taken out.
> > The officers, most a few years out of the Academy, were all making
> > pretty good money - in addition to the money they made while at
> > Annapolis.
> >
> > My father is a civil servant - mechanical engineer for the DOD/Navy.
> > He's been there for 30 or so years and makes nothing near what he'd be
> > worth in the private sector.
Hey - I didn't 'proclaim' anything. I was only repeating what I had
heard; or at least what I thought I heard. I've been known to be wrong
on rare occasions.
But that's corroborating evidence by two former military personnel
against room and board deductions - good enough for me.
Either way the enlisted men don't get paid nearly enough for the work
they do.
Lon wrote:
> Never heard of enlisted men being charged room and/or board unless they
> were married and getting allowances or were on some type of TDY where
> they were being paid per diem. That might have changed since I was in
> the military.
>
> Yes, you got free room and board. In some bases, the military meals
> were really quite good as some of the cooks actually took pride in their
> ability to turn available stock into edible results. ..and there were
> a few of the other type as well. As for the free housing, that was if
> you lived in barracks and were single. If you were a platoon sergeant
> or squad leader you typically got a private room. Otherwise you might
> be clustered with a small group of folks in your squad or you might be
> in the larger flat barracks where everyone was on cots or bunk beds in
> one big room. With one exception at White Sands, never ran into any
> military single housing that was as good as the worst college dorm room.
>
> Married personnel were allowed to live on base and/or get a housing
> allowance and food allowance. If they ate in the mess hall they had to
> pay.
>
> If officers ate in the mess hall they had to pay.
>
> In some bases, if a non-com ate in the enlisted mess they also had to
> pay but if single did not get a meal allowance unless they were on some
> sort of detachment.
>
> Or you could eat at the nco club or officers club, but those were not
> free.
>
> The pay scales sucked. As an E5 with proficiency pay in two different
> skills, I managed, but lower enlisted men were chronically short of
> funds. Even as an E5, the pay for civil service GS-7 was considerably
> higher even after accounting for house payment and buying your own food.
> Civilian jobs paid even more.
>
>
>
> The Merg proclaimed:
>
> > I was always under the impression that American enlisted had a pretty
> > good deal, free room and board and etc. However, I played club
> > lacrosse in Norfolk with a bunch of Navy guys, couple enlisted guys and
> > a couple Academy guys and they told me that the enlisted guys actually
> > get room and board taken out of their paychecks. So not only do they
> > make jackshit, but they then get more money taken out.
> > The officers, most a few years out of the Academy, were all making
> > pretty good money - in addition to the money they made while at
> > Annapolis.
> >
> > My father is a civil servant - mechanical engineer for the DOD/Navy.
> > He's been there for 30 or so years and makes nothing near what he'd be
> > worth in the private sector.
12-28-2006, 11:36 PM
#43
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
> The Merg proclaimed:
Hey - I didn't 'proclaim' anything. I was only repeating what I had
heard; or at least what I thought I heard. I've been known to be wrong
on rare occasions.
But that's corroborating evidence by two former military personnel
against room and board deductions - good enough for me.
Either way the enlisted men don't get paid nearly enough for the work
they do.
Lon wrote:
> Never heard of enlisted men being charged room and/or board unless they
> were married and getting allowances or were on some type of TDY where
> they were being paid per diem. That might have changed since I was in
> the military.
>
> Yes, you got free room and board. In some bases, the military meals
> were really quite good as some of the cooks actually took pride in their
> ability to turn available stock into edible results. ..and there were
> a few of the other type as well. As for the free housing, that was if
> you lived in barracks and were single. If you were a platoon sergeant
> or squad leader you typically got a private room. Otherwise you might
> be clustered with a small group of folks in your squad or you might be
> in the larger flat barracks where everyone was on cots or bunk beds in
> one big room. With one exception at White Sands, never ran into any
> military single housing that was as good as the worst college dorm room.
>
> Married personnel were allowed to live on base and/or get a housing
> allowance and food allowance. If they ate in the mess hall they had to
> pay.
>
> If officers ate in the mess hall they had to pay.
>
> In some bases, if a non-com ate in the enlisted mess they also had to
> pay but if single did not get a meal allowance unless they were on some
> sort of detachment.
>
> Or you could eat at the nco club or officers club, but those were not
> free.
>
> The pay scales sucked. As an E5 with proficiency pay in two different
> skills, I managed, but lower enlisted men were chronically short of
> funds. Even as an E5, the pay for civil service GS-7 was considerably
> higher even after accounting for house payment and buying your own food.
> Civilian jobs paid even more.
>
>
>
> The Merg proclaimed:
>
> > I was always under the impression that American enlisted had a pretty
> > good deal, free room and board and etc. However, I played club
> > lacrosse in Norfolk with a bunch of Navy guys, couple enlisted guys and
> > a couple Academy guys and they told me that the enlisted guys actually
> > get room and board taken out of their paychecks. So not only do they
> > make jackshit, but they then get more money taken out.
> > The officers, most a few years out of the Academy, were all making
> > pretty good money - in addition to the money they made while at
> > Annapolis.
> >
> > My father is a civil servant - mechanical engineer for the DOD/Navy.
> > He's been there for 30 or so years and makes nothing near what he'd be
> > worth in the private sector.
Hey - I didn't 'proclaim' anything. I was only repeating what I had
heard; or at least what I thought I heard. I've been known to be wrong
on rare occasions.
But that's corroborating evidence by two former military personnel
against room and board deductions - good enough for me.
Either way the enlisted men don't get paid nearly enough for the work
they do.
Lon wrote:
> Never heard of enlisted men being charged room and/or board unless they
> were married and getting allowances or were on some type of TDY where
> they were being paid per diem. That might have changed since I was in
> the military.
>
> Yes, you got free room and board. In some bases, the military meals
> were really quite good as some of the cooks actually took pride in their
> ability to turn available stock into edible results. ..and there were
> a few of the other type as well. As for the free housing, that was if
> you lived in barracks and were single. If you were a platoon sergeant
> or squad leader you typically got a private room. Otherwise you might
> be clustered with a small group of folks in your squad or you might be
> in the larger flat barracks where everyone was on cots or bunk beds in
> one big room. With one exception at White Sands, never ran into any
> military single housing that was as good as the worst college dorm room.
>
> Married personnel were allowed to live on base and/or get a housing
> allowance and food allowance. If they ate in the mess hall they had to
> pay.
>
> If officers ate in the mess hall they had to pay.
>
> In some bases, if a non-com ate in the enlisted mess they also had to
> pay but if single did not get a meal allowance unless they were on some
> sort of detachment.
>
> Or you could eat at the nco club or officers club, but those were not
> free.
>
> The pay scales sucked. As an E5 with proficiency pay in two different
> skills, I managed, but lower enlisted men were chronically short of
> funds. Even as an E5, the pay for civil service GS-7 was considerably
> higher even after accounting for house payment and buying your own food.
> Civilian jobs paid even more.
>
>
>
> The Merg proclaimed:
>
> > I was always under the impression that American enlisted had a pretty
> > good deal, free room and board and etc. However, I played club
> > lacrosse in Norfolk with a bunch of Navy guys, couple enlisted guys and
> > a couple Academy guys and they told me that the enlisted guys actually
> > get room and board taken out of their paychecks. So not only do they
> > make jackshit, but they then get more money taken out.
> > The officers, most a few years out of the Academy, were all making
> > pretty good money - in addition to the money they made while at
> > Annapolis.
> >
> > My father is a civil servant - mechanical engineer for the DOD/Navy.
> > He's been there for 30 or so years and makes nothing near what he'd be
> > worth in the private sector.
12-29-2006, 02:40 AM
#44
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
On Thu, 28 Dec 2006 20:44:01 +0000, Dave Milne wrote:
> One thing I never understand about the US - you constantly praise your
> military (with justification) and yet you pay them appallingly.
> A British raw recruit gets USD 23770 (US E1 gets 15272) and a Sergeant (8
> years) gets 52267 (US E8 with 8 years gets USD 39504).
> That really sucks.
>
> http://usmilitary.about.com/library/...enlbasepay.htm
> http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/RegularAr...Leave/Soldier/
Interesting links, Dave. The effect you describe is, to a point, cyclic.
I grew up as one of 4 kids of an Army then AF NCO. Things would get to
the point he was working pretty much a full time off duty job to make ends
meet then along came a pay raise and things got pretty good for a while.
When I graduated from the AF Academy in 1964, a 2nd Lt. got a base pay of
$222.30 per month and hadn't seen a pay raise since 1952. Hazardous duty
(flight) pay was nearly half of the base pay amount. I got quarters in
lieu of a housing allowance. When we finally got a pay raise in 1967, my
pay almost exactly doubled and some of the younger enlisted troops on the
flight line more than doubled their take-home pay. When Dad retired at
the highest enlisted grade available, he had 30 years service and drew 75%
of his active duty pay. That was more than I was making as a senior
Captain on flight status. One of his proudest moments was the day when he
reached more time retired than he had served on active duty and I know for
a fact that his and Mom's medical care exceeded his pay.
I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
Aussie contemporaries at one time.
--
Will Honea <whonea@yahoo.com>
> One thing I never understand about the US - you constantly praise your
> military (with justification) and yet you pay them appallingly.
> A British raw recruit gets USD 23770 (US E1 gets 15272) and a Sergeant (8
> years) gets 52267 (US E8 with 8 years gets USD 39504).
> That really sucks.
>
> http://usmilitary.about.com/library/...enlbasepay.htm
> http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/RegularAr...Leave/Soldier/
Interesting links, Dave. The effect you describe is, to a point, cyclic.
I grew up as one of 4 kids of an Army then AF NCO. Things would get to
the point he was working pretty much a full time off duty job to make ends
meet then along came a pay raise and things got pretty good for a while.
When I graduated from the AF Academy in 1964, a 2nd Lt. got a base pay of
$222.30 per month and hadn't seen a pay raise since 1952. Hazardous duty
(flight) pay was nearly half of the base pay amount. I got quarters in
lieu of a housing allowance. When we finally got a pay raise in 1967, my
pay almost exactly doubled and some of the younger enlisted troops on the
flight line more than doubled their take-home pay. When Dad retired at
the highest enlisted grade available, he had 30 years service and drew 75%
of his active duty pay. That was more than I was making as a senior
Captain on flight status. One of his proudest moments was the day when he
reached more time retired than he had served on active duty and I know for
a fact that his and Mom's medical care exceeded his pay.
I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
Aussie contemporaries at one time.
--
Will Honea <whonea@yahoo.com>
12-29-2006, 02:40 AM
#45
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
On Thu, 28 Dec 2006 20:44:01 +0000, Dave Milne wrote:
> One thing I never understand about the US - you constantly praise your
> military (with justification) and yet you pay them appallingly.
> A British raw recruit gets USD 23770 (US E1 gets 15272) and a Sergeant (8
> years) gets 52267 (US E8 with 8 years gets USD 39504).
> That really sucks.
>
> http://usmilitary.about.com/library/...enlbasepay.htm
> http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/RegularAr...Leave/Soldier/
Interesting links, Dave. The effect you describe is, to a point, cyclic.
I grew up as one of 4 kids of an Army then AF NCO. Things would get to
the point he was working pretty much a full time off duty job to make ends
meet then along came a pay raise and things got pretty good for a while.
When I graduated from the AF Academy in 1964, a 2nd Lt. got a base pay of
$222.30 per month and hadn't seen a pay raise since 1952. Hazardous duty
(flight) pay was nearly half of the base pay amount. I got quarters in
lieu of a housing allowance. When we finally got a pay raise in 1967, my
pay almost exactly doubled and some of the younger enlisted troops on the
flight line more than doubled their take-home pay. When Dad retired at
the highest enlisted grade available, he had 30 years service and drew 75%
of his active duty pay. That was more than I was making as a senior
Captain on flight status. One of his proudest moments was the day when he
reached more time retired than he had served on active duty and I know for
a fact that his and Mom's medical care exceeded his pay.
I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
Aussie contemporaries at one time.
--
Will Honea <whonea@yahoo.com>
> One thing I never understand about the US - you constantly praise your
> military (with justification) and yet you pay them appallingly.
> A British raw recruit gets USD 23770 (US E1 gets 15272) and a Sergeant (8
> years) gets 52267 (US E8 with 8 years gets USD 39504).
> That really sucks.
>
> http://usmilitary.about.com/library/...enlbasepay.htm
> http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/RegularAr...Leave/Soldier/
Interesting links, Dave. The effect you describe is, to a point, cyclic.
I grew up as one of 4 kids of an Army then AF NCO. Things would get to
the point he was working pretty much a full time off duty job to make ends
meet then along came a pay raise and things got pretty good for a while.
When I graduated from the AF Academy in 1964, a 2nd Lt. got a base pay of
$222.30 per month and hadn't seen a pay raise since 1952. Hazardous duty
(flight) pay was nearly half of the base pay amount. I got quarters in
lieu of a housing allowance. When we finally got a pay raise in 1967, my
pay almost exactly doubled and some of the younger enlisted troops on the
flight line more than doubled their take-home pay. When Dad retired at
the highest enlisted grade available, he had 30 years service and drew 75%
of his active duty pay. That was more than I was making as a senior
Captain on flight status. One of his proudest moments was the day when he
reached more time retired than he had served on active duty and I know for
a fact that his and Mom's medical care exceeded his pay.
I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
Aussie contemporaries at one time.
--
Will Honea <whonea@yahoo.com>
12-29-2006, 02:40 AM
#46
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
On Thu, 28 Dec 2006 20:44:01 +0000, Dave Milne wrote:
> One thing I never understand about the US - you constantly praise your
> military (with justification) and yet you pay them appallingly.
> A British raw recruit gets USD 23770 (US E1 gets 15272) and a Sergeant (8
> years) gets 52267 (US E8 with 8 years gets USD 39504).
> That really sucks.
>
> http://usmilitary.about.com/library/...enlbasepay.htm
> http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/RegularAr...Leave/Soldier/
Interesting links, Dave. The effect you describe is, to a point, cyclic.
I grew up as one of 4 kids of an Army then AF NCO. Things would get to
the point he was working pretty much a full time off duty job to make ends
meet then along came a pay raise and things got pretty good for a while.
When I graduated from the AF Academy in 1964, a 2nd Lt. got a base pay of
$222.30 per month and hadn't seen a pay raise since 1952. Hazardous duty
(flight) pay was nearly half of the base pay amount. I got quarters in
lieu of a housing allowance. When we finally got a pay raise in 1967, my
pay almost exactly doubled and some of the younger enlisted troops on the
flight line more than doubled their take-home pay. When Dad retired at
the highest enlisted grade available, he had 30 years service and drew 75%
of his active duty pay. That was more than I was making as a senior
Captain on flight status. One of his proudest moments was the day when he
reached more time retired than he had served on active duty and I know for
a fact that his and Mom's medical care exceeded his pay.
I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
Aussie contemporaries at one time.
--
Will Honea <whonea@yahoo.com>
> One thing I never understand about the US - you constantly praise your
> military (with justification) and yet you pay them appallingly.
> A British raw recruit gets USD 23770 (US E1 gets 15272) and a Sergeant (8
> years) gets 52267 (US E8 with 8 years gets USD 39504).
> That really sucks.
>
> http://usmilitary.about.com/library/...enlbasepay.htm
> http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/RegularAr...Leave/Soldier/
Interesting links, Dave. The effect you describe is, to a point, cyclic.
I grew up as one of 4 kids of an Army then AF NCO. Things would get to
the point he was working pretty much a full time off duty job to make ends
meet then along came a pay raise and things got pretty good for a while.
When I graduated from the AF Academy in 1964, a 2nd Lt. got a base pay of
$222.30 per month and hadn't seen a pay raise since 1952. Hazardous duty
(flight) pay was nearly half of the base pay amount. I got quarters in
lieu of a housing allowance. When we finally got a pay raise in 1967, my
pay almost exactly doubled and some of the younger enlisted troops on the
flight line more than doubled their take-home pay. When Dad retired at
the highest enlisted grade available, he had 30 years service and drew 75%
of his active duty pay. That was more than I was making as a senior
Captain on flight status. One of his proudest moments was the day when he
reached more time retired than he had served on active duty and I know for
a fact that his and Mom's medical care exceeded his pay.
I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
Aussie contemporaries at one time.
--
Will Honea <whonea@yahoo.com>
12-29-2006, 04:57 AM
#47
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
I agree. I also suspect that the average US soldier is in charge of assets
worth more than the British soldier, and if I'm not wrong, many can call up
an airstrike at a cost of many millions a time ? In most other arenas,
someone who could sign off that type of expenditure would be a senior
manager !
Dave
"Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4594c673$0$63458$815e3792@news.qwest.net...
> I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
> earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
> the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
> catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
> value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
> countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
> Aussie contemporaries at one time.
worth more than the British soldier, and if I'm not wrong, many can call up
an airstrike at a cost of many millions a time ? In most other arenas,
someone who could sign off that type of expenditure would be a senior
manager !
Dave
"Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4594c673$0$63458$815e3792@news.qwest.net...
> I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
> earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
> the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
> catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
> value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
> countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
> Aussie contemporaries at one time.
12-29-2006, 04:57 AM
#48
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
I agree. I also suspect that the average US soldier is in charge of assets
worth more than the British soldier, and if I'm not wrong, many can call up
an airstrike at a cost of many millions a time ? In most other arenas,
someone who could sign off that type of expenditure would be a senior
manager !
Dave
"Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4594c673$0$63458$815e3792@news.qwest.net...
> I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
> earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
> the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
> catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
> value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
> countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
> Aussie contemporaries at one time.
worth more than the British soldier, and if I'm not wrong, many can call up
an airstrike at a cost of many millions a time ? In most other arenas,
someone who could sign off that type of expenditure would be a senior
manager !
Dave
"Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4594c673$0$63458$815e3792@news.qwest.net...
> I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
> earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
> the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
> catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
> value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
> countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
> Aussie contemporaries at one time.
12-29-2006, 04:57 AM
#49
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
I agree. I also suspect that the average US soldier is in charge of assets
worth more than the British soldier, and if I'm not wrong, many can call up
an airstrike at a cost of many millions a time ? In most other arenas,
someone who could sign off that type of expenditure would be a senior
manager !
Dave
"Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4594c673$0$63458$815e3792@news.qwest.net...
> I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
> earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
> the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
> catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
> value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
> countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
> Aussie contemporaries at one time.
worth more than the British soldier, and if I'm not wrong, many can call up
an airstrike at a cost of many millions a time ? In most other arenas,
someone who could sign off that type of expenditure would be a senior
manager !
Dave
"Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4594c673$0$63458$815e3792@news.qwest.net...
> I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned well
> earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way. When
> the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
> catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider the
> value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
> countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
> Aussie contemporaries at one time.
12-29-2006, 05:11 AM
#50
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Off Topic: Twas the night before Christmas
and on a slightly related note, we finish paying off the US and Canada for
World War 2 finally this month.
Germany had to pay $20 billion in reparations in total which is about a buck
a dead soldier.
Dave
"Dave Milne" <jeep@_removethisbit_milne.info> wrote in message
news:5E5lh.22555$k74.12417@text.news.blueyonder.co .uk...
> I agree. I also suspect that the average US soldier is in charge of assets
> worth more than the British soldier, and if I'm not wrong, many can call
up
> an airstrike at a cost of many millions a time ? In most other arenas,
> someone who could sign off that type of expenditure would be a senior
> manager !
>
> Dave
>
> "Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:4594c673$0$63458$815e3792@news.qwest.net...
> > I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned
well
> > earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way.
When
> > the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
> > catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider
the
> > value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
> > countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
> > Aussie contemporaries at one time.
>
>
World War 2 finally this month.
Germany had to pay $20 billion in reparations in total which is about a buck
a dead soldier.
Dave
"Dave Milne" <jeep@_removethisbit_milne.info> wrote in message
news:5E5lh.22555$k74.12417@text.news.blueyonder.co .uk...
> I agree. I also suspect that the average US soldier is in charge of assets
> worth more than the British soldier, and if I'm not wrong, many can call
up
> an airstrike at a cost of many millions a time ? In most other arenas,
> someone who could sign off that type of expenditure would be a senior
> manager !
>
> Dave
>
> "Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:4594c673$0$63458$815e3792@news.qwest.net...
> > I don't begrudge military retirees a penny of their pay - they damned
well
> > earned it. I separated before retirement but I still feel that way.
When
> > the government gets around to granting a pay raise, it usually has some
> > catchup element to it so it averages out, especially when you consider
the
> > value of the benefits after retirement. It must be similar in other
> > countries - I can recall making considerably more than my British and
> > Aussie contemporaries at one time.
>
>