1% in 2014

[BOP]

If you want to get anecdotal, I am considering leaving my job to try to do the same job as an active duty service member. (I am a federal gov't GS employee now who works for the Air Force). I have not done it because I am really hesitant to give up my freedom and because it will make it harder to find a wife and start a family. However, the only reason I am considering it is because it does offer a surer way to financial security than working as a GS employee. Ultimately right now I think I value my freedom a little bit more than the extra dollars and benefits, but its something I continue to mull over.

Chicks dig a guy in uniform.

Just sayin'.

Do it now, you can always go back to your GS job. Or, go reserves. I know several reservists who are GS'ers.

you'll never regret the time you spent in honorable service. You will regret not having done it when you had the opportunity.

Best.

 

[BOP]

And have you lived in those free houses, have you experienced that free heathcare? Also those 18/19 year olds deploy for up to 15 months at a time, and there are a lot of costs that the gov't don't cover. Plus, please tell me were the chow hall is on base?

Comparing those on shore duty and those on sea duty is a totally different thing, when you deploy your Comrats are stopped for one example. There are additional cost when you deploy and I've seen Airman how couldn't afford to get off the ship because they were sending every penny back home to support the wife and kids. When I deployed, my sea pay and flight deck pay barely covered my loss of comrats.

And how is it to say an E-1 with less then two years is 18, I've seen lots of people come in when they were in their early 20's.

Also, those walmart workers don't have to pay to maintain a uniform (and if you think a uniform allowance covers that cost, you are sadly mistaken), work a 12 hour shift then have to stand an 8 hour watch, and can be deployed on 96 hour notice. How many of them also work on dangerous equipment, are highly trained in today's technology and are responsible for millions of dollars of equipment. How many of them have to relocate every two years (and again, if you think uncle sam covers all the cost, you are sadly mistaken)?

If the pay and working conditions were the same as walmart, I would think the line outside the recruiters office would be around the block.

And yet, strangely, millions of us have gone through all that, and have somehow managed to not only survive, but thrive.

 

[CrashTest]

Yea, because I can always deploy/fight knowing that my family can't afford to feed themselves or pay the bills........but I can still fight for my country since I have a weapon/aircraft that works.

Why don't you look at how much (or should I say how little) the junior sailors/troops actually make and then tell me that a pay raise is not needed as long as they have a weapon to fight with.

Most married junior enlisted qualify for food stamps/WIC and other gov't subsidies because the gov't refuses to pay them enough to live on but insist on having all kinds of bennies like free hair cuts, free travel, etc.

The former Mrs Crash was an 18 year old E3. When combining base pay, housing allowance, and healthcare, she was making comparable to $36,000 a year (about 12 years ago). Not great but about twice as much as an 18 year old working at Walmart.

 

[edinsomd]

The former Mrs Crash was an 18 year old E3. When combining base pay, housing allowance, and healthcare, she was making comparable to $36,000 a year (about 12 years ago). Not great but about twice as much as an 18 year old working at Walmart.

Stacking shelves at Wally-Mart.

Wrenching on multi-million dollar aircraft at sea with folk's lives on the line, for seven days a week for months.

One of theses things is not like the other....

My Navy job required a Secret, and later a Top Secret security clearance. Wall-Martians don't even have to pass a piss test.

 

[BOP]

Stacking shelves at Wally-Mart.

Wrenching on multi-million dollar aircraft at sea with folk's lives on the line, for seven days a week for months.

One of theses things is not like the other....

My Navy job required a Secret, and later a Top Secret security clearance. Wall-Martians don't even have to pass a piss test.

Done both of those things. Okay, the Navy job was a helluva lot more fun, paid better, and lasted way longer than Wally World. That lasted almost 3 months...okay, almost 2 months. I figured I better quit before somebody got punched in the face. There were multiple targets of opportunity.

 

[nutz]

Thinking just like a good little progressive.

Nope, speaking like someone that's been there, done that. With a shrinking tax base, unemployed and the hand out generations, we simply can't afford to be spending at the rate we're continuing on. The fed employees have been on budget cuting measures so why shoudn't the ones in uniform?

Recently I was speaking with an army E7 who was complaining that his $2700.00 per month tax free housing allowance didn't afford him a decent place to live. But I guess he deserves a pay raise so he can keep making payments on his BMW 650.

 

[GW8345]

Nope, speaking like someone that's been there, done that. With a shrinking tax base, unemployed and the hand out generations, we simply can't afford to be spending at the rate we're continuing on. The fed employees have been on budget cuting measures so why shoudn't the ones in uniform?

Recently I was speaking with an army E7 who was complaining that his $2700.00 per month tax free housing allowance didn't afford him a decent place to live. But I guess he deserves a pay raise so he can keep making payments on his BMW 650.

So instead of cutting those welfare programs that hand out money to people who don't even work, let alone are American citizens we are going to cut the pay to those who chose to defend this country.

Please show me what welfare entitlement program has been cut, or it's spending has been reduced to pre 2009 levels in the past three years. The military has had it's budget reduced every year since 2009.

But hey, lets make sure those welfare whores keep getting their checks, even if they drive an Escalade, have french tip nails, tattoos, a perm that would make Mooochele jealous and are using their EBT cards to by steak and lobster.

 

[nutz]

So instead of cutting those welfare programs that hand out money to people who don't even work, let alone are American citizens we are going to cut the pay to those who chose to defend this country.

Please show me what welfare entitlement program has been cut, or it's spending has been reduced to pre 2009 levels in the past three years. The military has had it's budget reduced every year since 2009.

But hey, lets make sure those welfare whores keep getting their checks, even if they drive an Escalade, have french tip nails, tattoos, a perm that would make Mooochele jealous and are using their EBT cards to by steak and lobster.

Reread . We have run out of money to give to any program, therefore curtail spending, (golf and vacations included).

 

[AnthonyJames]

Stacking shelves at Wally-Mart.

Wrenching on multi-million dollar aircraft at sea with folk's lives on the line, for seven days a week for months.

One of theses things is not like the other....

My Navy job required a Secret, and later a Top Secret security clearance. Wall-Martians don't even have to pass a piss test.

The Walmart analogy is really apples and oranges.

Who do you think makes a greater sacrifice for America, the Walmart greeter or the battlefield soldier? If your answer is the same as mine, I'll put my money where my mouth is, will you?

 

[CrashTest]

The Walmart analogy is really apples and oranges.

Who do you think makes a greater sacrifice for America, the Walmart greeter or the battlefield soldier? If your answer is the same as mine, I'll put my money where my mouth is, will you?

If serving is all about sacrafice and doing the noble thing, then why does money always enter the discussison?

 

[GW8345]

Reread . We have run out of money to give to any program, therefore curtail spending, (golf and vacations included).

Again, what entitlement program has had their budget/spending reduced in the past four years?

Also, compare that Army E-7's pay a GS with the same number of years in, wonder who's pay is higher.

 

[CrashTest]

Again, what entitlement program has had their budget/spending reduced in the past four years?

Also, compare that Army E-7's pay a GS with the same number of years in, wonder who's pay is higher.

It's the same argument that teachers use. When asked why they don't work in the private sector where they can make more money, they always say it's about the kids and that they love to teach, yet they're always talking about wanting more money to teach.

 

[BernieP]

If I'm in the military and have guys shooting at me, I'll forgo a big pay raise in exchange for a weapon that works or a plane that flies. These days, that's about what it boils down to.

On the other hand with the way funding is headed they won't be in a war zone much longer becasue there won't be money to put planes in the sky, or tanks on the ground. We are headed back to the late 70's where the Navy stayed in port because a lot of the ships were not functioning, planes didn't fly because they were down for repair. Training was a joke.

It's worse, while we can't afford to repair what's in the field now, we can't afford to get the replacements out for some of these systems that are decades old. Let's face it, the Navy's most modern aircraft is really an updated 70's design. The stuff that is out there today was used by their dads.

The real damage has been done with the 5 CRs that have stalled or forced programs to stretch procurements of these replacements.
Now we are looking at a 17 + oercent cut in spending.

 

[BernieP]

Again, what entitlement program has had their budget/spending reduced in the past four years?

Also, compare that Army E-7's pay a GS with the same number of years in, wonder who's pay is higher.

if people were paid what they were worth, nurses would make as much as doctors - but they don't.

and there are plenty of other examples of "worth" and pay differential.

Look at what the average cop is paid as opposed to say a prosecutor with the same level of experience - odds are the prosecutor makes much more (and the cops career is much shorter - you don't often see old cops on the beat because injury has made them unfit for duty).

 

[nutz]

Again, what entitlement program has had their budget/spending reduced in the past four years?

Also, compare that Army E-7's pay a GS with the same number of years in, wonder who's pay is higher.

A) didn't say there were.

B) Ok, let’s see
From my comment, a married 18 year E-7 in the D.C. pay zone earns $ 4281.00 per month base pay plus $2724.00 in housing and subsistence allowance of $352.27 plus any other incentive pay they may qualify for i.e.; flight pay, sea pay, hazardous duty pay, clothing, etc. In our case, he earns flight pay of $240.00 per month.
So, the E-7 is earning ~$86940.00 of which only $51372.00 is taxable.

From OPM Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA - Annual Rates by Grade and Step

A maxed out GS-6 (D.C. area) is paid $ 49375.00 per year.
A mere difference of $34685.00

The Navy library contributed the comparison chart: Comparison of Military and Civilian Equivalent Grades

 

[edinsomd]

The Walmart analogy is really apples and oranges. Who do you think makes a greater sacrifice for America, the Walmart greeter or the battlefield soldier? If your answer is the same as mine, I'll put my money where my mouth is, will you?

Of course it is.

 

[GW8345]

Seriously, you are comparing an Army SFC with over 18 to a GS6, please show me a GS6 with over 18 years of service. Also, you are using an extreme case to make your point, not everyone in the military gets flight pay, lives in the DC area and an E-7.

I don’t know who you’re trying to BS but you might want to at least compare equal number of years served. If you’re a GS6 with over 18 years of service, I think you’re getting screwed, or the gov’t just hasn’t found a way to get rid of you yet.

Comparing an E-7 with over 18 years to a GS6 is like comparing a Dept Head to the mail room boy, get real.

 

[AnthonyJames]

If serving is all about sacrafice and doing the noble thing, then why does money always enter the discussison?

Try living without it.

 

[Merlin99]

Seriously, you are comparing an Army SFC with over 18 to a GS6, please show me a GS6 with over 18 years of service. Also, you are using an extreme case to make your point, not everyone in the military gets flight pay, lives in the DC area and an E-7.

I don’t know who you’re trying to BS but you might want to at least compare equal number of years served. If you’re a GS6 with over 18 years of service, I think you’re getting screwed, or the gov’t just hasn’t found a way to get rid of you yet.

Comparing an E-7 with over 18 years to a GS6 is like comparing a Dept Head to the mail room boy, get real.

Not every job maxes out at a 12, some of them just don't require more than a 6

 

[Ken King]

Seriously, you are comparing an Army SFC with over 18 to a GS6, please show me a GS6 with over 18 years of service. Also, you are using an extreme case to make your point, not everyone in the military gets flight pay, lives in the DC area and an E-7.

I don’t know who you’re trying to BS but you might want to at least compare equal number of years served. If you’re a GS6 with over 18 years of service, I think you’re getting screwed, or the gov’t just hasn’t found a way to get rid of you yet.

Comparing an E-7 with over 18 years to a GS6 is like comparing a Dept Head to the mail room boy, get real.

Really, I bet the 0081s and 0083s on base would be happy to hear what you think of them. Maybe a little time looking at one of the many classification guides might clue you in.