Pentagon: Troops Overpaid

[Ricechex]

The military are hardly overpaid, considering their duties. Their operational schedules and deployments are even more frequent than they were 5 years ago. They come back from a 6-8 month deployment, and in just 6 weeks are back to frequent underways. In less than a year, many of them are back on another deployment. It is very hard on the families. Sometimes they miss the births of their children. Imagine missing 6 months of your one year old’s development?

Sometimes, the kids don’t even know them when they return. Sometimes they return to find their wives have been cheating, moved out, bought cars/run up the bills…not saying this couldn’t happen if they were home, but being across the world with sporadic email and minimal phone calls, makes it much harder for them to know what is going on.

Many of these guys/ladies work very hard, and if there are unresolvable problems, they are administratively separated.

[scaredyclassic]

imperial war really isn’t a very good deal for married dudes with kids, is it? histroically, hasn’t it been more of a young man’s game?

[scaredyclassic]

imperial war really isn’t a very good deal for married dudes with kids, is it? histroically, hasn’t it been more of a young man’s game?

[scaredyclassic]

imperial war really isn’t a very good deal for married dudes with kids, is it? histroically, hasn’t it been more of a young man’s game?

[scaredyclassic]

imperial war really isn’t a very good deal for married dudes with kids, is it? histroically, hasn’t it been more of a young man’s game?

[scaredyclassic]

imperial war really isn’t a very good deal for married dudes with kids, is it? histroically, hasn’t it been more of a young man’s game?

[bearishgurl]

[quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=SD Realtor]I see it different. I have a few friends who have served and been called up. One of the tenants in a rental I have has served as well. I saw first hand the stress that the entire family had to endure during his deployments.[/quote]

[quote=CA renter]Yep. Just today, I was with someone whose husband deployed last week for seven months in Iraq. The family is a mess. I have no idea how they do it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking . . .[/quote]

SDR and CA renter, I was a military spouse myself for 26 years, 15 of those years the spouse of an active duty member. In that time, my ex was deployed 28 times (some short deployments). We owned all our properties and I managed the rentals myself, all in SD. In addition, I worked FT the entire duration of the marriage (there was no FML act until 1993 – if I didn’t return to work after 6-10 wk. maternity leave, I would have lost my job). Neither of us had/have any family in SD. Just prior to retirement (15 yrs ago) we were recieving $688 per month from the military in BAQ and FHA combined. NOW, the same-ranked member recieves OVER $2000 MONTH for housing allowance in SD. There are many more programs with spouses and mil. families now than there used to be and the Comm/Exchanges carry so many more products and are much more modern (for ex. the food and pharmacy checkouts used to be outside). Tricare can now be used with most doctors, unlike the old Champus, where you had to apply for a “Statement of Non-Availability,” from Naval Hospital before you could see a civilian physician. The housing units in SD (never lived in any of them) used to be substandard, some with concrete floors and walls. A “spouse” and “family” did not come in the member’s seabag back then, so they were just “extra baggage” for the member/Navy to have to “deal with.”

SDR and CA renter, if your military friends are in distress, IMO it is because they are NOT CONTACTING THEIR OMBUDSWOMAN/MAN FOR ASSISTANCE. It is also likely that they are NOT managing their money correctly and the MEMBER is the ONLY one bringing income into the family. There is no reason with that large of a housing allowance (or a free unit and utils in lieu) that they should be in financial distress. Remember, they get free or very low cost medical benefits also.

Spouses of military personnel KNEW what they were getting into when they married an already enlisted member, so IMHO, “whining” is counter-productive. If they are fed up with being an active-duty spouse, then tell them to get a divorce and give up the I.D. and all the benes that go along with that. Sorry if I don’t seem too sympathetic here.

[bearishgurl]

Oh, and I forgot to add, during that “active duty” period, interest rates on all of our mortgages were 7% – 10 1/2%. 5 – 6% mortgages were unheard of.

[bearishgurl]

Oh, and I forgot to add, during that “active duty” period, interest rates on all of our mortgages were 7% – 10 1/2%. 5 – 6% mortgages were unheard of.

[bearishgurl]

Oh, and I forgot to add, during that “active duty” period, interest rates on all of our mortgages were 7% – 10 1/2%. 5 – 6% mortgages were unheard of.

[bearishgurl]

Oh, and I forgot to add, during that “active duty” period, interest rates on all of our mortgages were 7% – 10 1/2%. 5 – 6% mortgages were unheard of.

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