I sure miss the Army

But, in reality, espicially as lower enlisted, you will be VERY well off aslong as you don't go and blow all of your money at the PX and strip clubs. You don't really have anything you need to pay for....
 
Crabapple said:
But, in reality, espicially as lower enlisted, you will be VERY well off aslong as you don't go and blow all of your money at the PX and strip clubs. You don't really have anything you need to pay for....
Click to expand...

OOPS! :laugh2:

We got BAS because our barracks were on an airfield with no chow hall. When I bought my first XJ I ate rice, ramen, and mac&cheese...as long as it could be made in the microwave. :D That allowed me the car payment, lots of gas for lots of running around, alcohol, and money for strippers. :roflmao: I had a preferred members card with the local grocery store (cheaper than the Commissary) to save the extra coin. We also knew the cheapest places to eat in town... I typically didn't shop on the base unless I was with a group simply because people tend to recognize MPs. Had a close call once and decided hanging out on base all the time wasn't going to fly.

But seriously...trying to bring a family in is a struggle. I watched lots of folks break bank hard when they came in with a family. Leaving with a family needs to be a long transition. Having a family while you're in is cool as long as they understand you have a job to do. Army would issue you a family if they wanted you to have one. ;) Thankfully I didn't while I was in.
 
Only an E-9 with about 30 years of service makes 70k base pay....

but....

you're leaving out housing allowance, BAS (food), free medical, etc....
My housing allowance alone is $1100+ a month....but it's all dependent on the cost of living analysis that they do for your particular location.

On the officer side, an O-4 with 10 years of service would push about 70k base pay...

Hate to break it to you, but O-7s and above make 6 figures in base pay easy...and well above in some cases.
 
My BAH is about $975 for being single! I love it.
 
Well, I was just going on the other guy's word for it...

But in my personal experience, I worked hard, tested well, skipped a paygrade for making first in my class, and made four advancements in four years.

Working on $10,000,000 airplanes (EA-6B's, in case anyone cares) I made $9,000 my first year. $12k my second, $15k and $18k the year I got out.

(During the Clinton budget years, noone single got BAS/comrats, at least not E5 and below.)

Got out, got a job shovelling chemicals, working way fewer hours, and made more in the first six months than I did the first 24 months in the Navy.

I don't mean to gripe, because like I said, it was the best experience (with the best friends!) of my life.

But noone's gonna tell me the money didn't SUCK!

Robert
 
I rate BAH on active duty, because I'm National Guard. Gotta pay for the place to stay someway!
 
must be nice to get BAH. I was told i had to live in the b's. no BAH for me.
 
JNickel101 said:
you're leaving out housing allowance, BAS (food), free medical, etc....
My housing allowance alone is $1100+ a month....but it's all dependent on the cost of living analysis that they do for your particular location.
Click to expand...

You get that much out there in BFE and the single rate?

I'm barely over 1000 and married.
 
Two of the best decisions I ever made were joining up and then getting out(8 years later). The things I got to do and the people I got to meet were unbelievable. The amount I got paid to do it all was just stupid. I actually got a raise that TOOK money OUT of my pocket one year! None of the Navy bases I ever got sent to had housing worth a f**k. When I reported to Corpus Christi, I was told that the wait list for base housing was 30 months. I was in CC for 33 months.
 
Last edited:
So true. Most of my 20 years in the Navy I wouldn't mind doing over. A couple ugly years I'd prefer to forget. But then I think of the things I missed of my kids growing. And so very glad I didn't take the offers to stay longer. Funny thing, since I retired, I've changed jobs almost on par with transfers... But then, I think the job I'm in now is the one I'll have till I can retire for real.

Now that my kids are both in college, we talk about the time I spent away, and luckily, they don't remember most of the stuff I regretted the most.

Friendships? Yeah, some I miss. Some I don't. And some I talk to more than my family.

WrenchMonkey said:
I feel that way about the Navy sometimes.

Then I look at my paycheck stubs, and the feeling goes away.
USN, no doubt about it, the best experience and worst job I'll ever have...

Robert
Click to expand...
 
neonrog said:
So true. Most of my 20 years in the Navy I wouldn't mind doing over. A couple ugly years I'd prefer to forget. But then I think of the things I missed of my kids growing. And so very glad I didn't take the offers to stay longer. Funny thing, since I retired, I've changed jobs almost on par with transfers...
Click to expand...
Funny, my dad did the same thing. 20 years in(aviation)got out when us kid came along, then moved around every3-4 years. 'Must be something the Navy puts in your food:D
 
I was in 5 yrs, made 19k as an E3, plus $1146/month BAH, married with a kid, down in Oceanside. Ridiculous San Diego rent...
 
We have the 1st German AF detachment here....so rent is sky high....
 
9 years and counting in the Navy. Dealt with some really challenging times like the time I was on leave and the day I get back I get a "surprise we're deploying in 2 weeks" from my chief. But it has provided for my family. Parenting has been a challenge scolding the kids in an email just doesn't have the same effect as in person. Hardest part for me has been calling home and having the kids ask me when I'm coming home.
 
homebrew said:
9 years and counting in the Navy. Dealt with some really challenging times like the time I was on leave and the day I get back I get a "surprise we're deploying in 2 weeks" from my chief. But it has provided for my family. Parenting has been a challenge scolding the kids in an email just doesn't have the same effect as in person. Hardest part for me has been calling home and having the kids ask me when I'm coming home.
Click to expand...


x2...its tough to explain to a 3 year old that "daddy's at work"...best idea I came up with was to send her a giant laminated world map...so she could see where she was, where daddy was...along with grammy, pap, uncles...etc....

but then she's say "well, grammy is gonna get me a boat and we're going to come see you"
 
JNickel101 said:
x2...its tough to explain to a 3 year old that "daddy's at work"...best idea I came up with was to send her a giant laminated world map...so she could see where she was, where daddy was...along with grammy, pap, uncles...etc....

but then she's say "well, grammy is gonna get me a boat and we're going to come see you"
Click to expand...

hehe thats pretty cute. I agree the hardest part is deploying, but it makes the homecomings so much better (providing theres not a lot of tension there). It makes you appreciate the things 9/10 of americans take for granted (like the privacy of your own toilet), and the local super wally world. Life in the military is definitely not easy...but if you can make it work, and turn it into a career, you make some of the best friends you'll ever have, come away with some hellatious stories, and have a guaranteed retirement that no one will screw ya out of.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

macgyvr
Things I learned at Winterfest 2025.
Replies
5
Views
329
SAMSET
SAMSET
Bryan C.
Hollister Hills toy run 2024, November 23rd
Replies
4
Views
195
Bryan C.
Bryan C.
NorCalChris
From Ghost to Post: An Update from the Shadows
Replies
14
Views
206
EricsXJ
EricsXJ
Bent
The BEST Medicine
Replies
7
Views
193
Nimrod
Nimrod
Badlogin
97 XJ RE long arm lift. Do they make a drop for the T case?
Replies
0
Views
138
Badlogin
Badlogin
Back
Top