MILITARY PAY - Shirley you Jest!

[conny63malies]

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I heard worse reasons... such as green makes me look pale, they walk too much.......

 

[conny63malies]

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We got WIC with our first two kids. But atleast the ENL get a yearly allowance for military clothing and other supplies.
People though find it funny that my DH pays his own pay to some extend.

 

[AngieChick]

Lets not forget that military personnel have to buy their own uniforms (they did when my father was in, at least). My parents would dread when the presidency would change, often the new regime would order a new uniform design and force all to buy an entire set.

Growing up military, there are many financial sacrifices people don't realize. If you know you may have to move in short order, it is difficult to invest in buying your own home. If you are the spouse of a military employee it is very challenging to have a career. Potential employers know that you could have to move with short notice, so they won't necessarily invest in hiring you for a vital job. Building a career takes time, military spouses don't have that.

As a military brat whose friends were also brats, we always knew that in any given year one or the other of us could have to move. We were constantly uprooted. Children love consistency, and military life is definitely not consistent. I have no regrets about growing up military, there were some big pluses: a more cosmopolitan world view, experiencing living in a wonderful array of places, living in a very racially integrated environment. But, their were costs. Because of the financial difficulties of surviving on a tiny military salary for 20 years (even though my mother always worked, establishing a lucrative career was out of the question) made it impossible for my parents to help us with college expenses at all, and my father's "retirement" pay is a joke. Once he gets Social Security his pay will be reduced even further because the government considers it "double dipping". Even though he worked after his retirement for many years and paid into social security then as well. My parents are doing okay now, but it's only been since my father retired and joined the private sector and my mother was able to cement herself into a career for awhile.

And yes, they would have qualified for food stamps. It is shameful that any military personnel would need to apply for welfare.

 

[Davaroo]

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I heard worse reasons... such as green makes me look pale, they walk too much.......

My slacker kids worry they'll get yelled at.... sheesh!

 

[speckledhen]

Do you know what we get from his disability rating? An amt of $120 or so, out of the monthy retirement total is not taxed. That's it. No special anything except that small amt is not taxed. That is not extra $$ because it comes out of the total, not in addition to the total. Whoopee! What will we do with all that cash, huh?

And my DH is limited in what he can do because he is missing several discs entirely now.
The veterans educational benefits quit 10 years after retirement-you know what most retirees are doing during that 10 years? Putting their own children through college. There is so much wrong with the system and most civilians have no idea what the military goes through



If the kids cannot handle being yelled at, they sure cannot handle being shot at!

 

[SarahBeth9394]

Thanks for posting that and reminding us all Davaroo. And don't call me Shirley.

 

[DuckLady]

Isn't that pretty old? I mean, I am sure I hear this years ago.

 

[Davaroo]

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HEY, I resemble that remark!

It goes back to 2002 - It came from one of my clients. Apparently, those in my address book are not exactly cutting edge, either!

 

[klf73]

yes, I have friends that think the military pays well

. My husband recently did his disability.....not sure what he will get
He has been blown up twice, one of them he got struck by lightning and it set off all the concussion grenades in his ruck(was in hospital 30 days learning to walk, talk, etc) and the other one someone set too much C-4 and he woke up in a stream, couple other concussions on night jumps that got botched. He has been in so many parachute accidents, had both his ankles broken, knee injuries, his shoulder just rebuilt for the 3rd time(it's now mostly plastic). He suffers from chronic headaches from *traumatic brain injury* from the concussions. I think every joint is messed up

. He doesn't complain and the doctors say if he ever stops working out he will be in crippling pain because his good condition is the only thing keeping him together......
Like I said, it will be interesting to see the rating they give him......

On another note, when he was active we did get WIC....we did not get foodstamps though because dh was too proud, so he had to get a second job at a big box store to make ends meet....

 

[azelgin]

This a little off track, but still a cute story.

From 1944 to 1945, my dad was given a free tour of Europe, compliments of the United States Army. Two years after being home, he recieved a letter, explaining that he had been overpaid, while in the service. He wrote back, that he could not recall EVER being overpaid, while in the Army. Please send a complete copy of my pay records, for me to review. He never heard from the again.