I know it is a sacrifice. Many Soldiers have to leave their families to come to Iraq. Many would like to stay home and skip the whole thing. But for others there is a whole different approach to this deployment thing. It pays pretty well.
My pay is listed below. Check it out. BTW it is supposed to be tax free for the first $89,000.00 or so (up to the salary of the CSM of the Army), which is pretty good too. (Right now mine still has the taxes included but they should be refunded in another pay disbursement.)
I am well paid compared to many, but it is still a good deal for most of us pay wise. The taxable pay that is tax free is the parts listed as PAY. The parts listed as ALWS is for an allowance, which is always tax free anyway. So in California, on active duty the BAH (Bachelor’s Allowance for Housing) is tax free even if you never leave the state. BAH is based upon rank and where you live (cost of housing).
So read through that and think about it. Look at the net.
| BASIC PAY INCENTIVE PAY HARDSHIP DUTY PAY HOSTILE FIRE SUBSISTENCE ALWS BAH FAM SEP ALWS CONUS COLA FED INC TAX 833.25 FICA TAX 234.25 STATE INC TAX 135.45 SGLI 27.00 TSP CONTRIBUTION 207.83
| 4156.65 125.00 50.00 225.00 111.92 1591.50 125.00 57.00 |
But wait! There is MORE!
That is only for half a month! I get twice that amount per month! Not a bad deal?!
The fun doesn’t end there! I also am entitled to a G.I. Bill benefit that allows me to transfer my education benefit to my children. And that is valued at 60% of their tuition where they go to school plus they get a housing allowance for an E-5 (a pay grade) plus some other stipend. For Soldiers who go another year the percentage goes up until you get to 100% after I think 4 years of deployed service. That could easily be worth another 80K for myself (I think, I haven’t run the numbers because it is all just a blessing to me and every extra dollar is a good one).
It still isn’t over! I will also have access to the V.A. Hospital and their services until age 62 (whenever Medicare kicks in) for my medical needs. For example, if you are over age 50, a colonoscopy for free. Not exactly the benefit people normally look forward to, but my friends who have gone to the V.A. in Long Beach, CA have been very happy with their service. One for counseling, another for unexplained problems (diabetes) and a third for weight loss and hearing loss and still another for cholesterol screening. If you are a veteran you get access to the services.
An additional benefit that my buddy CW5 Grumpy likes is that for every 3 months you serve in a combat zone as a Guardsman they reduce your retirement age (to draw your pension) by three months. So he hopes to retire from the Guard and draw his pension at 59 or even 58 if they make it retroactive. That is worth quite a bit (depending on how many years you serve and duty points you earned: a point a day or two points a day for drills.)
For many Soldiers off-setting the separation from family and friends is you also get to save money since they provide three square meals per day, living quarters and access to the internet and movies. For those of us blessed with a location as nice as Taji (it really is all relative) it is just like a long TDY trip (Temporary Duty).
So continue to pray for us and our families. It is a sacrifice, but in the big picture for many of us it is an adventure (for the younger ones) and a chance to get back on your financial feet or pay off college debt for many others. For others it provides money to buy a house, a car or just to provide some financial breathing room. A man needs to provide for his family and for some this is how they do it.
As long as you don’t get hurt, killed, divorced, or have your children or family suffer because of your absence, it really can be a pretty good deal!
1st Timothy 5:8
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