Military pay freeze

[MA2]

Do I want you to work for free? Of course not.

Personally, I wouldn't mind the military taking a pay cut or being forced to show up for free.

Riiiiight.

Don't assume just because I'm an MA that "my job has gone to private security." I've never done a single day as law enforcement. Duty every three days? Oh no!

It's funny how this country spends trillions on medicaid, social security, welfare, unemployment and other so called "entitlement programs," but you want me to work for free because I can just "dip in to my emergency fund." We're not asking for anything exorbitant, we just want to be paid for duties performed.

[SRT12]

Look the military gives people jobs with no experience or training. You don't have to do a resume and a couple of years ago would take anyone. Its alittle harder to get in now. The military will make sure that you get food and shelter. Pay freeze sucks but every service member should be able to adapt like using savings or spending less. If your living paycheck to paycheck thats risk that catches up with you. Worse things can happen like stoploss or called back to duty IMO. Im sure if a pay freeze happens everyone will get back paid.

[BG155MM]

The military has made up less than 2% of the United States entire population. We go over seas to protect your rights and even your civilian employers rights to purchase his wife a high profile vehicle. We leave our children, wives, parents, brothers and sisters for what? So the very people we protect can spit on us in these forums and talk all this smack about what we deserve... Well every Soldier, Airman, Seaman and Marine deserves what they are entitled to after 20 years plus of service. As said in another posting "this day and age" some of us have been deployed multiple times seen brothers and sisters in arms killed by bullets fired from insurgents or IED's placed on routes in Iraq and Afghanistan or anywhere else we are in the world. What do you do for your country as a civilian? What will you do when this Pay Freeze takes effect? Thats right you will continue to get paid for pushing papers, slamming a hammer or even playing a professional sport. You talk as if we are asking for a lot, all we are asking for is to be paid for what we do to keep you free to argue with us in these forums. Everyone that believes we should just suck it up and quit complaining about it makes me sick. What if US service members were able to up and quit? Your rights would all be pulled as another super power takes over and dictates the way you dress or what your profession will be ect. Think about what the troops go through what we put up with and what we LOSE to keep you free.
Oh.... For the guy who said that said it was our choice to put "Property of the USA" stamp on our butt, well yeah your right it was our choice. But guess what we are willing to do what 98% of the United States is NOT willing to do. I say again.... You make me sick... :puke:

[kimaya24]

Personally, I wouldn't mind the military taking a pay cut or being forced to show up for free. Does it sound horrible? Yes. Does it sound like I'm being inconsiderate? Yes sir. I've done my time and have had my fair share good days and crappy days. Military members do not pay for health care for themselves and their dependents. You can serve 20 years and collect half your paycheck, while getting another job that pays the same and more. Double dipping? Mmmm. I know a bunch of guys that served 20 years, get half their old paycheck, continue to work for another company, and then receive a small check from the VA. MA2, it sucks but everyone else out here is suffering even worse than what you are facing. Sure, if you don't show up for duty, you risk being UA and going to NJP. As for the subsequent discharge, the worst you can get is a general under honorable conditions but I'm guessing that you've already have re-enlisted, so you've got that honorable discharge under your belt to use when you leave. Also, when you leave the service, you get your GI bill (which the post 9-11 bill is great by the way). You can also leach off the system with unemployment and still collect your GI bill. Granted, you won't make as much as you did while serving, but a hefty monthly payment. Hmmm. Gets me thinking. Do other countries reward our nation's military like we do? Perhaps a handful. Anywho, the entire country is on a pay freeze, including my salary. So, do I wish to find articles and start to post my comments? Not at all. I do need to make changes to my budget and continue to live within my means. Can't say our finest in uniform are doing or planning the same.

Larry

Not that I have hate or discontent with our military but there needs to be a mutual understanding here. We can't freeze cilivian pays while continuing to give enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses, annual pay raises, sea pay, propay, etc, etc. Meet us halfway here. I'm appreciative of your service but please don't look for a shoulder cry on in this day and age.

1. Active Duty member do pay for healthcare. Yes, it is way cheaper than what most pay, but they do pay something and it's an HMO plan, so you can only go to doctor's/ hospitals that accept it.
2. Yes, they get paid a retirement after 20 years of service; however, civilian government employees have a similar plan as well as many private sector jobs as well.
3. Yes, Soldiers are entitled to GI Bill, but they must contribute to this plan to particpate. Soldiers were contributing, but not using the program and the fund was growing, so the post 9/11 GI Bill extended coverage to dependents. Having said that, many companies will pay their employees to go to school. I used to work at a Credit union and they would pay for you to go to school like a loan. They pay for your school and if you work there for 2 years after your classes end they pay the loan off; if you leave before then, the amount you owe is prorated.
4. Yes the benefits are great, but so are the risks; they are also volunteering to risk their life. Thousands have never made it home and thousands more come home with life altering injuries. Yes they volunteered, but would you rather have a non-volunteer Army??

I don't agree with the politicians getting rich and giving money to bail out banks that go under because they were doing bad business, but they want to cut/ freeze the pay of Soldiers?? Especially during wartime?? Sorry, but that's not a good idea. The military is already having a hard enough time getting people to join/ stay in the military. Who wants to have a non-volunteer Army with reduced benefits on top of that??? I think they should freeze the pay of all politicians before they freeze the pay of military personnel.

Also, saying Soldiers can "leach" off the governemnt while collecting GI Bill, well how many non-Soldiers are out there that are professional students. The government gives them money for school and they use it to live off of and take advantage of government programs; I'm sure that Soldiers make up a very minute portion of Americans taking advantage of the government. No one's looking for a shoulder to cry on, but my thing is, freezing the military's pay should be a last resort for the sake of an all volunteer Army and the morale of those serving right now. Plus, freezing civilian pay and Soldier pay are 2 totally different things....freezing civilian pay is an alternative to laying them off (which I would rather have my pay frozen than to lose my job!) and civilians aren't risking their lives. Also, anyone that likes the benefits Soldiers get have the same opportunity to join the military and receive the same benefits, but trust me is 20 years active duty is NOT an easy task....having to stay in shape, physical training tests 2x a year, military schools that can last for months, attenting trainings and conferences, working drill weekends and annual training, being sent on multiple deployments, etc. If you don't want to do that, fine, but don't be salty because someone else puts in their time and reaps the benefits.

[kimaya24]

Personally, I wouldn't mind the military taking a pay cut or being forced to show up for free.

Forced to show up for free? Ummm, this is America remember, slavery ended years ago. The contract is that the Soldier performs their duty and gets paid in return. So if the contract is broken by Soldiers not getting paid, then it should be okay for them to just not show up right? Then, when they don't show up, the government can come and call you and force you to serve for minimal or no pay....right?

Also, do you really think it's smart to not pay Soldiers? If they don't get paid and are "forced" to work for free, how long do you think it will be before they start working with the enemy, sabotaging missions, and selling confidential/ top secret information for money putting the entire country at risk? Hmmm, great idea! NOT!!

[MA2]

Also, do you really think it's smart to not pay Soldiers? If they don't get paid and are "forced" to work for free, how long do you think it will be before they start working with the enemy, sabotaging missions, and selling confidential/ top secret information for money putting the entire country at risk? Hmmm, great idea! NOT!!

Just because we aren't getting paid doesn't mean we'll commit treason and sell secrets to China. It seems you don't have much faith in us.

[kimaya24]

Just because we aren't getting paid doesn't mean we'll commit treason and sell secrets to China. It seems you don't have much faith in us.

It's not about having faith in the military, it's about common sense. My husband has been on active duty for 17 years and I know as well as you probably do that there are good and not so great Soldiers. My point is that the likelihood of someone doing things they're not supposed to will go up if Soldiers aren't getting paid. Also, once that hits the news that Soldiers aren't getting paid there will be more attempts to get information.

If someone is in combat going on convoys everyday putting their life at risk and the government doesn't care enough to even pay them and they're worried if their family at home can pay the bills and eat because they're not getting paid, that's a risk. Do I think ALL or most Soldiers will commit treason.. absolutely not. But you always have those few that will be tempted to do the wrong thing, which can happen any, but the probability goes way up if they're not getting paid.

Maybe sabatoging missions and selling top secret information is a bit far fetched, but I would definately worry about small breaches in security that could add up to big trouble. For example, someone goes up to a struggling E4 that stays in trouble, doesn't really care about their job or the military, and is probably on their way out and offers to give them $10,000 for the code to a building or a gate and they're thinking well hey, I'm not getting paid anyway so sure. Bottom line, to force the military to work for free especially during wartime would be like shooting yourself in the foot...but the government knows that which is why it will never happen.