serviceman's pay [long]

[willyslover]

this was on a long time ago. . but... good time to see again



This is a Great Letter!



This Airman's response to the Washington Times should be printed in all

newspapers across America. Especially now when the President is calling

up

more Reserves and National Guardsmen. Get this response out to everyone

you

know. It's time the Jane Fonda's & Sean Penn's of this country wise up

and

support the troops that defend them.



Military pay article



On 12 Nov, Ms Cindy Williams (edited out . . thanks Hohn for info) wrote a

piece for the Washington Times, denouncing the pay raise(s) coming

service

members' way this year -- citing that the stated 13% wage was more than

they deserve. A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article

below.

He ought to get a bonus for this!



"Ms Williams:



I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GIs earn enough"

and I

am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment

is

going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between

DFAS

(The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account.

Checking

my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117. 80 before taxes.

After taxes, I take home $874. 20. When I run that through the

calculator, I

come up with an annual salary of $13,413. 60 before taxes, and $10,490. 40

after.



I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the

team

responsible for a 5,000-host computer network. I am involved with

infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A

quick

check under jobs for Network Technicians in the Washington, D. C. area

reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years experience

with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413. 60 a year. No,

this

job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum. I'm sure you can

draw

the obvious conclusions.



Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you have NEVER had

the

pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces. Before you take it

upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership

for

attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off

of

WIC, and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying

soldiers

headed for AFGHANISTAN, I leave the choice of service branch up to you.

Whatever choice you make, though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it

will

guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and

friends,

thus giving you full "deployment experience. "



As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses

and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care

to

note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to

make

ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone -- obviously they've

been

squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving

them.

Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are

perennial favorites.



And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering

against the cold desert night; and the flight sergeant tells you that

there

aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this:

trade

whatever MRE (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle

casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This

gives

some flavor.



Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't nearly

be

long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful

for

it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the

points you present in your op-ed piece.



But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will defend to the death your right to say

it.

You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your

First Amendment rights and every other right you cherish. On a daily

basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and

people

like you can thumb your collective nose at us, all on a salary that is

nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most

people

cringe.



We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we

can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies. And you, Ms

Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve?

Rubbish!



A1C Michael Bragg, Hill AFB AFNCC"



IF YOU AGREE, PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND

SHOW

OUR SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN FIGHTING MEN AND WOMEN. THANK YOU.



THIS LETTER SHOULD BE APPLAUDED BY ANYONE WHO HAS EVER SERVED OR HAD A

FAMILY MEMBER SERVE IN THE ARMED FORCES! THIS YOUNG MAN DESERVES A

MEDAL!

 

[Hohn]

just to clarify..

Yes, the original article was written by a Cindy Williams, but NOT the one from laverne and Shirley. That's an urban legend.



If you want to read what she originally wrote, do a google search for "Our GIs earn enough"-- you should find it.



Just another underpaid GI... .

 

[Champane Flight]

New age military

In 1970 the wage for a E-1 private coming into the Army was $99. 00 a month. My first paycheck after taxes and saving bond deductions was $44. 00. The big difference was that everything was paid! I had clothes, food, medical, dental, and lodgeing. All paid for. We also had KP, the food was made, served, and cleaned up by the military (and probably much better according to Grand daughter in AF). The barracks were cleaned, vehicles maintained, grounds maintained, and everything was done by us. This was a self supporting machine.



Now (correct me if I am wrong Hohn) we have civilians do the cooking and charge for it. We have grounds keepers, civilians running motorpool, and road maintained by same. This is a very disturbing trend, it happened in big buisness to. In our company we used to service our on vehicles, get our oil direct from the company, and pump our own gas from OUR tanks. Now everything is bought from local jobber, which is not cheap. How can this be cost effective?



The real beef is that the military personel have to pay for their own uniforms, meals, ect. Most don't want to live on post because barracks/military housing are run down. I think we should give the military back to the military.

 

[willyslover]

"The real beef is that the military personel have to pay for their own uniforms, meals, ect. Most don't want to live on post because barracks/military housing are run down. I think we should give the military back to the military. "...



100% agree with that statement... guess there is hope for us yet CF...

 

[TomGolden]

When I was a lowly E-2 in the Army in the mid 1980's, I was earning I think ~$750/month before taxes. Yes, we did get a once a year uniform allowance, which was in the neighborhood of ~$150 (for me, at least). Free food, medical, housing, etc. The bases I was stationed at did have large number of civilian contractors running all the mess halls, PX, movie theaters, EM clubs, you name it. We at least did run the motor pool, as I was in maintenance units that did, among other duties, operate the motor pool.



Yeah... the Services pay oh-so well for the risks involved... . I make significantly more than probably 90% of all Service men and women today, both enlisted and Officer ranks, but in my daily life now I have never faced even the slightest realistic possibility of somebody trying to kill me, or any other physical harm. The military, like law enforecment and similar type occupations have never paid what they are truly worth, and sadly, likely never will.



Tom

 

[wcaldwell]

When I joined the Air Force in Sep '72, my gross pay was $144/month. Then with the housing and rations allowances added, I was getting right at $275 a month. Not too bad for a family of four. But we survived.



There was no way in hell we would have considered food stamps or any other assistance. It would have brought disgrace on our First Sergeant, Commander, and Unit.

 

[Hohn]

I agree with CF, though I may hate myself for saying it... J/K



The trend to contract everything out has had a really negative side effect that few of our senior leaders have noticed. It has creaqted this attitude that certain things are "beneath" some of our troops. They have a real attitude.



Even though it was only 9 years ago, when I was enlisted, we had GI parties and such, and we did our own floors, cleaned all our own stuff etc. .



Now, everywhere you look there is a contracted vendor to do everything from cut grass to empty trash. Why?



The answer is that it's another form of welfare. It gives a menial job to those people who lack the skill and motivation to go get a better job. Most of the cleaning people are Goodwill, and I don't have a prablem with that, but ALL the people doing other jobs are PERFECTLY capable of doing something else.



People don't like the military, but the love their local military base because they know that all the gov't handouts (i. e. jobs for minorities etc) will be flowing freely.



I think the AF is the worst for this, and I wonder how a troop is going to handle combat if they can't handle emptying their own trash.



HOHN