OT: Bad news for me!!!

wrassecal

Active Member

Originally posted by TheRock0861
And you can say what you want, but morale was low then and it is now that is the nature of the beast. Anyone who says they don't get a little mad about the situation has never really been there (in combat). Oh, by the way, combat isn't sitting on a ship and just being away from your family that is nothing more than a deployment like you said, combat is another story completely. You or anyone who bashes someone for what you call just missing home, is dead wrong and has no clue about fighting a war. There is so much you don't know and never will know and until you do, don't sit there from the warmth and comfort of your boats or living rooms and and pretend you know what combat is or ever question someone who does.

Squishy - it's like joining an exclusive club and then finding out the rules and regulations aren't exactly what you were expecting and the stakes are much higher. Some find strength and abilities they never knew they possessed. A few find they don't have what it takes. The fact is that unless you LIVE the experience you can not understand the experience. I live as a mom whose sons put their life on the line for all of us. I will never truly know my son's experience. The Rock, Tru Conch and all who are there are, in part, there so that we DON"T ever have to incorporate these experiences into our own life and our personal reality. Sometimes we just have to understand that we will never understand and be thankful to those who are making that possible.
 

lovethesea

Active Member
Wrassecal...you hit the nail on the head your first sentence. That is what my psychiatrist cousin has said many of the problems are.
Living as an enlisted person is something some of the guys and gals are not prepared for. The pay is terrible, its hard for their spouses to get a job due to child care issues, base housing is their only option and most of them are VERY young. Plus when you are fighting in a "not so popular" war they have to deal with all the problems that brings where ever they are. Even when they come home. He loses sleep at night for what they are going through, especially when they come home. He said the suicide rate in Alaska was astronomical on the base up there. He saw it beginning with the Gulf War.
Squishy, I don't think he was aiming at you, all those guys are just a little frustrated. Its "dirty pool" over there right now with no end in sight. They are getting their butts shot at hourly. Like I said earlier, my Dad cringes just a bit with this war. It has the earmarkings of Viet Nam. (in his opinion) We all just want our guys and gals to be safe at home where they belong, but for now we will just try to understand as I knew you were trying to understand in your posts also. (this was all said in a friendly tone btw ;) ) Thanks for fixing your last post :)
 

lovethesea

Active Member
yeah, its all good though.... :) I knew you didn't mean it :cool:
with mature people, cooler heads usually prevail.....
btw, I don't claim to be mature all of the time, only when I have to be. :D
 

jlem

Active Member
Originally posted by lovethesea
The pay is terrible,
I have to disagree here. The average enlisted does not have a college degree and is around 20. They get a roof over their heads and if they are married get money to live off base. Medical care is free for the whole family and the exchange is tax free. The average E-3 who is married living off base makes over 26 thousand a year easily and does not have to pay for medical. You get 30 days a year of paid vacation and if you deploy to certain places like Turkey you probably will get 1,000 bucks a month extra pay anyways. How many 20 year old kids are making that much money with that many benefits. An E-5 over 10 years living off base makes over 40,000 a year and that does not include clothing allowance or any perdiem that they get while being deployed which in some cases can approach 100 bucks a day extra.
I here all the time kids who just joined the military say how the pay sucks and they could be making so much more in the civilian world. The truth is is that they could not make more than that unless they stumbled into a one in a million chance job that pays a ton without a college degree or at least some experience ib the field they are in. There is a reason why the malls are full of 20 year old people making minimum wage with no medical coverage. It is because that is all that employers will pay high school graduates with no work experience.
 
T

therock0861

Guest
Squishy first let me apologize and say that I did not mean to be overly aggresive in my posts.(touchy subject). I am letting it go there. And JLEM what Navy are you in? You might want to research your last quote. The average E-3 qualifies for Food Stamps, but yet you say that they make good money. Where did the 26,000 dollar estimate come from and 40,000 dollars a year are you kidding? Man I should have joined the Navy. Have you ever been to combat? I am in Iraq and yes we get hazardous duty pay and Combat pay. However someone is lying to you my friend it is nowhere near 1,000 dollars extra and that is in a combat zone Turkey would be much less than that even. IMO you have lost all credibility and I am ending at that. As posted before I am done with this. Let's go reefing now. Whew
 

jlem

Active Member
Originally posted by TheRock0861
And JLEM what Navy are you in? You might want to research your last quote. The average E-3 qualifies for Food Stamps, but yet you say that they make good money. Where did the 26,000 dollar estimate come from and 40,000 dollars a year are you kidding? Man I should have joined the Navy. Have you ever been to combat? I am in Iraq and yes we get hazardous duty pay and Combat pay. However someone is lying to you my friend it is nowhere near 1,000 dollars extra and that is in a combat zone Turkey would be much less than that even. IMO you have lost all credibility and I am ending at that
E-3 over 2 years- 1442.00 base pay Area code 98277- 751.00 BAH
comrats- 240.00
These numbers are per month. If you times that by 12 months you get 29,196 dollars. That is alot of money for a 20 year old kid. If the E-3 is single living on base then he makes 17,000 a year with no bills. Food is free and medical is free. How many 20 year olds have 1,442.00 a month to just spend. That does not include clothing allowance or any perdiem which last year in Turkey I did get 1,100 a month extra. My numbers are right off the military site.
 
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