Posted on May 23, 2016
SFC Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
1.1K
4
10
I've not formulated all aspects of this in my head. I want to open up the idea of our pay divide, especially among our young troops.

$15 an hour in California and New York for minimum wage
Salaried workers that now go over 40 hours a week will get time and half (there are some "special" rules to this)
$15 an hour will get someone $2400 month
Our junior Soldiers start $1556- $1756 month
This is a duplicate discussion. Click below to see more on this topic.
SPC(P) Information Security (Is) Analyst
I keep seeing people posting about Military wages to a $15 an hour minimum wage. Is this even a valid argument?

Typo in title *argument
Responses: 4
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
They are incomparable concepts.

The Military is on a "different" pay system than Hourly or even Salary. We're on a Salary PLUS Benefits/Allowances System which makes it impossible to directly compare the systems.
SSG Supply Sergeant (S4)
SSG (Join to see)
>1 y
Agreed. Not only is BAH and BAS not factored into that figure, along with full medical which is not universal, neither are taxed so add at least 1 1/3 times your BAH to your real income.
SFC Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
SFC (Join to see)
>1 y
BAH/BAS are only there as compensation for now offering accommodations. Soldiers in the barracks with a meal card get neither.
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
>1 y
SFC (Join to see) - Barracks = BAH. It's "administrative." Rather than being paid so that you can find Housing, you are directly provided Housing. Same net effect. You still have a roof over your head and 3 squares a day.
SFC Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
SFC (Join to see)
>1 y
Also pulled hundreds to thousands a miles away from your family to barracks in Japan/Korea or where ever your "New Uncle" wants you to lay your head. The military structure holds a little over 1 million active and reserve in uniform, and then DoD provides, the world's largest civilian employer, offers 5-6 million jobs. The population of New York is about 20 million.
I think health insurance should come with the job, as not many employers would expect me to clean large motor pool oil drums or run in burning tanks to pull others out without some type of "coverage". It keeps the government from being sued from all the injuries that happen.
CSM Michael Chavaree
If you pay minimum wage you recruit minimum wage talent. We put the pressure/guilt on each other to accept our pay and drive on ("you volunteered") but that mentality doesnt recruit talent either. There is definitely room for improvement in my opinion.
CPT Joseph K Murdock
Junior soldiers also get free medical care, food money, and pay nothing to stay in the barracks.
SFC Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
SFC (Join to see)
>1 y
I think health insurance should come with the job, as not many employers would expect me to clean large motor pool oil drums or run in burning tanks to pull others out without some type of "coverage". It keeps the government from being sued from all the injuries that happen.
People in the barracks generally do not get more then a meal card with prescribed hours to eat, and we're not housing the homeless here. The services are taking people out of their homes and neighborhoods, and telling them to almost reinvent themselves and go and be where the services want you. "To protect the interest of the nation at a moments call."
I'm just thinking that the sacrifices are all on the individual's hands that is getting involved and hopefully bettering themselves.
It's disheartening to see my past Soldiers and Service Member todaystruggle to provide/assist family while being able to take a vacation once a year. Comparing this to someone that can go and come as they please that operates a toll booth making $15 an hour.

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