Posted on Jul 15, 2015
LTC Stephen F.
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I remember pay call while being stationed in Bamberg, Germany in the early 1980's. I think pay call was only used for forces stationed overseas [expect that includes all Navy vessels as well] where a choice of currency to receive your pay made sense. Pay call made sense when many service members did not have direct deposit for their salary. I don't know if pay call still exists and where it is used.

[Update July 19] I was an infantry training company commander in 1985 and 1986 so the soldiers under my command [IET soldiers] had pay call and I am pretty sure they were strongly encouraged to get direct deposit. I don't remember if the National Guard soldiers had to switch to direct deposit after they finished infantry one station unit training (OSUT) or if they were exempted because they were not going to be on active duty.

Images: Marines 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company Pay Call;

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Responses: 279
MAJ Van Chase
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When I was stationed in Germany pay call was with mail call. Our pay checks came in the mail. I remember one time our company had soldiers AWOL that would turn themselves in the day before checks came. They would get there checks from the mail room the go AWOL again.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
Thank you my friend MAJ Van Chase for responding and making us aware that when you were stationed in Germany at 2nd Battalion 13th Infantry, 8th ID, Coleman Barracks, Mannheim the check from the government actually was delivered by mail [so much for the old adage :-)
It is somewhat humorous that AWOL soldiers would come back to be paid only to go AWOL again [granted this was during the Cold War]
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PO2 Builder
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We had pay call.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
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Thank you my friend PO2 (Join to see) and making us aware that you had pay call. Did you have pay call after initial training?
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MSG Gilbert Berg
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Military pay call Formation at Ft. Eustis, VA 1953, we had mail clerk in France, 1954-56. Long time ago.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you my friend MSG Gilbert Berg for responding and making us aware that you remember pay call formation at Ft. Eustis, VA 1953, and you had a mail clerk in France, 1954-56.

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CW3 Michael Clifford
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I remember holding pay call at Fort Monroe and Fort Eustis. As an MP, we use to guard the payroll site and also the post pay from Finance & Accounting to the payroll sites.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you my friend CW3 Michael Clifford for responding and making us aware that you remember pay call formation at Fort Monroe and Fort Eustis. Thanks as well for letting us know that as an MP, you used to guard the payroll site and also the post pay from Finance & Accounting to the payroll sites.

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SPC Robert Bobo
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Yes, remember it well, pay master was typically one of the platoon LTs with a 45 and 1st Sgt, you were paid cash and you passed the line of charities asking for money as you left, almost have of my check went to a savings bond allotment
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you my friend SPC Robert Bobo for responding and making us aware you pay call formation very well and that your "pay master was typically one of the platoon LTs with a 45 and 1st Sgt, you were paid cash and you passed the line of charities asking for money as you left, almost have of my check went to a savings bond allotment."

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SFC William Farrell
SFC William Farrell
>1 y
SPC Robert Bobo We had one of guys performing guard for the paymaster and we were the MP's He wound up shooting himself in the foot with his 45. The hole in the concrete was there for the next several years we went to Fort Drum.
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SPC Gary Welch
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We had payday activities in gelnhausen Germany when I was stationed there in 89-91 consisted of class a inspection then the co and 1sgt would go over your financial situation briefly before they presented you with your les
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
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Thank you, my friend SPC Gary Welch for responding and making us aware that you "had payday activities in Gelnhausen, Germany when I was stationed there in 89-91 consisted of class a inspection then the co and 1sgt would go over your financial situation briefly before they presented you with your LES [Leave and Earning Statement].

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SFC Richard Williamson
SFC Richard Williamson
4 y
LTC Stephen F. - In Korea from 1973 til 1976, we had pay call, Class A in-ranks and barracks inspection and then reported to the pay officer at the rec center and got paid in "Monopoly Money", "MPC = Military Payment Certificates". Green backs "US $" weren't allowed until late 1975 or early 1976.
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SGT Diana Lewis
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I remember paycall in basic training last year of woman’s Army Corp in 1976 had Athena brass. Then in regular Army we had to get a checking account. When we were in the field in Germany I was in a medical unit and we had mail call because we would be in Grafenfeld for a couple weeks at a time
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you, my friend SGT Diana Lewis for responding and making us aware you remember "paycall in basic training last year of woman’s Army Corp in 1976 had Athena brass."
Then when you were in the "regular Army we had to get a checking account. When we were in the field in Germany I was in a medical unit and we had mail call because we would be in Grafenfeld for a couple weeks at a time"
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SFC Richard Williamson
SFC Richard Williamson
4 y
I also remember in the late 70s, while stationed at Ft Campbell, we went from paycall to payday activities, after inspections, and the Army made it mandatory for all troops to have direct deposit. What a nightmare!!!!! They made it so without training the young men and women how to handle checking accounts. I spent many hours with several of my mechanics, running down bounced checks.
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SPC Dwight Turner
SPC Dwight Turner
>1 y
during basic they had us get travelers checks !!!! drill sergants gave us envelopes we wrote our names on them they locked them up if allowed some time off which we had during memorial day 3 days let us leave stood formation while the called out our names !!!! made us more responsible for earning our pay
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COL David Turk
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Definitely remember it in basic training in early ‘72, and the various “collections” at the next table. Was a pay officer in Germany in the late 70’s. Long lines at finance to pick up money. One time was notable in that I was standing next to another 2Lt who sounded like a sad sack. Sure enough, about 15 minutes into his conversation with another 2Lt in front of him, he volunteers that he was passed over for 1LT!
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
Thank you COL David Turk for responding and making us aware that you definitely remember [pay call] in basic training in early ‘72, and the various “collections” at the next table' and that you were "a pay officer in Germany in the late 70’s. Long lines at finance to pick up money."
It is interesting to me that the 'sad sack' 2LT was passed over for promotion to 1LT. I knew one officer like that in 1982 in Bamberg.
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MAJ Michael Cummings
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I only had pay call a couple of times when I first came into the military and it was at Camp All American at Ft. Bragg in '94.
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1SG James Kelly
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Was a payroll guard a few times.
Best (most fun) time was when i did it with my M60 machinegun and a 100 round box.
Scared the shit out of a bunch of people.
;)
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
Thank you 1SG James Kelly for responding and making us aware that you were a payroll guard a few times [in your younger enlisted days, I expect] I am not surprised when you performed pay guard with an M-60 7.62MM machine gun with a 100-round box you got soldier's attention. Was it a bipod mount or holding it at your hip? :-)
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1SG James Kelly
1SG James Kelly
>1 y
Hip with a strap over my shoulder.
Hey if you can't have fun on the job, get another one.

;)
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