Why do Service Members with dependents deserve greater benefits, entitlements, and quality of life than single Service Members?

SGT (Join to see)

"My point is that married soldiers get these extra pay and allowances because the Army in its great and powerful wisdom decided that if you single they are gonna feed and house you. While if you're married then your gonna have to pay up. That bein the case then they give these married soldiers extra to cover it(barely)"

This restates the issue. It doesn't not explain/justify it.

Yeah but remember that we CHOSE to get married. Families aren't issued in boot camp. I hear what you're both saying but you can't hold that over a single service member. There was no law requiring me to get married.

Your room and board is is included. You do not receive pay extra to live in barracks. You want BAG etc., fine. Expect to pay for your quarters, food and medical.

Sgt William Margeson - Yes thats correct. You do not receive extra pay to live in the barracks. But with no bills, a barracks person will have more money than a non barracks person.

The fairness of this is that everyone has the ability to get these allowances.

And it doesn't matter what we think, its the way it is. This comes up all the time and it never changes because it is touted that we are 'harming the troops and vets'. Search for the RallyPoint discussion about removing the double BAH for dual-military. You'll see what I mean.

And SGT (Join to see) , I urge you to continue your research and look into the school systems and crime rates as possible metrics for your analysis as well. I live in Columbia county so my kids can go to the best academic public school in the state. We also have the lowest crime rate and little to no sexual predators. The cost of this is higher rent.

CW5 (Join to see) Sir, If everybody looked at things like...

"And it doesn't matter what we think, its the way it is."

...nothing anywhere would ever be changed from what it currently is. I understand that this has likely been brought up before...and that it may need to be brought up again, maybe a hundred times, before there is any change, IF there ever is.

I would venture to guess that minority, female, homosexual, and most recently transgendered Service Members, are probably glad that some people disagree with "And it doesn't matter what we think, its the way it is."

I got you, SSG (Join to see) , but RallyPoint, while being a discussion forum, is not the way things get changed. Writing to Congressmembers is the solution.
Congress will not get involved though as it would be extremely expensive.

That all said, BAH is not in violation of the Constitution whereas the examples you posted were civil rights.

CW5 (Join to see) Understood, Sir. As I point out elsewhere in this thread, my participation in these threads is some combination of a) recreational for entertainment, b) research for building a future case should I decide to officially press an issue, and c) educational for learning other people's perspectives.

No, mine came before the military. Thanks for the old school stereotype though. PO3 Donald Murphy

SPC Christopher Nace - Its still true tho. The military doesn't care past us. Our families are on the back burner. Didn't mean to come across as insulting. When joining, your benefits are laid out to you. You read them and based on what you're reading, you make the decision if its worth your while to join. Right? I was single when I joined but was engaged. So I knew I'd be a married sailor at some point. I was also an Air Force brat so I had grown up in the PX, Commissary, Base Housing and knew that this would be a great lifestyle to have a family.

But I also knew people who turned down military life because (at the time) it didn't pay close to what they'd need to support a family. Had I been married I could not have afforded to come in as I knew the Navy did not have base housing at most bases. The only time the Navy 100% guaranteed cared about my wife was when it came close to me reenlisting. Suddenly she was the center of command's attention. Not sure how it is for you now, but when I was in, wives did not get dental or vision.

As I was a sub sailor, they broke rules for us as they realized (quite wisely) that if momma's not happy, sailor's not happy. So our wives were allowed free dental that normal military wives weren't. Not sure if its still that way, but if you go back in time to 1985 and look at how much you were paid and how much dental insurance for your wife was, its amazing how people made ends meet. My base pay in 1989 was $1200 (I think) a paycheck as a married sailor! Had it not been for all my special pays (sub, sea, fsa, etc), I'd have been in the poor house.

PO3 Donald Murphy - Wives are covered pretty well as far as I've seen for medical and dental care. With my job I think it is important to make sure the member has a happy family or it shows on their performance. Base pay for me now isn't enough for me to be comfortable. I don't know too many that are and it's sad since I joined to get away from the broke/poor mentality way of life. And no I didn't take it as insulting, I got thicker skin that that... I have more marines in the family than anything else so I'm used to and appreciate the older sayings

SPC Christopher Nace - I hear ya. Back in my day you were stupid to shop anywhere else as the BX/NX/PX and commissary beat all prices. Now, its just not as competetive anymore. I couldn't be in now, tho my pay would be more than it was back then...

Nope. Navy.

Is see your point, but my greatest frustration comes from two fronts. I am not able to have access to my personal firearms out of duty hours, and I can't keep them over the weekend because I can't have them in my quarters. The concequence is that my guns collect rust and I can't use them. Also, it I have been eating DFAC food for too many years and it isn't very safe, let alone healthy. I would be far better off if I were able to feed myself on my schedule. I am an athlete, I am training during dinner hours and I have to just eat (no pun intended) that cost of food.

Well, sir, it really sounds like that E-6 should have gotten a lawyer. Also, if he had gotten his BAS (at today's compensation rates anyway), he would have been left with $380 instead of $20, and he could have use that money any way he saw fit, including food.

Mind telling where one can rent a place to live for $380.

CSM Chuck Stafford Indeed it is, CSM. Well played. I stand by my statement, though, because I wasn't bitching "just" because it's tradition.

SSG (Join to see) Of course you weren't. :-) Regarding your posited cost neutral suggestion, the Army's budget isn't based on the number of soldiers it has in it, but rather national security requirements. Those requirements in turn drive the numbers. So which security requirements/missions get cut to put more compensation towards the soldiers? That's a tough nut that gets fought annually -- get involved with your favored lobby group and vote accordingly - My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind—accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my Soldiers -- Stay Army Strong

SSG (Join to see) Just got back from a run -- maybe the compensation should come from a tranche of money other than DoD. As the military has been levied to do nation building, an inherently DoS function, the money should be redirected to the folks asked to do that mission...but alas the decision is echelons above echelons and the politicians all have their rice bowls to protect -- but kudos, you got me thinking...

I think just leaving the people the hell alone would be a fix. I guess we're just party-centric in the Navy. Never had a barracks inspection. AT ALL. There was one just-getting-out guy in an office downstairs to report broken fridge, leaky roof, etc, but no one ever came in. We had alc and everything in our rooms. We also had a few guys with weapons. Nothing extravagent, but there was one guy with two pearl handled six shooters, holster and full rig. Not sure why the Army feels it needs to be 24X7 dickhead.

My feelings are "you're off work - be off work." Each Charleston Navy Base barracks had x number of car spots so we could have cars if we wanted to. We also had an assigned duty/liberty van.