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

This is a ridiculous question (single Marine here). On top of the everyday duties you have as a single service member they have to provide for however many family members they have as well as be prepare to leave said family at a moments notice. More sacrifice = more benefits.

I was a single soldier and because my job was off of the main base out of fort campbell I was Abel to get bas.

Think about this junior...How do you keep good NCOs in the Army? I mean they get valuable skills and education, so what makes them stay and train all of the new soldiers? Now, I'm an Army General lets say...I've got a bunch of baby Privates just out of boot camp on their first enlistment. About 20-30% are probably go career, the rest are going to do four and say goodbye. On the other hand I've got my career NCOs who are working day in and day out taking care of those babies, bringing them up right, mentoring them, etc. Tell me, where is my priority? My priority is with my NCOs, keeping them happy so they continue doing the great job they are doing, and I know that soon, 20% or so of those babies will join the NCO ranks, grow up and have family too.

It's simple it's not just about you. You have others who rely on you directly. I'm not talking monetary either.

No other company that I know of pays you according to the size of your family. You get paid for the position you hold.... I think that's what he's getting at.

Feeding families would naturally be more expensive. SGT (Join to see)

I would like to respond to this one. I was Single for my entire 20yr career, that was my choice!! Those that are married with/without children are also made that choice. Coming from a single persons frame of mind, you have two people doing the same job, same experience, same time in rate.... their pay and benefits shoud be the same! Yes, it was my choice to remain single as was it was others to get married and have kids. They do not deserve nor should recieve additional benefits just because they are married. Their job has not changed, their military responsibilities have not changed... so why do they DESERVE more money. They don't. And as far as those supposed extra things provided by the military to single servicemembers, yeah, O.K. sure. They offer nothing to single servicemembers that are not also available to married servicemembers.

Married and Single Soldiers are paid the same, it is true that the total compensation is higher for a married Soldier while still active. If/ when retirement comes those compensation packages are exactly the same again. Except due to the married Soldiers life choices that retirement goes a much shorter distance over the single Soldiers.
When everyone signed up they were told that the army would provide food and shelter as part of the compensation package. Does a single Soldier require a 2 bedroom house? Probably not, but does a married Soldier with a child require that? Yes. The Army is fulfilling that obligation to provide shelter. As others have mentioned on-post housing cannot always accommodate all the families so they are provided BAH to find quarters on the economy.

Your local housing office should be able to provide you with the housing standards and per rank and show you what is available on post. When I was in fort hood, I stayed in the barracks until I was a SPC and then they sent me off post to find a place to live due to availability. When I moved to again I was back in the barracks. As I got promoted to E5 and E6 I was offered better barracks rooms (each time) at the same post as is stated in the local housing policy.

I had the same feelings about the inequity of the living conditions and lack of choice as to where I ate (I never ate at the DFAC), it is a part of the military that I had to accept. The DFACS provide employment for the 82G’s that will at some time have to do their job because there are no alternatives (field, deployment). This is not to say that if they are serving garbage and the hours suck that you have to suck it up, you do need to bring it up to your chain of command. If you can justify a need for separate rations your command can authorize them.

As others have stated BOSS is a good place to start because in addition to trips and occasional parties, they also meet with the garrison commander on a regular basis to bring up these issues. If nobody is participating in BOSS then nothing gets done to improve your situation because he doesn’t hear any different. You are just one person complaining, if you and all of your Soldiers use that time with the commander and like-minded Soldiers from other units you are no longer just one person complaining but a real issue.

Are kidding with this question? Service members receive more compensation because they have to take care of their dependents (food, housing, clothing, etc.) Generally speaking single sailors don't have all of those responsibilities. It's not about who is worth more. It's about making sure that soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who have dependents are given the resources necessary to take care of them.

Totally agree! This comes from the idea that benefits are not part of pay. On the civilian private sector side you'll hear folks discuss total compensation vs salary.