Posted on May 18, 2014
Why does the Army discriminate against single soldiers?
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First let me say I am biased in my opinion since I am a single soldier. The Army stacks the deck against single soldiers, in a variety of ways. There are standards that single soldiers are forced to obey that married soldiers are not. Purely just because of their marriage.
Housing is my personal biggest area of concern being a single soldier. I am a 27 yr old college graduate. I get the same "rights" in my living quarters that a single 17/18 yr old straight out of high-school would get. If that same soldier is married, they get considerably more freedom, pay, and budget control than I do.
I as a single soldier get no say in where I live. At my current duty station the BAH for my rank and dependent status (Single, E-4) would be $1,068. So I essentially pay $1,068 dollars a month to live in the barracks. The barracks I live in have two separate bedrooms, with a common kitchen and bathroom area. Since there are two soldiers in each little barracks apartment, we collectively pay $2,136 a month for this set up. That is FAR more then what a similar apartment style would cost in the surrounding communities. If single soldiers were allowed to have BAH and live where they choose we could potentially save several hundred dollars a month by controlling our living expenses. That's not including the approximately $300 a month we are forced to pay for the DFACs.
There is also the issue of furniture in the barracks. Again we have no say, we get whatever the Army already has in the room. Personally I would love to have an actual nice mattress, instead of these cheap plastic blue ones.
Barracks inspections. I can't stand barracks inspections. The inspections are completely up to the person doing them and what they "think" the standard should be. One inspection your could be fine, the next one your getting lectured about how to make a bed. Last summer I had to write a 2 page paper for an LT about personal standards in the barracks. All because my bed didn't have hospital corners. (That morning when I get up I tossed my blanket off to the right of me, where it was just sorta crunched up against the wall running the length of my bed.) If I want to know what I am allowed to have and not have in my room, I have to read three different policy letters to find out. Division could allow something, Brigade could say no, and then Battalion have nothing about it at all. I get that lower commands are allowed to restrict privileges as they see fit. I'm just saying it's cumbersome to have to read three different levels policy to find out what is what.
It annoys me that I have to have periodic inspections(currently every morning before PT for my company) while married soldiers receive no inspections just because they are married. I get that they have a family, I just don't see why that should stop a squad leader from making a planned, announced, and visual walk-through of the house of the married soldier. Keeping the same standard of living as a single soldier should be part of the military life.
Meal Deductions. I don't think the DFACs are worth the $300 a month I have to pay. I hate having to "play" the "I am a Meal Card Holder" card to get lunch sometimes during work. It's usually followed by a married soldier saying "I'm working thru lunch, you don't see me bitching about wanting to leave for food". True. However when we miss our lunch it's gone. The money we paid is gone rather we ate that meal or not. Married people if they bring their lunch it'll still be there later. If they eat out, then well that's just money they didn't spend that day. They can use it tomorrow to get twice as much for lunch or eat somewhere more expensive depending on their budget.
We get no say in what sounds good for dinner. It's whatever the DFAC has. Sometimes that means either fried or grilled chicken. If they run out of one thing, it'll be whatever they have left. It's not right. It leaves married people with control over their diet and single soldiers with whatever the Army needed to clean out of the fridge.
The above is just Big Army things, the discrimination continues all the way down to the company level. At my company single soldiers who live in the barracks are not allowed to park in the lot in front of the company. Now our barracks is approximately 3/4 mile down the road. Our motor pool is another 3/4 mile the other direction. I find it silly that an entire parking lot is reserved for married people. Sure single soldiers can drive to work, but we have to park in the barracks across the street. Which is not the barracks we live in. Married people can't park in that same lot if the one in front of company is full? To a point I can understand the reasoning behind this, but single soldiers have to leave and run here and there just like our married counter-parts. Why should they get special parking treatment? I don't see anyone stopping married people from using the barracks washers and dryers to avoid buying their own/going to coin laundry mats. Why are married people allowed to dip their hands in our honey and slap ours away from theirs?
Like I said from the start I'm biased. I look over the fence and see greener grass. Perhaps this is all just one single soldier bitching and complaining.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Update FEB 2019: Since I originally posted this message, I have gotten married. My view on the subject has not changed. I want to respond to some of the overarching themes in everyone responses.
“Quit bitching/whining/complaining.” I feel there is a difference between logically laying out issues and grievances and just bitching about them. The number of leaders who contributions on this post/topic amounted to “quit saying words” is disheartening.
“Get married/Army will issue you a wife.” Saying to get married just to move out of the barracks is a failure of leadership. Those of you (in my opinion) with that mentally should reconsider what you do/did and what your job is/was. As a former Infantry NCO I have dealt with the countless issues that arise when a soldier quickly marries someone for the wrong reason (example: get out of the barracks). The domestic issues, spouse calling in to the Staff Duty, soldier isn’t training because of counseling/FAP/court/Divorce related nonsense, greatly diminishes readiness which the last I checked the Army still considers to be pretty important.
“I had more money/I wish I was back in the barracks/ but but bills! etc.” Bull. I wish I could challenge anyone who says that to actually prove it. As stated, I am married now. I have more money, flexibility, and financial freedom then I did as a single E-4. Now some of that is because I’m a higher rank. Part of it is because I use BAH as intended to cover housing/bills, my BAS for food, and having the control over how much I spend on those two items is very important. Also, my spouse works. I have come to realize that is less than common for married soldiers in the Army. However, I would argue that getting married and not having both spouses working is a decision that you made going in to it. I’m not arguing/stating if it’s the right or wrong choice. It’s what you decided worked for ya’ll. To me it’s the equivalent of a private going out and buying that 23% interest Mustang then complaining about how much money it costs and how he used to have it so much better without that car payment. If you choose (by getting married/having kids) to feed/house/care for additional people (spouse/kids) and yet do nothing to increase your income than yeah…you’ll have less money. That is a very poor argument for what the original post was about.
a. Hopefully ^above^ I’ve made my point clear and concise seems a little muddy to me, I guess we shall see in future comments.
“Move off post.” That’s not an option. Well I guess it is, however single soldiers still have to maintain the barracks room they get assigned, they still wouldn’t get the BAH entitlement, and they would have to still pay the DFAC out of their BAS. Do I need to continue on the ignorance of that statement? Sure, there’s a packet you can submit and ask to receive those allowances, I’ve only ever seen get accepted once and that was when my BDE changed from Light to Armored, only for E-5s, and it was suggested only if they were on orders and would be PCS’ing soon anyhow. They wanted non-PCS’ing E-5s still in the barracks. I don’t recall if I stated it in my original post but that unofficial additional duty of being an NCO at the barracks is crap. “You’re an NCO at the barracks keep everyone in line down there after work and on weekends”, thought that’s what CQ was for. I’ll also comment on the “single people off post would party to much/be late to formation/traffic at the gates/ get in trouble in town more” line of nonsense. It’s ignorant. Along with the “paying dues” comments.
Veterans- I appreciate you are still active in the boarder military community, and recognize that your time in the service paved the way for what we did/do/have accomplished today. However, pointing out how things were worse yesterday compared today and to “suck it up” is lazy. There is no reason we can’t keep pointing out things today to make tomorrow even better. I’m sure there is crap I can’t even fathom that ya’ll dealt with back in the 60s, 80s, and what have you that were fixed because of people continuing to bring the issue up.
Lastly, I’ve enjoyed reading the varied amount of responses everyone has on the topic. If mine come off as aggressive or across the line it was not my intention. When I posted the original stuff above 4+ almost 5 years ago I never expected it to get attention and still receive emails notifications years later. I’m fairly sure I’ve read 90% of the comments because Rally Point sends me an email every time someone comments. No I did not add that picture at the top, it’s the website. Sorry if you clicked on a Rally Point ad somewhere that linked to this post only to see it’s from 2014. I don’t control those. It’s the website. Yes I’m sure there are a few grammar and spelling errors. If you point it out at the beginning of a comment, I’m more likely to see it and correct the issue. Cheers to several more years of being told why I’m wrong.
Housing is my personal biggest area of concern being a single soldier. I am a 27 yr old college graduate. I get the same "rights" in my living quarters that a single 17/18 yr old straight out of high-school would get. If that same soldier is married, they get considerably more freedom, pay, and budget control than I do.
I as a single soldier get no say in where I live. At my current duty station the BAH for my rank and dependent status (Single, E-4) would be $1,068. So I essentially pay $1,068 dollars a month to live in the barracks. The barracks I live in have two separate bedrooms, with a common kitchen and bathroom area. Since there are two soldiers in each little barracks apartment, we collectively pay $2,136 a month for this set up. That is FAR more then what a similar apartment style would cost in the surrounding communities. If single soldiers were allowed to have BAH and live where they choose we could potentially save several hundred dollars a month by controlling our living expenses. That's not including the approximately $300 a month we are forced to pay for the DFACs.
There is also the issue of furniture in the barracks. Again we have no say, we get whatever the Army already has in the room. Personally I would love to have an actual nice mattress, instead of these cheap plastic blue ones.
Barracks inspections. I can't stand barracks inspections. The inspections are completely up to the person doing them and what they "think" the standard should be. One inspection your could be fine, the next one your getting lectured about how to make a bed. Last summer I had to write a 2 page paper for an LT about personal standards in the barracks. All because my bed didn't have hospital corners. (That morning when I get up I tossed my blanket off to the right of me, where it was just sorta crunched up against the wall running the length of my bed.) If I want to know what I am allowed to have and not have in my room, I have to read three different policy letters to find out. Division could allow something, Brigade could say no, and then Battalion have nothing about it at all. I get that lower commands are allowed to restrict privileges as they see fit. I'm just saying it's cumbersome to have to read three different levels policy to find out what is what.
It annoys me that I have to have periodic inspections(currently every morning before PT for my company) while married soldiers receive no inspections just because they are married. I get that they have a family, I just don't see why that should stop a squad leader from making a planned, announced, and visual walk-through of the house of the married soldier. Keeping the same standard of living as a single soldier should be part of the military life.
Meal Deductions. I don't think the DFACs are worth the $300 a month I have to pay. I hate having to "play" the "I am a Meal Card Holder" card to get lunch sometimes during work. It's usually followed by a married soldier saying "I'm working thru lunch, you don't see me bitching about wanting to leave for food". True. However when we miss our lunch it's gone. The money we paid is gone rather we ate that meal or not. Married people if they bring their lunch it'll still be there later. If they eat out, then well that's just money they didn't spend that day. They can use it tomorrow to get twice as much for lunch or eat somewhere more expensive depending on their budget.
We get no say in what sounds good for dinner. It's whatever the DFAC has. Sometimes that means either fried or grilled chicken. If they run out of one thing, it'll be whatever they have left. It's not right. It leaves married people with control over their diet and single soldiers with whatever the Army needed to clean out of the fridge.
The above is just Big Army things, the discrimination continues all the way down to the company level. At my company single soldiers who live in the barracks are not allowed to park in the lot in front of the company. Now our barracks is approximately 3/4 mile down the road. Our motor pool is another 3/4 mile the other direction. I find it silly that an entire parking lot is reserved for married people. Sure single soldiers can drive to work, but we have to park in the barracks across the street. Which is not the barracks we live in. Married people can't park in that same lot if the one in front of company is full? To a point I can understand the reasoning behind this, but single soldiers have to leave and run here and there just like our married counter-parts. Why should they get special parking treatment? I don't see anyone stopping married people from using the barracks washers and dryers to avoid buying their own/going to coin laundry mats. Why are married people allowed to dip their hands in our honey and slap ours away from theirs?
Like I said from the start I'm biased. I look over the fence and see greener grass. Perhaps this is all just one single soldier bitching and complaining.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Update FEB 2019: Since I originally posted this message, I have gotten married. My view on the subject has not changed. I want to respond to some of the overarching themes in everyone responses.
“Quit bitching/whining/complaining.” I feel there is a difference between logically laying out issues and grievances and just bitching about them. The number of leaders who contributions on this post/topic amounted to “quit saying words” is disheartening.
“Get married/Army will issue you a wife.” Saying to get married just to move out of the barracks is a failure of leadership. Those of you (in my opinion) with that mentally should reconsider what you do/did and what your job is/was. As a former Infantry NCO I have dealt with the countless issues that arise when a soldier quickly marries someone for the wrong reason (example: get out of the barracks). The domestic issues, spouse calling in to the Staff Duty, soldier isn’t training because of counseling/FAP/court/Divorce related nonsense, greatly diminishes readiness which the last I checked the Army still considers to be pretty important.
“I had more money/I wish I was back in the barracks/ but but bills! etc.” Bull. I wish I could challenge anyone who says that to actually prove it. As stated, I am married now. I have more money, flexibility, and financial freedom then I did as a single E-4. Now some of that is because I’m a higher rank. Part of it is because I use BAH as intended to cover housing/bills, my BAS for food, and having the control over how much I spend on those two items is very important. Also, my spouse works. I have come to realize that is less than common for married soldiers in the Army. However, I would argue that getting married and not having both spouses working is a decision that you made going in to it. I’m not arguing/stating if it’s the right or wrong choice. It’s what you decided worked for ya’ll. To me it’s the equivalent of a private going out and buying that 23% interest Mustang then complaining about how much money it costs and how he used to have it so much better without that car payment. If you choose (by getting married/having kids) to feed/house/care for additional people (spouse/kids) and yet do nothing to increase your income than yeah…you’ll have less money. That is a very poor argument for what the original post was about.
a. Hopefully ^above^ I’ve made my point clear and concise seems a little muddy to me, I guess we shall see in future comments.
“Move off post.” That’s not an option. Well I guess it is, however single soldiers still have to maintain the barracks room they get assigned, they still wouldn’t get the BAH entitlement, and they would have to still pay the DFAC out of their BAS. Do I need to continue on the ignorance of that statement? Sure, there’s a packet you can submit and ask to receive those allowances, I’ve only ever seen get accepted once and that was when my BDE changed from Light to Armored, only for E-5s, and it was suggested only if they were on orders and would be PCS’ing soon anyhow. They wanted non-PCS’ing E-5s still in the barracks. I don’t recall if I stated it in my original post but that unofficial additional duty of being an NCO at the barracks is crap. “You’re an NCO at the barracks keep everyone in line down there after work and on weekends”, thought that’s what CQ was for. I’ll also comment on the “single people off post would party to much/be late to formation/traffic at the gates/ get in trouble in town more” line of nonsense. It’s ignorant. Along with the “paying dues” comments.
Veterans- I appreciate you are still active in the boarder military community, and recognize that your time in the service paved the way for what we did/do/have accomplished today. However, pointing out how things were worse yesterday compared today and to “suck it up” is lazy. There is no reason we can’t keep pointing out things today to make tomorrow even better. I’m sure there is crap I can’t even fathom that ya’ll dealt with back in the 60s, 80s, and what have you that were fixed because of people continuing to bring the issue up.
Lastly, I’ve enjoyed reading the varied amount of responses everyone has on the topic. If mine come off as aggressive or across the line it was not my intention. When I posted the original stuff above 4+ almost 5 years ago I never expected it to get attention and still receive emails notifications years later. I’m fairly sure I’ve read 90% of the comments because Rally Point sends me an email every time someone comments. No I did not add that picture at the top, it’s the website. Sorry if you clicked on a Rally Point ad somewhere that linked to this post only to see it’s from 2014. I don’t control those. It’s the website. Yes I’m sure there are a few grammar and spelling errors. If you point it out at the beginning of a comment, I’m more likely to see it and correct the issue. Cheers to several more years of being told why I’m wrong.
Posted in these groups: 
Barracks
BAS
Marriage
DiscriminationBetter Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) President
Barracks BAS Marriage DiscriminationBetter Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) President
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 488
Soldier- If I could vote you up multiple times I would. As a single CPT I think I had a dissertation I would give to anyone who would listen about this topic. As far as the Army is concerned because you are unmarried you are worthless... I mean worth less than a married soldier. (But you are expected to work more).
I remember coming back from the field, 10:30 at night, having formation after 2-3 weeks of downrange... filthy vehicles, filthy tracks, filthy weapons, tired, cleaning up after MILES blanks... and we'd have formation:
"Married soldiers, dismissed! Single soldiers! Clean weapons until further notice!"
And then they honestly can't figure out why some guy goes out and marries "some chick" he met at a bar two weeks ago.
"Married soldiers, dismissed! Single soldiers! Clean weapons until further notice!"
And then they honestly can't figure out why some guy goes out and marries "some chick" he met at a bar two weeks ago.
1SG (Join to see)
That my friend is the biggest leadership failure I have ever herd of it saddens me that there is still leader out there that do this
1SG Myron Carter
That situation is an example of poor leadership, plain and simple. All soldiers should be treated equally in that respect.
SFC Arthur Morgan
Never (during 20+year service career) was I 'ever' in 'any' command that would have tolerated any such nonsense! Will probably be chastised, but I'd like any such command be cited publicly this venue. If any senior NCOs and/or Officers back these claims; I'll be asking why they didn't put a stop to it!
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
1SG (Join to see) - ......
BEEP, BEEP !! "Spell Check, Word Meaning & Punctuation To Make Sense, Please."
And "NO", I'm NOT Your Fk'n English Teacher, But HOLY SH*T...!!
Si Estabas Nacido En Este Pais, Debes Hablar Sus Ingles Un POCO Mejor Que Esto.
CONCHO....!!
No Soy Un Latino, Pero No Estoy Viviendo En Una Otra Pais Tampoco,.
BEEP, BEEP !! "Spell Check, Word Meaning & Punctuation To Make Sense, Please."
And "NO", I'm NOT Your Fk'n English Teacher, But HOLY SH*T...!!
Si Estabas Nacido En Este Pais, Debes Hablar Sus Ingles Un POCO Mejor Que Esto.
CONCHO....!!
No Soy Un Latino, Pero No Estoy Viviendo En Una Otra Pais Tampoco,.
I think you’re looking at some of this in the wrong light. The Army didn't say that they would pay you for housing and food. They said they would provide housing and food for you, same with the married personnel. I've seen families denied to be allowed to live off post because they had room for them in on post housing. And $357.55 just barely covers your food costs as that's just less than $4 a meal for one person.
I'm not saying you don't have valid points but the monetary side is not the direction you want to go into. As CW3 Dean pointed out things have improved but that means you shouldn't stop trying to make things better. The three SOPs, yea bring that up to your BOSS rep that's something they should be able to get fixed. Same with the parking and with the married people using the Single Soldiers laundry room. Miss a lunch, file a miss meal voucher. I make every precaution to make sure my meal card holders get food so I don't have to deal with that paperwork or explain the 1SG why you didn't eat. As for the control of food, I think some of our married brothers would disagree with you on the choices they get when they get home.
Room inspections, I hate to tell you but you're an outlier on the bell curve of the normal denizens of the barracks. Some considerations should be made (I think sometimes my peers are too black and white when dealing with the shades of gray) given your background but they do need to happen. I remember what happen when the BOSS program got the NCOs restricted from doing barracks inspections back in the late 90s. It wasn't pretty.
I'm not saying you don't have valid points but the monetary side is not the direction you want to go into. As CW3 Dean pointed out things have improved but that means you shouldn't stop trying to make things better. The three SOPs, yea bring that up to your BOSS rep that's something they should be able to get fixed. Same with the parking and with the married people using the Single Soldiers laundry room. Miss a lunch, file a miss meal voucher. I make every precaution to make sure my meal card holders get food so I don't have to deal with that paperwork or explain the 1SG why you didn't eat. As for the control of food, I think some of our married brothers would disagree with you on the choices they get when they get home.
Room inspections, I hate to tell you but you're an outlier on the bell curve of the normal denizens of the barracks. Some considerations should be made (I think sometimes my peers are too black and white when dealing with the shades of gray) given your background but they do need to happen. I remember what happen when the BOSS program got the NCOs restricted from doing barracks inspections back in the late 90s. It wasn't pretty.
CPT Barry Kaufman
SSG Jeffrey Monk I have no recollection of what I wrote. Sorry whatever was that happened to you.
SSG Jeffrey Monk
CPT Barry Kaufman -It was in reference to you not thinking Units allowed married soldiers to go home while using single soldiers and NCOs to pick up the slack. I just listed all the Units I had served in between 96-07 where not only did I see it but also experienced it.
SFC Barbara Layman
When in Germany, we had a 1SG who didn't do barracks room inspections. He did inspect common areas to insure details were being done. About every 3/4 months he would do a barracks room reassignment. What do folks do when they move? They dump a lot of 'trash' in the process.
His philosophy, shared with me, was "I don't want someone inspecting my quarters where I live with my family. I don't think we should do that to soldiers living in the barracks."
This practice worked well in several ways - as folks transferred in/out of the unit, room assignments were made based on rank. Often, the match wasn't a good one because of personality issues. That 3-4 months was sufficient time to observe and make necessary changes that kept everyone 'happy.'
His philosophy, shared with me, was "I don't want someone inspecting my quarters where I live with my family. I don't think we should do that to soldiers living in the barracks."
This practice worked well in several ways - as folks transferred in/out of the unit, room assignments were made based on rank. Often, the match wasn't a good one because of personality issues. That 3-4 months was sufficient time to observe and make necessary changes that kept everyone 'happy.'
SPC (Join to see)
I can comfortably feed myself for less than $200 a month. I would rather be given the money. If I prepared my own food, the DFAC wouldn’t have had the opportunity to give me food poisoning three times.
I got tired or reading this. Here's an idea. When your enlistment is up please find the exit and become a civilian. Then you will have all the freedoms to make the choices you wish.
MSgt Jack Sigman
What kind of dick-ass answer is that? I hope the rest of your responsibilities arent brushed off so cavalierly. He is saying the same shit we said when I was in the barracks. It was my incentive to get promoted. Keep in mind, he was older than the LTs and Squad leaders. The barracks are the barracks, but there should be a better way for this to be resolved. Per haps one of his leaders going to bat for him and requesting the waiver everyone thinks is impossible.
SGT (Join to see)
This right here is toxicity in a nutshell. "Yes you're being treated differently and its obvious you're being fucked. But you should just suck it up."
I've always heard of this referred to as APDASS, for the "Army Program For Discrimination Against Single Soldiers." I wonder if any one else has heard this acronym?
My preferred solution would be to pay Soldiers the same regardless of if they were married or had kids or were single (with differentiation being rank and time in service). A great deal of benefits are available to married Soldiers, a great deal more to Soldiers with children. As an extreme example, all benefit programs for dependents could be cancelled, all that extra money split equitably (based on rank and time in service) and added to base pay. Then a Soldier who decided to get married and have kids could spend the extra money on the family, while the Soldier who decided not to get married or not to have kids could spend the money on whatever they wanted.
It always struck me as strange--and still does---that we pay one person more to do a job than we pay another just because that one person made a choice (to get married, to have kids) that the other person didn't make.
My preferred solution would be to pay Soldiers the same regardless of if they were married or had kids or were single (with differentiation being rank and time in service). A great deal of benefits are available to married Soldiers, a great deal more to Soldiers with children. As an extreme example, all benefit programs for dependents could be cancelled, all that extra money split equitably (based on rank and time in service) and added to base pay. Then a Soldier who decided to get married and have kids could spend the extra money on the family, while the Soldier who decided not to get married or not to have kids could spend the money on whatever they wanted.
It always struck me as strange--and still does---that we pay one person more to do a job than we pay another just because that one person made a choice (to get married, to have kids) that the other person didn't make.
MSgt Kerry Lundy
SSgt Joseph Baptist - Actually it keeps retirement pay equal for each given rank and time served otherwise I could make a case to demand the same retired pay that an E7 with 26 years receives or why not just one retired rate for everyone. You see where I am going with this. Why can't I have the same retirement as a four star general. Human nature we are never completely satisfied. I knew when I enlisted I would be living in a barracks while I was single and eating in the mess hall. I also knew my starting pay was $65 per month and would increase in two way at certain time intervals and making more rank. There is no draft anymore which means everyone in the U.S. Military is a volunteer. If you did not ask all the pertinent questions prior to enlisting that's on you not anyone else. I never received rations allowance until I made E5. I never received quarters allowance until I got married. Cooking was not permitted in the barracks at all considered a fire hazard and alcoholic beverages were not allowed either not even for NCO until 1967 only if you were in a private room or in room with only NCOs. Remember you joined the Military not a Frat House.
SGT Brian Poe
SGT Bryon Sergent I am now a civilian. If I go to decided to get married and have a family, do you think I could go to my employer and demand a raise because my expenses went up, and went up voluntarily to boot?
SSG Elyzabeth Cromer
SGT Bryon Sergent You could always marry a dependent with a job, who provides the heath and dental insurance, for themselves and the other dependents if you choose to have them. If that person you marry is also paying for their share of the housing than you should be able to afford a washer and dryer, a place with a parking, and a spot to work on your vehicle if your base or community doesn't have something like that. When did the term spouse start meaning a completly helpless being, incapable of earning an income who leeches off the service member?
Personally, I am just having a hard time grasping what it is that you are complaining about.
You have a two bedroom apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom?
Your mattress sucks? Buy a good one and make your bunk correctly.
You are paying for it? No you're not. You can't claim that you are paying out what you don't rate.
Three quarters of a mile either way to chow or the motor pool? Brown baggers can bring their lunch and you miss yours?
I have to be honest. When I was in, I would have taken what you are whining about and loved every minute of it.
If you can't handle living in the barracks, suck it up and move off base. If you can't handle the either or, just don't re-enlist.
You have a two bedroom apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom?
Your mattress sucks? Buy a good one and make your bunk correctly.
You are paying for it? No you're not. You can't claim that you are paying out what you don't rate.
Three quarters of a mile either way to chow or the motor pool? Brown baggers can bring their lunch and you miss yours?
I have to be honest. When I was in, I would have taken what you are whining about and loved every minute of it.
If you can't handle living in the barracks, suck it up and move off base. If you can't handle the either or, just don't re-enlist.
SFC Robert Escher
Gee I was a SGT, lived in a Three man Room, with two other SGT’s, still had to make my bed every morning. Still didn’t get paid for meals, to have it get taken away, made less than $700.00 a month (if I remember correctly - 1986 era) don’t remember having half the privileges this man has.
Must be nice
JUST WHAT THE HECK HAS THE ARMY COME TO?
Must be nice
JUST WHAT THE HECK HAS THE ARMY COME TO?
PO2 Nick Burke
SFC Sandra Cooper
Did you walk both ways up hill in the snow?
Try that in the winter in North Korea, North Dakota or Great Lakes.
Maybe the heat of Southern Texas
Did you walk both ways up hill in the snow?
Try that in the winter in North Korea, North Dakota or Great Lakes.
Maybe the heat of Southern Texas
We are jealous of single soldiers. End of story. We deliberately try to take out our frustrations on you because of our incessant envy. If a single soldier feels that they are underpaid, they can try dividing their riches every which way imaginable with a spouse and kids (if they are really lucky)......just kidding. I'm in retirement mode. :)
SPC Dawn Appelberg (Johnson)
SGT (Join to see) - actually in the civilian sector there are programs to assist single families...which pay far more than being in the military married does.
SFC Ernest Thurston
I had a buddy that was a barracks rat. He had his TV, a nice stereo and a wall locker full of goodies and beer in the mini-fridge. He would take his check (this was in the 70's) and put it up on the top shelf of his wall locker. He had a stack of about twenty checks. I told him he need to put then in the bank because the do expire. I asked him why he did that. He said, " I have a place to sleep, free food at the mess hall and most of the time I'm in uniform. So I don't have any expenses. Whenever I want to buy something I just grab a check and cash it. No big deal." He was happy being in the barracks. To him do the GI parties was fun.
SPC (Join to see)
I find your comment on NTC slightly amusing, because in our unit they allowed the married soldiers to voluntarily be the first to go and last to return so they could get the family sep pay that the single soldiers were not getting. I would say 75% of the married soldiers took advantage of the extra days of sep pay.
SSG (Join to see)
My opinion on this, (not directed towards you at all, but in general) is this is why a lot of young Soldiers get in trouble and are very irresponsible. They are not taught to pay bills because they don't have to. Like you say you and your roommate "pay" way more than your barracks room is worth. If the Army wants to micromanage the young Soldiers, provide them a loft style barracks room, and on the 1st of the month they need to go to housing and pay for their rent and utilities. If they don't pay it of course it is going to come down the pipeline to their chain of command. Again, in my opinion then we would be teaching these young Soldiers how to take responsibility for their living quarters. Not to mention, it would probably cut down the divorce rate in the military.
CPL Darrell Green
As a former Cpl that lived in a barracks (3 man room or squad bay) my entire time in the USMC. I would not have wanted to be married during my time in. And no amount of money would have made me chamge my mind
SGT (Join to see)
I always thought the family separation pay was meant for travel expenses and other related long distance expenses. Meaning that with 250 dollars a month they could afford to fly out to their spouse every few months or so on leave. I always thought it was a good idea, this is the first time I ever ran into someone who is opposed to it. Not saying your opinion is wrong, just something for me to think about now.
First, you are confusing your age with your situation; age only matters at physical fitness time! Second, you are a single Soldier and housing is supplied for the single Soldiers; deal with it or get married but done cry foul because you don't have the extra responsibilities of raising a family, fighting traffic to get to work, dealing with crooks downtown that pray on young Soldiers, have to stay up late doing homework with the kids, help the wife around the house, still has his or her professional growth to tend to, AND HAS TO JOIN IN ON POLICE CALL AROUND COMPANY BARRACKS OR COME IN TO ASSIST WITH MANAGING LAZY SOLDIERS THAT WONT CLEAN COMMON AREAS.
The money that a Married Soldier gets to offset the cost associated with living on the local economy does not add up, don't kid yourself. Plus, if a Soldier lives in family housing, it is small the neighborhoods are congested and you don't get a choice of where you live. And you don't get the BAH also, before you clear quarters, it is expected to look better than when you moved in.
With good leadership, the workload is equal and while you wake up 15minutes prior to work, he or she is up2 hours prior, dropping off kids, fighting to get through the gate and a ton of other crap. And don't mention duty, you have the your room right there and access to it, he or she has to arrange for overnight care, have a family care plan or coordinate with the wife or husband, WHO HAS TO WORK ALSO, IN MOST CASES, to ensure the ball does not drop.
We are the 1% that gives our all for so many but we when we signed up that we would loose some rights and freedoms. YOU ARE IN A GOOD SITUATION, BEING IN THE ARMY! Although it has its ups and down, you are in the right place. EMBRACE THE SUCK AND FIND WAYS TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THOSE BEHIND YOU!
The money that a Married Soldier gets to offset the cost associated with living on the local economy does not add up, don't kid yourself. Plus, if a Soldier lives in family housing, it is small the neighborhoods are congested and you don't get a choice of where you live. And you don't get the BAH also, before you clear quarters, it is expected to look better than when you moved in.
With good leadership, the workload is equal and while you wake up 15minutes prior to work, he or she is up2 hours prior, dropping off kids, fighting to get through the gate and a ton of other crap. And don't mention duty, you have the your room right there and access to it, he or she has to arrange for overnight care, have a family care plan or coordinate with the wife or husband, WHO HAS TO WORK ALSO, IN MOST CASES, to ensure the ball does not drop.
We are the 1% that gives our all for so many but we when we signed up that we would loose some rights and freedoms. YOU ARE IN A GOOD SITUATION, BEING IN THE ARMY! Although it has its ups and down, you are in the right place. EMBRACE THE SUCK AND FIND WAYS TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THOSE BEHIND YOU!
My issue isn't so much with the fact that single soldiers live in the barracks, its more over the fact that there is a CLEAR and undeniable pay difference, and this is only talking about housing, not even including BAS.
BAH in my area without dependents is about $2200/m
BAH in my area with dependents is 2600/m
That discrepancy alone grinds my gears, but that is a conversation for another day. (I don't think the military should pay you any more or less simply because you have children.)
Now, I will post a picture of the barracks I am staying at with the furniture they provided when I moved in. Community bathroom, one shared kitchen on the ground floor, and 2 washers/dryers per floor+4 on the ground floor which is occupied by offices. Can anyone legitimately say that that room is worth $2200/m?
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like the barracks I am in, and I've adapted to make it much much more homey (as evidenced by the 2nd picture), but if I had tried building something like that at my last barracks, I would have been ordered to remove it.
In the end, I realize it will never change, but it has always been my understanding that the Army strives to be an equal opportunity employer (at least thats what the millions of classes leads me to believe), and that should apply to martial status as well.
BAH in my area without dependents is about $2200/m
BAH in my area with dependents is 2600/m
That discrepancy alone grinds my gears, but that is a conversation for another day. (I don't think the military should pay you any more or less simply because you have children.)
Now, I will post a picture of the barracks I am staying at with the furniture they provided when I moved in. Community bathroom, one shared kitchen on the ground floor, and 2 washers/dryers per floor+4 on the ground floor which is occupied by offices. Can anyone legitimately say that that room is worth $2200/m?
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like the barracks I am in, and I've adapted to make it much much more homey (as evidenced by the 2nd picture), but if I had tried building something like that at my last barracks, I would have been ordered to remove it.
In the end, I realize it will never change, but it has always been my understanding that the Army strives to be an equal opportunity employer (at least thats what the millions of classes leads me to believe), and that should apply to martial status as well.
SGT Russell Chewning
So here's the thing. You are making the mistake of thinking about this in a "feelings and fairness way"... To the government, all growth in population is good, as it provides a bigger tax base to steal feom. So, even in the military, the policies WILL skew towards promoting families. They do this SPECIFICALLY to get people "married"... to the military. By getting married. Once you get married, taking a shot at that big scary world outside of the military, looks terrifying. The military doesn't even care if you get divorced, because the financial requirements alone will force that soldier to often remain a soldier, as that is the salary the exwife's alimony gets calculated at.
And, you're right, the military does discriminate against single soldiers, as to the military, you can leave any time your enlistment is up, and just throw yourself out there on your G.I. Bill.. You are a permanent "flight risk" as a single soldier, as often the only bills you have are a car note and insurance. There is really no reason the military SHOULD put much value in single soldiers, when you consider the retainment problem that is ever present in the military. Married soldiers are significantly more likely to reenlist.
And, you're right, the military does discriminate against single soldiers, as to the military, you can leave any time your enlistment is up, and just throw yourself out there on your G.I. Bill.. You are a permanent "flight risk" as a single soldier, as often the only bills you have are a car note and insurance. There is really no reason the military SHOULD put much value in single soldiers, when you consider the retainment problem that is ever present in the military. Married soldiers are significantly more likely to reenlist.
SFC Robert Escher
That room is heaven
Live in a barracks with open bays and fifty guys, bunk beds, open showers, open latrines
Live in a barracks with open bays and fifty guys, bunk beds, open showers, open latrines
SSG (Join to see)
SGT Russell Chewning - LMAO! Are you actually serious? What's stopping say, a married MAJ, who's spouse is making more than he or she is, from leaving the military?
1LT Donna Sweeney
The Army should give out a substandard living allowance when they place soldiers in poor living conditions.
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So yeah, generally speaking the married guys didn't seem to skate out of anything more than anyone else. besides, once in a while it was great being invited for a home cooked meal.
As I've Read Several Of These Responses, I Have To Agree With The One That Stated
"It Depends Upon Which Branch You're In". The Damned Military Needs To Get Their Own Selves A Little More Organized & Communicate Better.
Compared To The Wages I Made, The Current Ones Look Like A 4 Star Generals Pay Check...
Was Only An E-3 Back Then, & Stationed In South Korea For My Last Of a 4 Year Enlistment, And Here's What We Received And Why I Couldn't Afford To Reenlist:
#1,, Base Pay,
#2,.. Over Seas Pay,...
#3.. Isolated Hardship Duty Pay...
#4 Hazardous Duty Pay...
My Grand Total, Net Pay, Was $173.00 Per MONTH....As An E-3.
And, "Hell NO, Things Were NOT a Lot Less Expensive For Us In 65."
Somewhat, Of Course, But Not As Much As Others Think It Was.
Normally, Anyone Under The Rank Of E-6 Or E-7 And Married,
Were In Need Of Government Food Assistance And Added Income From Social Services....
How's That Grab Ya?.... Getting Poverty Wages For Risking Their Lives......
THAT Really SUCKS, Huh?
Pay Still SUCKS.....But That 4K, In 65, Would Have Looked As Though We'd Robbed A Bank.
Had The Wages Not Been So Lousy, I'd Have Made The USAF "My Choice Of Careers"..
I Loved It, But Couldn't Afford It...But, Once I Became A Civilian, In 65, My First Car Was A 1963 Benz. And Have Had 4 Or 5 Or More, Since Then...
(BTW: Psst ...Don't Tell Any Others, But A Used Benz In Great Shape, AIN'T All That Expensive. Anyway...Check It Out, They're Great Buys.)
But While Enlisted, I Couldn't Even Afford A Tricycle To Peddle My Way To Work...