Why would junior enlisted Soldiers get into contract marriages?

We treat single troops like crap, and give married troops extra money.<br><br>I'm surprised it doesn't happen more.<br>

<p>Let me give you some background on who I am before I give you my opinion. I joined the Army a PFC, left the Army a SGT. I ETS'd less then 60 days ago. My whole military career (aside from my 2 deployments) I lived in the barracks. Maybe all units don't treat their single soldiers this way but my units did.Single Soldiers are second class soldiers in todays Army. You know how they had those technician ranks in WW2? With the rank and a "T" under it to denote so? They should do the same with Single soldiers. Give them an "S" under their rank. With how much they get discriminated against, it only seems fair. </p><p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>1.&nbsp;You get paid less money, yes I understand how BAH works, but 9/10 people getting BAH are pocketing a nice sum of money. </p>
<p>2. Your rank holds little to no value as a single soldier. A married PVT doesn't get called in for work after hours or during the weekend, but a single SPC damn sure will. Because your not married, you automatically have no life.</p>
<p>3.&nbsp;You cant live in peace. Staff Duty and CQ is always out to make you clean up some other guys mess or to round you up for a detail on the weekend. It got so bad we would actually hang out in parking lots and other random parts of post just to avoid them.</p>
<p>4.&nbsp;You don't want to ever un-pack or settle in, because they can always randomly decide to re-organize the barracks for no reason and make you move. Happened to me quite a bit.</p>
<p>5.&nbsp;No one cares about your well-being, or your problems. We had roaches the size of my fingers. Living ones and dead ones everywhere. When we complained, no one cared. The FSBP doesn't live in the barracks, so they don't give a shit. I ended up living off post paying rent out of pocket after waking up to a fat long cockroach crawling up my arm at night.</p>
<p>6.&nbsp;Everyone gets meal deductions... as much as that sucks on its own because no one enjoys the difac food..... even if your units difac is shut down. Guys in my unit had to walk for a while to eat at another units difac. If the closest unit to ours Difac was also shut down, you had to walk another couple miles to the other side of post for food.</p>
<p>7.&nbsp;Most of your NCO's and leaders at no point lived in barracks. They make standards for you that are very impractical. </p><p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>8.&nbsp;You have no power or control over the way you live. If your water goes cold, or your fridge or microwave breaks, your at the mercy of whenever FSBP feels like getting a work order, or when they feel like following up or getting an ETA. Even if your willing to pay to get it fixed, its not happening. All of our dryers in our laundry room broke, soldiers started writing "Broken" with the date on specific dryers to inform other soldiers which washers and dryers were broken. After a couple months, we just started driving to another brigade to do laundry.</p><p><br>9.&nbsp;Not enough room. After being in the Army for 2 deployments, there was no way I could fit all my ACU CIF, ACU RFI, and Multicam RFI neatly into one room. In total I had 4 duffell bags, 2 ruck sacks, then a tough box, Medic Bags, Assault Pack's, 3 day rucks etc... all of theese filled with TA-50 I was accountable for. It is almost impossible to keep all of this in a tiny room in a neat and orderly fashion. Dont be shocked when roaches die inside your TA-50 either.</p><p><br>10.&nbsp;The Chain of Command/FSBP doesnt care about the barracks until the soldiers take pictures and post it on U.S. Army W.T.F Moments. They are more powerful then the IG.</p><span lang=""><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Dont be surprised when soldiers start gay marrying each other to move out of the barracks. At first it was just a joke when DADT got re-appealed among my 11b and 19d friends .Now its seriously happening. </p></span>

It's been happening for a long time. To some marriage is sacred, but to others it's just a game. It is why our divorce rate in this country is so high. It starts at home though. Teach your kids values and one day they will respect those values and pass them on to their children.

With barracks inspections, new alcohol policies, leaders walk throughs, CQ, Staff Duty, and everything else that happens in the barracks that doesn't happen in family housing off post housing, or BOQ's I am surprised it doesn't happen more and more these days. We are a society that has to have a quick response and knee jerk reaction to any incident that occurs on post. Unfortunately for most single soldiers who don't act stupid and just want to live in peace they get crapped on because of the few who can't control themselves.&nbsp;<div>I feel we treat our single soldiers like they are second citizens in the Army and it is a shame they aren't afforded the same level of respect that even an E1 gets just because they're married.</div>

<span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">I just finished doing some dorm inspections last week, and although it is required I hate doing it. &nbsp;Walking into what is basically a young man or woman's house and nitpicking over the tiniest detail on cleanliness. &nbsp;The standard to which we inspect is harsh enough that if someone came to my house off-base and inspected I would fail right now. &nbsp;</span><div><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">I totally understand why some marry just to get out of the dorms/barracks and get out of that mess! &nbsp;Plus, I am sure the Army is the same as the AF in this regard, if something needs to be done guys that live on base are always getting called out to do the work!</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);">And as a single NCO the amount of money I don't get in BAH/OHA/Family Sep/etc. pay is just ridiculous. &nbsp;We totally&nbsp;incentivize marriage financially!</span></div>

I brought up a point while talking to other NCOs about this. The dumber we get in the barracks, the more we push troopers to do something stupid like this. I don't mean we shouldn't be in the barracks and scuff em up if the need it, but when some guys go through and wake everyone up at 0500 on a Saturday for trash being on the ground, when there was a CQ that was suppose to be monitoring the area before it got trashed, then that's a problem.<div>Lots of my counterparts disagreed with me, but that's how I feel.</div>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; In America marriage is a contract bringing the assets of two parties together as one, nothing more. If both sides of this arrangement have something to gain by signing the contract who is it to say that it is wrong? Have arranged marriages not been around for years for the financial gain and benefit to one family or both? </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; If we didn't want it to happen we would change the system. Single person BAH and the ability to live off post, or on post with a roommate/house mate. For those who cannot keep financially stable remove BAH privilage and move them into a dorm/barrack. The same with other people who cannot control themselves in a civilized manner. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; The issue really does not boil down to people just attempting to cheat the system but understanding that they are missing out on an opportunity. The majority of us are underpaid, and the ability to make a few extra dollars, and live a little more comfortably does not seem all to far fetched.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Some may not like this response but I would like to hear your reasoning if you hit the dislike button.</p>

Oddly enough I have had several conversations with JAG about this. Most defense counsellors will have all charges dropped or dismissed. The reason why Soldiers are getting caught and losing rank is because they don't know to go straight to court martial and request counsel.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>I don't think Soldiers are briefed up enough on their rights when it comes to disciplinary action, investigations, UCMJ, etc. A lot of Commanders will use article 15, as a way to bypass the burden of proof that is required in a court martial to punish a Soldier. Soldiers not knowing better and somewhat intimidated and scared just go with it, without realizing they have a way to defend themselves.</div><div><br></div><div>My recommendation to anyone in the military is that if they find themselves under a 15-6 or an investigation or any type or being recommended for article 15, is to immediately ask for a counsellor before making any statement what so ever, whether you were in the right or wrong. They can then explain to you what you should do, the same way that commander is talking to the staff judge advocate before he talks to you. Wouldn't it be smart to do the same thing and have someone fighting in your corner the way he has in his. Especially in this day and age when one derogatory thing can pretty much end your career.</div>

SSG, I thought about doing one for awhile, then I realized my contract marriage would not end in a contract divorce so I scrapped the idea lol. With all levity aside I do think that the military treats married soldiers more so like adults than they do with single soldiers. It is entirely unfair and I think that unless you get noise complaints, complaints about incessant foul smells, or behavior that is deemed unnecessary by their PEERS then they should be afforded their privacy. Also I would like to bring up the question of what does marriage mean to the individual? Some think it is a promise before God, others get married for love, some for benefit, some out of loneliness, and a few for companionship. Me and my friend once made a joke to each other that if we were both single by 28 then we would get married. We really do care for each other and would both take care of each other but we are not in love so would that nullify the marriage in someone's eye? I would have been collecting the benefits of married life without a lot of the marital problems and would've gotten a life long friend out of it, what more can you really ask for? 

SSG DeSerio, if you know of Soldiers in your unit that are doing this, it is your DUTY to report it to the Chain of Command. The Army ( ALL of DOD actually) is really hot on this subject right now. Just recently in the Army Time there was an article about a Soldier at Fort Hood who entered into a Contract Marriage, Now hes Serving a Federal Prision Term, and She (A Civilian) Is a Convicted Fellon in the federal system. Its Called Fraud, and you know that they went after Other Soldiers Who knew what this Soldier was doing and did not report it.  I take care of alot of stuff at the lowest level, but this can get you brought down as an accessory just for having knowlage of the offense. Not worth it.