Back from drill

[Iccarra]

I'm not saying you can't live on it...it's just not all that much when you're starting out enlisted with a family already. I remember qualifying for WIC when my 2 older kids were little and my ex was in the military. There were a few folks I knew on base that actually qualified for more. Sounds like things have improved, though, which is good news.

[Arlos]

They probably had to, since they were having such an impossible time getting new recruits the last few years.

-Arlos

[Nusk]

i seriously hope you dont come home in one of these

[Gypsiyee]

$1600 a month is not much to provide for a family, if that's what you're saying. At roughly 13 an hour (quite a bit less if you factor in that you're not working the standard 40 hour work week), it's pretty low even for a single person in the real world depending on where you live. here, you consider a mediocre apartment is about 850 a month, 150 for electric, 60 or so for water, 150 for cable if you choose to have that, assume about 150-300 a month for groceries as a single person, around 100 for insurance, 50-100 for phone, and that's your entire paycheck assuming you're a hermit and don't go out. Factor in things like a car payment and you're overspending your budget already and you haven't even left the house for entertainment. that's as a single person. as a family, yowch.

The beauty of it is that so many of your bills are curbed for you - not having to worry about rent or a mortgage is a beautiful thing. If you manage to live modestly on the allowance, you can live a pretty comfortable life. I don't know how it is for the army, but the air force seems to provide pretty nicely.

$1600 alone would be fairly difficult to live on for most families, though.

[brinstar]

i make a millions billions dollar per minute

[Tossica]

I had a hard time raising a family on $1600 a month 13 years ago. I can't imagine trying to do it today.

[Harrison]

I didn't include a housing allowance in that figure.

That $1600 roughly doesn't even include a bunch of shit. That's just salary alone at the LOWEST pay grade.

[KaiineTN]

No, I am sworn in entirely, trust me.

It is different from the other branches. If I miss a drill it counts as being AWOL 4 times, and I will be arrested.

National Guard, right? You are not sworn in yet. You can go AWOL and they will not arrest you. It is no different than a job right now. You are a civilian, not a soldier. They just tell people they will get arrested or whatever to keep them from quitting before basic. This is precisely the type of bullshit that made me get out and lose respect for how the military is run.

[Harrison]

Hmmm, it appears you may be right. I'm still confused as to how I have an active military I.D. and other such things.

[Iccarra]

Could it be so you can get on base? Also, I read that wrong...I was thinking it was $1600 per paycheck. If I remember right, aside from all the other binnies you get it was roughly $2200 per month around the time he got out. That was about 6-7 years ago and an E-5. Living in base housing seemed to have been the best route to go because while you do get a housing allowance it's not normally going to cover your housing costs if you own your own home. We got by on it, but it wasn't easy.

[araby]

I went through this. Several years ago, probably nine. I was convinced to join the National Guard, so I went through the steps, ASVAB and all. Then the doctor I worked for at the time told me he was in the Army for four years. It's how he became a dentist. He strongly urged me not to join the "Nasty Guard". So I didn't. I realized there were perks. He pointed out the down side. I was convinced.

[brinstar]

No, I am sworn in entirely, trust me.

It is different from the other branches. If I miss a drill it counts as being AWOL 4 times, and I will be arrested.

National Guard, right? You are not sworn in yet. You can go AWOL and they will not arrest you. It is no different than a job right now. You are a civilian, not a soldier. They just tell people they will get arrested or whatever to keep them from quitting before basic. This is precisely the type of bullshit that made me get out and lose respect for how the military is run.

jeez yet another institution that fails to live up to flink's lofty expectations

[Drem]

lol