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Kristi Rae
09-29-2009, 07:33 PM
>>This Cindy Williams
>>is NOT the "Laverne
>>&Shirley" Cindy Williams. She is a Assistant
>>Director for national Security in the Congressional Budget
>>Office.....
>>
>>
>>
>>Military Pay
>>
>>This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams'
>>editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY,
>>it should be printed in all newspapers across America.
>>
>>Ms. Cindy Williams wrote a piece for the Washington Times,
>>denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way
>>this year citing that she stated 13% wage increase was more
>>than they deserve.
>>
>>A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below.
>>He ought to get a bonus for this.
>>
>>
>>"Ms Williams:
>>I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our
>>GIs earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly,
>>I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going,
>>because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month
>>between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service)
>>and my bank account. Checking my latest earnings statement I
>>see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes per month. After
>>taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the
>>calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60
>>before taxes, and $10,490.40, after.
>>
>>I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am
>>part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer
>>network I am involved with infrastructure segments,
>>specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check
>>under jobs For Network Technicians in the Washington , D.C.
>>area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three
>>years experience with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT
>>pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being offered at
>>$70,000 to $80,000 per annum........... I'm sure you can
>>draw the obvious conclusions.
>>
>>Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you
>>NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed
>>forces.
>>Before you take
>>it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and
>>DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the
>>military's lowest pay brackets off of WIC and foo d
>>stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying
>>soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN; I leave the choice of
>>service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make, though,
>>opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the
>>longest possible time away from your family and friends,
>>thus giving you full "deployment experience."
>>
>>As your
>>group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the
>>spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved
>>ones. Also take care to note that several families are still
>>unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while
>>the primary breadwinner is gone obviously they've been
>>squandering the "vast" piles of cash the
>>government has been giving them.
>>
>>Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and
>>Thanksgiving are perennial favorites. And when you're
>>actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against
>>the cold desert night; and the flight sergeant tells you
>>that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you
>>for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE (meal-ready-
>>to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or
>>cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives
>>some flavor.
>>
>>Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it
>>won't nearly be long enough or often enough, but take
>>what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked
>>up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you
>>present in your opened piece.
>>But, tomorrow from
>>KABUL, I will defend to the death your right to say it.
>>
>>You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your
>>First Amendment rights and every other right you cherish. On
>>a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide
>>ensure that you and people like you can thumb your
>>collective nose at us, all on a salary that is nothing short
>>of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people
>>cringe We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private
>>sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of
>>civilian companies.
>>
>>And you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make
>>more than we deserve? You can kiss my royal red
>>a**!!!< /FONT>
>>
>>A1C Michael Bragg Hill AFB AFNCC

kelamarie
09-29-2009, 09:28 PM
OMG ... the nerve of some people...

is it just me and is it so wrong for me to take things like this ^^^^ personally?!

Kristi Rae
09-29-2009, 09:43 PM
nope i cant believe that if i had stayed in my little theatre life and had just done the basic local stage hand i would be making more money then my hubby is.
Jordan makes just shy of $40,000 a year the min for a ROOKIE in the NFL is $285,000.
Nurses on average make $35,000 - $40,000 and movie stars make $5.2 million a year and more if they are really good.

i really think it is insane that we ask them to put down there lives for our freedom but those who chase a leather ball around a field or someone that can deliver a line with a small amount of emotion can obtain that much money and thus a better life o but wait most of them squander there money while those in the military try to make it from month to month just trying to get/stay out of debt.

Danie
09-30-2009, 09:50 AM
Hate to put a downer on this subject...

However, the individual that wrote the letter had to have written it a long time ago. Keep in mind that the starting pay for an E-1 this year is $1399.50 before taxes. As most of you know, we get a pay raise almost every year, and as you spend more time in the military you get a pay raise on your anniversary every so often. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that what she said was right... not at all... but their have been many increases since she's written that article and it's obvious the govt didn't think anything of her opinion, otherwise, we wouldn't have gotten those raises.

http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/militarypaytables/2009MilitaryPayTables.pdf

Kristi Rae
09-30-2009, 10:38 AM
i couldnt find the article that she wrote but those numbers that i have posted are all more current information and i think it is sad that even with the pay raises that Jordan has he still underpaid.
o this is one of his favorites
since he is on a deployment he works 24/7 and doesnt get paid minimum wage. when you do the math he gets paid roughly $4.95 an hour...to protect our freedom? that does not sound right

Danie
09-30-2009, 10:53 AM
i couldnt find the article that she wrote but those numbers that i have posted are all more current information and i think it is sad that even with the pay raises that Jordan has he still underpaid.
o this is one of his favorites
since he is on a deployment he works 24/7 and doesnt get paid minimum wage. when you do the math he gets paid roughly $4.95 an hour...to protect our freedom? that does not sound right

I don't disagree... Just keep in mind that there are extras that we don't pay for that the rest of society does... IE... rent out of pocket (BAH), food (BAS), medical coverage (Tricare Prime enrolled), and uniform allowances. When you add the rest of that in... military members do pretty well. It keeps them out of poverty. The resources available to supplement the gap are there for a reason and that woman has no right to bash them for using a service that they qualify for!

Kira
09-30-2009, 12:09 PM
I agree with Danie. As a personal story Adam and I both worked full time before the Army. Basically we netted about $3,200. We are now down to $2,600 and surviving on 1 income. Sure things could be better but we are making it on a mortgage and 2 car payments ( that is more than our mortgage ). Not sure how we do it but we do. I see no need for others who are a higher rank ( hubby is an E-2 ) to always cry broke. If we can do it then anything is possible! Now I am not trying to attack anyone here, we live paycheck to paycheck and I cannot wait to get back to work so we can enjoy life a little better. I am just saying I hear this story often with guys in DH's unit and I am baffled.

Kristi Rae
09-30-2009, 08:20 PM
that price that i listed included our BAH, uniform and so on that is the amount that makes it to our bank account most of the time and that does include separation pay and combat pay.

u used to have alot more issues with money but that could have been the fact that we had one of his buddies at our house who said he would pay rent but never did and ended up eating food that we bought. so im hoping with him out of the house we might b better off with monies.

Courtney
10-05-2009, 04:14 PM
The fact of the matter is our men and women put their lives at risk and spend months and years away from family working around the clock. There is not a price you can put on the freedom they defend for us. I love his response. Couldn't have put it better myself.

Kristi Rae
10-05-2009, 06:25 PM
i will so admit that the reenlistment bonus' is really nice:yes:
does anyone know if they are in fact doing away with the reenlistment bonus? I think Jordan picked up one of the last ones.

Erin
10-05-2009, 09:57 PM
They're not doing away with it, but the army is not in need for more enlistments right now so they aren't offering anything. If the army is in need again, the bonuses will return. Same with reenlistment bonuses.

Kristi Rae
10-05-2009, 10:49 PM
i was wondering what was going on...Jordan as a Marine wasnt too worried but his brother who reenlisted in the Army was a bit but he is a medic that the special forces want...sooo we all figured he would get a good bonus lol

Erin
10-06-2009, 12:32 AM
When big M joined his MOS has a big reenlistment bonus, and we were excited about it. It's gone now...he still has 3 years, but I'm not figuring that it'll come back that soon.

Kristi Rae
10-07-2009, 12:48 PM
i hope it does there is still alot of time for things to change in 3 years.