why dont us troops make alot of money.?

Question

i mean our soldiers are risking there lives for us i say they should make more than 10 million a year. a stupid baseball player makes more than 15 million a year and they are not even doin nothing but just playing a stupid sport.

Answer 1

Servicemembers get pretty good compensation. Free room & board, free medical & dental, and a decent paycheck to boot. I was able to save a good chunk of change away during my Corps days. Add into that the benefits after an honorable discharge, and I'm not disappointed with my financial compensation during & after my service days.



Edit: J.S., considering that it is Congress that determines the military pay raises, and until recently, it was a Republican controlled Congress, how are the lack of pay raises or lower-than-average pay raises the Democrats fault? You need to do some research before parroting theRepublican Party talking points.

I lived quite well on my military pay & benefits, J.S. I didn't enlist for the money, and if you did, then I pity you. And I've parlayed my military training into quite a good career as a civilian. Some of us put forth more effort thanothers and reap better rewards. That's true in both the civilian and military worlds.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/20/AR2006022001307_pf.html

Democratic Senators Push for Military Pay Increase That Exceeds Bush's Proposal
Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Ten Democratic senators are urging the Senate Budget Committee to provide military personnel with a 2007 pay raise higher than the 2.2 percent increase proposed by the president.

The senators, in a letter organized by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), call President Bush 's pay proposal "a paltry increase" that "neglects the value of their service and the very real challenges of recruiting and retaining an all-volunteer military in time of war."

The proposal in the president's fiscal 2007 budget, if enacted, would be the smallest pay raise for the military since 1994, the letter said.

Answer 2

The entertainers are paid by people who pay "voluntarily'.Most people would rather see an entertainer or an athlete than a soldier in action.The politicians are the ones who decide where the tax dollars go.It isn't that they cannot pay you more, it's that they will look after theirselves FIRST and give you the left overs as they do the rest of society which you risk your life for.The senators and congressmen have wonderfull retirement plans and free health care.We have social security and have to pay health insurance.They dont want free national healthcare for the society the supposedly serve, just for theirselves.The poor soldiers from the gulf war in the early 90's had to rally the vets together to shame congress and senate into seeing they got the health care they needed when they returned sick.They were denied until they protested on public television.It isnt up to the public as to what you make, it is our senators and congressmen.Demand their voting records be made public in the news papers 3 weeks before an election, listing every bill byy number AND name and a brief desription of what it is and why they voted the way they did.Instead of being re-elected, they may find theirselves being lynched by angry voters instead.

Answer 3

I'm an E7, I make a decent wage. I am sure my life is worth more but I knowingly go into and stay in a career field that is not monetary centered. I accept this. Including beneifts, medical (me and my family), on post shopping I make quite a lot. The medical benefits alone are tremendous. Serve members should price medical coverage in the civilian sector and then thank the American people for allowing us to have it. As far as pay raises are concerned; the biggest apy raise in recent history was done by Bill Clinton. Retirement pay is a great benefit. I will earn over $400,000 in a 20 year period for only 20 years of service. If i live 40 years after I retire then the number goes to around one million. I would never complain about.
The problem in the military is that it is made up primarily of young adults that have champagne taste on a beer budget. Most young adults from age 19-25 are in college and living very megerly. Whereas, those in the military think they should be able to buy the best car, the best clothes, and best place to live. Soldiers need to learn to live with in thier means.
Athletes and entertainers do make way too much money for what they do, but the american people allow that. As long as the people are willing to pay for it then those individuals will continue to get paid like they actually do something for society. This is not a socialist society, and americans are allowed to show thier values through waht they spend thier money on. Americans have deemed entertainment more important than those that defend them. That is fine by me, it is their choice as Americans. I will continue to live with in the means that Americans have given me.

Answer 4

I applaud OldeSalt! He has it right. Most Americans that have no connection to the military have no clue to what benefits the military gets.
We do not get "free" medical care for ourselves and families
We have to pay taxes just like everyone else on property
We do not get to buy items on base at wholesale prices...actually, buying at the Exchange is more expensive than out in town, we just don't have to pay sales tax.
Congress is the ones that set our pay scales, we have no say in it....unlike Congress that can vote themselves a pay raise.
But being in the service has its rewards that go beyond a pay check!
One last rant, I would like to see the VA take all the restrictions off the G.I. bill money. I feel if you've served, you shouldn't have a time limit on the benefits for college.......and no, we don't get free college education!

Answer 5

What you Americans forget is that Europeans in fact love the Americans, simply because some of you were Europeans as well. We just don't agree with the political views of the US towards war. It is unjustifiable to support any war that is not supported by the UN. Don't forget that this happened before and caused the WWII. Why can't the Western world be united, why Bush and Blair want so much to divide the western world (by the way the Europeans despise Bush and Blair not Americans or Britons)

Answer 6

I agree with you completely. The soldiers are defending that 15 million dollar man's right to play baseball, and defending the turf he plays it on. But, alas... even life insurance only values a soldier at $400,000.But each one of them is worth millions to me!!!

Answer 7

Yes, soldiers could make a lot more. Because Congress will not find the money to give them a suitable wage, they get some benefits to compensate. One of these is their combat pay is tax free. It's not much, but it's a start.

Answer 8

Professional athletes make a lot of money because the public lets them. If everyone stopped watching sports these people wouldn't be making that much, but people keep watching and going to the games. It's all their fault these people get paid that much. The same if for movie stars. All you have to do is stop going to the movies. Now I agree the military should be getting paid more, at least overtime. I worry that if they did get paid a lot more money people would join for the money and not to serve their country.

Answer 9

Professional athletes make more money because its much harder to become a professional athlete then a soldier in the military. There are also a lot more soldiers then military personnel. I agree that professional athletes are overpaid. We could use some of that money to help the poor in our country. For instance i feel the MLB needs a salary cap.

Answer 10

Blackwater mercs are paid over 60k a year. Did you know the U.S. is hiring those mercs for Iraq and all sorts of other missions?

Surprised the American populace allows something like this especially when it shows our troops are definitely being under paid.