Is having a life career in the Military worth it?

Question

ok first lets start off with this... Im 16 yrs old (turning 17 in the summer), and am currently a Junior in highschool. I was looking into enlisting in active duty this summer so I know if i qualify or not (I have flat feet), so if I dont I still could explore other options such as college, etc... ok now down to business... is having a Career in the U.S. Army actually worth it? I personally was looking at the MOS "Cannon Crew Member" and I know there are many benefits to being in the army, along with the pride and experience as well. But I was just wandering if it is actually worth all the $, good times, and friends you will make to stay in for your main career in life (@ least 20 years for the pention). I know it will be hard to settle down in anyone place due to your base relocating, and I also know it will be hard to find someone to marry and start a family if I am active duty... so is it actually worth all the $, and experiences to stay in for 20+ years active duty enlistment?

Answer 1

I am an active duty E-6 in the Army. Before taxes, my monthly pay is $4,900. After taxes, I make about $4,300. These numbers include my housing allowance ($1,350), subsistence allowance ($280), and language proficiency pay ($500) along with my base pay ($2,831). The nice thing is that more than half of my pay in not taxable and it all comes on the same check.

That and every 4 to 6 years I get a $15,000 to $30,000 reinlistment bonus

When most people look at military pay, the only look at the "base pay." You have to look at the housing allowance and other entitlements to get the full picture.

I seriously doubt that I qualify for welfare with an annual salary of $60,000 + per year. I am married so I get the higher housing allowance and Seattle is one of the higher BAH areas. I will retire at the age of 38 and my monthly pension will be around $2,000-$2,500 a month in todays dollars (assuming I get promoted in the next 12 years!) and with free health care for life.

In my opinion, doing 20 years in the military is a great financial decision. The wages are actually quite competitive now and drawing a retirement for life, starting at the age of 40 or so cannot be beat.

go to http://www.dod.mil/cgi-bin/rmc.pl to get a general idea of monthly pay. Remember to look at not only what you make as an E-1 but also where you plan to be in 5 years.

Answer 2

Im a 19 year old Army brat, I first will tell you this the whole moving thing is a trip man. Its got its ups and downs , I am a smarter child because of it , but you will move alot and you will travel. the benefits are good and after 20 years you wont have to work anymore for pretty much the rest of your life. my dads nearing his end. If you realy want to get the most out of it I recamend 2 things first that you check out Army rotc at www.goarmy.com/rotc and second that you consider a MOS or job in the army that gives you experiance that will help you in the civilian sector as well. Theres special college credits you get through certain jobs through the dantes program. If you have kids , the DOD ( Department of Defense ) schools are well above the standards of public schools. I got a crazzy education when I went to them. Studied Law and bussiness along with a strong emphasis in German. Thats about the most I can tell you. Try to get an ROTC scholarship and become an officer so you can cash in on your military experiance to the max.

Answer 3

The Army is a great way to kick start your adult life - but only if you're okay with being separated from your family for extended periods of time. When my hubby joined, we were living in a town where jobs were scarce, and we both drove over an hour 1 way to get to a profitable job. The Army provided a sizable incentive for him to join, but only because he had 3 years of college and scored very high on the entry/placement exam. He served 6 years active duty, and is now in the Reserves. The G.I. Bill is paying for his Masters and part of his Doctorate degrees, and for that we are very grateful. Out of the 6 years he was in, we were separated off and on for 3. It's hard, but if it's the only way you can further your education I say go for it. My father retired after 23 years, then went on the retire from a Federal job after 20 years -- the knowledge and benefits you earn are truly priceless!

As far as the statement made above about welfare money, my husband was an E-6 and made $30,000+ per year. I guess it's all relative.

I wish you well!!!

Answer 4

To cut back on spending the air force has greatly reduced its movements. For example if you get a stateside base its pretty sure you will be there 4 years. It does depend on the job. I was only in the states a year and I had my orders to go back overseas. But that is the fun, the people and the places. So much more interesting than a 3/2/2 in the suburbs and doing the same thing for 20 years.

Answer 5

Wingshooter: first off you are wrong...your son would make a little over 30K base pay, plus any allowances.

In the military your wages seem small...but look at your expenses. No healthcare, no housing (allowances otherwise), no meals, no clothing - very little if any. If your smalrt you can save a lot of money.
But money is not the reason to join, college is not the reason to join, travel is not - they are all perks - but the real reason to join is to serve your country, be it peace or war. Prepare for war.

Now is it worth it. As long as your goals are inline with reality, yes. A lot of the military is married, it is tough - but you become stronger for it. The MOS may not prepare you for an equivalent civilian job, but the leadership experience is a definite plus. There is a lot of pride in service, a choice to be proud of. Take advantage of the perks, but have service as your prime focus.
think about being 38 and making retirement on top of all the savings you accumulated while you had no expense....plus the college degree and salary....you would be set.

Don;t get mixed up with credit, payday loans, and all that crap - save your money!!! Thats true if your in the military or not

Answer 6

I think so, my husband is retired military. And my son and son- in-law are active duty military. My husband joined as an enlisted man, the army paid for 2 degrees while he was active duty and he went on to OCS (Officers Candidate school) And became an officer , stayed in 20 yrs. retired (at 38) with a good pension and went back to school for another degree at the army's expense. (He wanted to do something different than what he did while in the army.) We now have a retirement check coming in that's more than most people make a year and insurance that's less than most people in a month. Our son joined at 18, decided not to take the officers route but did go to Warrant Officers school and on to flight school. Now he is a hellicopter pilot with only 10 years to retirement. Since being in he has married and has 2 children. My son-in-law is enlisted and is getting ready to go back to Iraq, they have 2 children also and before he gets back he will submit his Warrent pack so he can go on to W.O.S. Our son has only been stationed in 4 different places, (with the exception of Iraq) one because of W.O.S, otherwise it would have only been 3. My son-in-law has only been stationed in one place with the exception of Iraq. It's really nice to get to move and see the world and parts of this country that you might not otherwise see, we loved it and it did us well. But if your not sure if you'll like it, why don't you go National Guard? Most states guard will pay for your education and you only have to do one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. If you decide you really like the military life you can always request to go active duty. We really enjoyed the life but it isn't for everyone. I would (if I were you) reconsider the MOS your looking at though, I'd go for one that will give you a skill outside military life, like medical, communications, computer, just in case you don't like it you'll still have a saleable trade.
Good Luck with whatever you choose.

Answer 7

I am currently in the military and hoping to make it a career. My father was in for 27 years (USAF) and loved every minute of it. It is not hard to find someone to marry or not hard to start a family in the military. The possibility of getting deployed makes family life harder but in the end it makes your family stronger. Traveling, living in different places is fun! I grew up a military brat and would never change my experiences for anything in the world!!

You dont have to say, "I'll be military for life" when you sign the dotted line....usually four years of service then you can decide to continue or get out and get a civilian job.

Answer 8

A career with the US Armed Forces is well worth it.
It'll get you a better outlook on life and also will be able to get a better job when you do decide to retire from the US Military. US Army 21 Years!!!

Answer 9

For my family I would say it was worth it. My husband retired in 2005 at age 38. He is now collecting a military pension and is happily employed as an instructor/safety supervisor in the oil and gas industry. He will be able to retire completely at age 58 and have two pensions and with mine included we will live out our old age in relative comfort.

Answer 10

My brother seemed to like it. He retired after 20 years and got a great job so now he gets paid by his job and gets a pension from the Air Force not to mention his wife is retiring from the FBI so they are in the money.