our armed forces?

Question

if as the mod say they are paid 24hrs a day why arent the govt charged for breaching minimum wage laws they set up.

Answer 1

The reason the Military is not paid by the hour is simple, we are paid on a base pay. This is the same as making a salary. But is the Military underpaid, depends on how you look at it. Take myself, I am a Sergeant with 6 yrs time in Service (your time in service has a lot to do with your pay, the longer your in the more you get paid) I make $2,323.60 base pay. Base Pay is the only pay we get taxed on. On top of Base Pay I get an additional $280 a month for food, $1,000 for house payment or rent. Now if you are deployed, you get additional Pay. $250 a month for being separated from your family, $150 for Hazardous Duty, $100 for Deployment pay, also $4 a day for Per Diem, this is not much but it adds up. And on top of that we do not pay Federal Tax while Deployed. So if you add that up for 1 Month and we only worked 40 hours we would make $25.65 and hour. But we do not work 40 hours it could be as high as 100 hours, but this only while deployed to combat. And on top of all we only have to pay about $40.00 a month for full Insurance coverage on our families. That is where the difference in pay is made up. The government will continue to give a raise every year so our pay will catch up eventually. Plus we get 30 days paid vacation a year, not many people get that after 30 yrs at a job you get that after 1 year in the Military. The pay is good, but could be better, but COULD AMERICA TRULY AFFORD TO PAY HER SERVICE MEMBERS WHAT THEY ARE WORTH? No the American Service Member is priceless, and remember to thank one the next time you them.

Answer 2

As most people have said the main difference is between salary, and wage.

However the forces are also given working hours with plenty of time off, and paid leave. In this respect it balances out.

When on operations you have to work harder, longer hours, greater danger, etc. This is all covered by the military covenant with the government, where the government promises to look after it's forces and to show them respect for the things that they have had to endure, and the sacrifices made. They promise to give them good houses, and communites, they promise to look after the families whilst the soldiers are gone and, should the worst happen, they promise to look after the families then as well.

This is worth more than mere money.

Answer 3

In the armed forces, you are not paid for 24 hours a day. Even in a theatre of war you are relived for rest periods and given leave.But you can be on call for duty at any time of the day or night, but this rarely happens.

Answer 4

Your not working 24-7 just on call 24-7 there is a diff. If your on call as a civilian you don't get paid until you go to work. The Military is paid a salary not by the hour.

Vet-USAF

Answer 5

Our government mistreats its U.S. troops by paying them poorly, reducing their benefits, sometimes not providing them with the best equipment, often not offering adequate medical or psychiatric treatment for military-inflicted illness or problems, and failing to recognize them as the true heroes in any war or military conflict.
Yet, brigadier generals and other pampered military officers are treated like some kind of privileged royalty, just as our corrupt, incompetent, cowardly members of Congress receive outlandish salaries, perks and lifetime benefits that they are unworthy of; I personally think the 'grunts' who are in the trenches putting themselves in harm's way ought to receive the same kind of compensation that is bestowed upon our military brass and our Congressional representatives. Or, reverse the process and pay the military brass and members of Congress on the same scale as the lowest U.S. soldier is paid. Members of Congress, Commanders-in-Chief and hotsy-totsy Pentagon officials don't deserve any better treatment, compensation or benefits than those guys who are losing limbs and sacrificing lives just so a handful of wealthy elitists, industrialists and power brokers can become wealthier and more powerful.
On this Veterans' Day, might we pause for a moment to remember all of this nation's fallen heroes, who - unlike so-called public 'servants' actually gave up their lives for the love of their country. -RKO- 11/11/07

Answer 6

There's a difference between a salary and a wage.

Answer 7

They are salaried employees, and the minimum wage laws skip out on the military...conveint, i know.

Answer 8

You get a monthly pay whether you work one hour a month or every hour for a month. Previous posters are correct; they are salaried, not hourly!

Answer 9

Your Government should atleast treat good who protects the country.

Answer 10

there is a clause that exempts them, it's the same when it comes to some criminal charges too, they usually are handled by a military court.