How much do you think a soldier should be getting paid?

Question

Most of you pointed out that Soldiers are getting paid way too low, especially for some who put their lives on the line every minute in Iraq/Afghanistan, so how much do you think a Soldier should be getting paid? monthly and yearly wise?

thank you

Honestly in my opinion I would like every soldier who are serving in the battle zone to get as much as some celebrities do with their millions of dollars but I think if the pay for soldiers get too high, there will be problems as more people would join just for the high pay. If a soldier get paid 120,000 a year, there will be alot of problems

caldude, absolutely...I agree that a soldier should get paid dramatically more when serving in a combat zone because he/she is in alot more danger than he/she would be in the states or non-hostile location.
I would say the pay right now for a soldier stationed in the states should be higher by not much but a soldier serving in Iraq for example, should be dramatically higher

Terina...agreed 110%!!!!

combat pay should be MUCH more higher than $600 a month extra.......

Answer 1

We do not get paid enough to be honest. Being away from family, training, deployments. Movie starts and football players get paid much more than we do and that is just not right...

Answer 2

I think that the base pay that military gets paid right now is okay. the other allowances that they get makes up for some of the low pay. however, when they are deployed, it should go up. when i was deployed to Iraq, i thought that i should be getting more than i was just for the simple fact that i was in more danger than i was back here in the US. the civilian and contractors that are over there get paid anywhere from 85 to well over 100 grand a year. that compared to the approx $600 extra that we got per month for being over there?!!! that extra amount should go up to at least a grand a month, and that is not being ridiculous either, i think that a few more hundred dollars a month for risking your life like that isn't too much to ask. they should take some of that money that they give to these contractors and give it to the soldiers instead! so yes, they should keep the base pay and allowances the same, but they should definitely up the pay while a soldier is in theater (deployed to a war zone)!

Answer 3

Honestly, the pay isn't all that horrible. I was able to quit a crap job when my husband got deployed because he is now making more than the two of us combined did when he was home. We are going to get out of debt with this deployment (other than car payments). Though I do find it a joke that it's only $600 for being in theater. And they almost might as well not pay separation allowance, because it amounts to essentially nothing!
The pay I think is horrible is what he gets paid at home. Husband is Army Guard, and their drill pay is pathetic. Even at his rank, for a weekend drill his brings home only about $250 take home if it's a 3 day drill and they have to spend the night. I can't even imagine what the guys under him are bringing home. Can't be worth it for some of the specialists to even go!
But active duty wise, the pay is not that bad. If I had a better job right now, all of his check would be spent on nothing because he needs nothing while he is there. And it is still a volunteer army- no one made them sign up!

Edit: Nevermind- I like heaven sent's plan! Would work for me!

Answer 4

Having been in the service 21 years I feel my pay is currently appropriate.

However, I do believe the treatment of Veterans after they are out (for injuries etc) has serious need of assistance.

For example VA reps that answer the phones when they answer the phones should be other veterans, with some clue of how to speak to the Veterans calling for help.

Answer 5

That's a tough question. I retired from the army 14 years ago and if I see the pay scales right then the pay has about doubled since then. I sure would have loved to see that as I could actually live on my retirement then.

But then again, we never lacked for anything we needed. And remember its still an all volunteer Army.

Answer 6

Honest i really see your point but think, you just join the army for the cash or because you have a interest in military, I'm 18 and still want to join, its mind bending, the pay is crap, but if you work hard, rank up and get payed for doing the best job, sas get payed allot..and why ? because there devoted to what they do and they worked hard from the bottom, think the government wants to pay guys who are merely privates with such little experience. the wage should be more than doubled for entrants.

Answer 7

At least as much as the Blackwater mercenaries who rake in about $10,000/month ($120,000/year) in a battle zone, less in a peaceful area.

Don't you think they're worth it?

edit: I want to qualify my response with that I feel they deserve this money in a combat zone, so that if they get wounded and need lifetime medical care/assistance, they will have enough money to fall back on, not be completely reliant on disability payments, and hopefully not be homeless (or barely scraping by) like a lot of Vietnam vets are.

Answer 8

My husband didn't really care much until he was getting ready to deploy and met up with the civilian guys that were going with them as contractors. He said they get payed A LOT more than he does in a year. He wouldn't tell me exactly how much because he didnt want to talk about it anymore but..he was pissed. haha I think if anything..they should get at least as much as they do if not MORE...because they have the choice of leaving when they get home. My husband does it. he will see war again..they can change their minds and leave.

Answer 9

My brother and 4 of my friends are over there in combat infantry brigades, and after asking them if they like how much they get paid they say "I have nothing to use my money on over here anyways". Now if you talking about non combat personnel then I don't have any room to talk.

Answer 10

You will notice that most of the people saying they are underpaid are not veterans and most who support their current pay are veterans. They get paid appropriately and a lot more than when I was in during the 1990s. We all knew what we would be making and what we would be required to do.