Question aout hubby joining military?

Question

My husbands been thinking of joining the military lately. My question is how much is the pay for an entry level soldier and does he also get housing and food allowances while hes ins basic? (we don't have any kids) Also how do sign on bonuses work? And how long before I'd be able to join him?

Answer 1

Depending upon education level and if his recruiter will square him away he can go in as an E-3 or Private First Class. Does hubby have more than 90 college hours? If so, he can go straight from Basic to Officer Candidate School. Make sure it is in the contract though. Also, if he scores well enough on the ASVAB he can take the Flight Aptitude Test and go to Warrant Officer School and become a helo pilot. (again, get it in writing) Going in as an officer adds about $1000 a month. The pay is roughly $1500 for E-3's a month plus BAH and Separate Rations. BAH is basic allowance for housing which depends upon your current zipcode. When I lived in Houston it was over $950, now at Fort Polk, LA it is less than $700, obviously it differs for the cost of living. Sep Rats is money the army pays to feed him. You will get BAH while he is in Basic, but not SepRats until you are back together. SepRats are about $280. You will however get Separation pay of $250 per month while he is gone. Next, bonuses used to be that you get 1/3 of your bonus up to $7000 30 days after getting to his first duty station. Then the rest divided up on his anniversaries for the remainder of his contract except the last year. However, when I went in the max bonus was $20k, now I have seen ads for $40k. I do not know they are paid. On a personal note, try not to compare your current income with what you would expect in the army. I save about $150 a month with discounts for military on regular things. AT&T wireless has great military rates and tons of awesome free phones (hard to find, but send me a message and I will show you how to find them) and USAA insurance is about $80 less a month than my old ins co. If you have State Farm or Allstate, expect greater savings! Also, as long as your husband isn't a pothead or a criminal you will have security never worry about losing job or missing a house note. Let me know if you have more questions.

NONAME: Recruiters (not all) can, will and do lie... and there is NOT a difference in pay rates for married and unmarried soldiers

Answer 2

His pay will depend on his rank. But it won't cary much between those ranks. As an E-1, he would see about $650 every two weeks, an E-2 $700 every two weeks and E-3 $775 (this is a rough estimate mind you). He won't get his first check for 6-8 weeks after entering basic training/boot camp.
He will receive BAH on his check since you are married (which will vary depending on where you live) but he will not get BAS (food allowance) since the Govt. will be feeding him. The Food allowance is for him only, not for his family so anytime he is being fed, he won't get that money. If you live on base at his duty station, you will not receive BAH unless taht base has privitized housing and then you won't see it anyway. If you decide to live off-base, be aware that some area rents cost more than BAH and you will have to pay out of pocket for the remainder.
Every service has a different sing-on bonus policy. Army gives the largest, Air Force and CG, the least. you have to sign up for a certain job (the recruiter will tell you what jobs) for a certain length of time.
You can join him at his first duty station. you will not be able to see him during Tech School/AIT until his schooling if over 6 months long. Afterhis Tech School/AIT is over, he can take leave and return home to help you pack up and move. He can then go with you to his first duty station. make sure you have a POA so that when you find out where he will first be stationed, you can go get on the housing list for your new base and arrange for the movers to come pack up your stuff and move you.
The military is a great life but the pay is not that great. My husband is an E-4 (E-5 select) with almost 4 years in service and he only brings home $900 every two weeks. It can be a challenge and you will definitely learn how to budget :0)

Answer 3

You can check on the pay thru www.military.com

If he has college etc. he may come in higher than an E-1.
I believe he will get housing and food allowance while in basic however be prepared before hand it takes a while for the pay to go thru.
Sign on bonuses change all the time you will have to check with a recruiter.
He will have to go thru basic and AIT, (depending on how long his AIT is you might be able to join him there but he keep in mind he might have to still reside in the barracks) your best bet would be to wait until he gets his first duty assignment and you all can go together.

Answer 4

As for the pay diffrences for married and unmarried there isnt. Your Housing Allowance is higher if you have dependants. And if you have dependants or live off base you gat a food allowance. Military pay caharts are all over the web if you google them. I came in as an E-3 for enlisting for 6 years and I got BAH since my wife at the time was living off base.

Answer 5

To answer your question;

It would depend on the rate he enlists at, and there is a single and a married rate of pay for each rank. The benefits (housing) are dependent on availability and usually after basic training. Bonuses are dependent on the job your husband signs up for, the most needed jobs get the higher sign up bonuses. But most of these questions can be answered by your husbands military recruiter.

Answer 6

I can see he's really, really thinking hard about it if you are the one who has to ask these questions.

Answer 7

let him join, he is going to go around and **** other women anyway, i do it