sleeper;795442 wrote:If the people can make more by being a contractor why don't they do it?

Zen;795455 wrote:Many do, but it takes experience to get into those positions. Like I said many come in untrained, but gain experience and knowledge during their service. Once they gain that experience and knowledge they are considered subject matter experts. What do these subject matter experts get paid? Not much more than the barely trained E-2's and E-3's they are in charge of...

sleeper;795451 wrote:What's to stop vets from bringing too many things home? There needs to be a limit, it was posted, they disobeyed and now they are whining about paying the consequences. They feel entitled to something, and that be definition means they are looking for handouts.

Tiger2003;795457 wrote:WTF do you think we are over there gift shopping? Do you understand how much gear we take?

sleeper;795464 wrote:I don't care how much gear you take. Who's fault is it that they did not read the policy? Don't cry if you can't follow the rules.

Tiger2003;795482 wrote:I really think some of you are above your head and are speaking out of your ass.

I deployed with Privates.

Here is a breakdown of a Private.
$338.68 a week
$1,467.60 a month
$17,611.20 a year

sleeper;795498 wrote:Did I say that's a lot? No, I said its FMV.

Tiger2003;795517 wrote:You said you can't believe how many money they make.

sleeper;795523 wrote:Salary + benefits.

sleeper;795456 wrote:If there isn't a high enough amount of people with experience that are leaving to earn more money, then there is no incentive for the military to pay more money. Once again, they are being paid a fair market value. I don't know why you are debating this, its simple economics.

Zen;795536 wrote:It is my understanding that FMV is the most one could get if they were looking to sell something on the open market. Open market would imply a negotiation of some sort you would think. There is no negotiation on pay in the military. It is whatever congress says it is, and apparently they don;t even have to pay you, based on what almost happened a month or two ago. Coming into the military at 18 with almost no skills or higher education I would say 18K is probably FMV give or take a few grand. But the escalation in pay is so small that it doesn;t match the increase in knowledge, responsibility or experience required to hold the position.

I really don;t see how YOU are debating the point unless you don't really know what is required to hold the position of an E-6. You can't walk off the streets into the position. IMHO I think the government/military keeps those position's pay low so that they don't have people stay in just for the money. If they did you wouldn't be able to promote lower enlisted and E-5's and the enlisted corps would either become disillusioned and leave at the end of their contracts...

Oh well I guess neither of us are going to see it from the other's perspective.

Tiger2003;795525 wrote:With the money we make we couldn't afford good insurance. We have to have good insurance.

I have had over $500,000 dollars in surgeries in the USMC.

sleeper;795556 wrote:Then find a career that gives you the insurance you feel you deserve.

Tiger2003;795563 wrote:I deserve the insurance I got from the USMC and I still have the insurance.

sleeper;795572 wrote:Good for you.

sleeper;795096 wrote:It's really not. Military pay is like $20,000 a year or so. That's $11 an hour with no college education, pretty solid ...

Tiger2003;795573 wrote:Yah it is good for me. You really believe that our insurance is to much?

sleeper;795555 wrote:http://www.amazon.com/Labor-Economics-George-Borjas/dp/0073511366/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307591423&sr=8-1

I cannot help you, but this book probably will.

Zen;795585 wrote:151 bucks for a textbook? Sorry can't afford that on what the Army pays me

Let me resort to something in my price range(google).
http://www.investorwords.com/1878/fair_market_value.html

Also the Internal Revenue Service defines fair market value as "the price that property would sell for on the open market. It is the price that would be agreed on between a willing buyer and a willing seller, with neither being required to act, and both having reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts." Do you really think somebody being promoted from E-5 to E-6 is not required to accept the very slight pay increase, that they are able to ask for more money? If you say "oh well they should know what to expect when they first join up", do you think that someone who is just deciding to join the military, who doesn't know what is required of you at each pay grade, is to be expected to "have reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts" in order to make an informed decision on whether or not to accept the salary that the may one day receive once they are promoted into higher pay grades?

sleeper;795592 wrote:Yes.

Zen;795596 wrote:Then you are either misinformed or a fool...

sleeper;795598 wrote:

Zen;795600 wrote:You have that one in your back pocket? lol... well, obviously you don't know much about the military, even less than what I know about "simple economics" I would say...C'est la vie oh well