[Rhodes22-list] Political:Off to Iraq- NO Bonus

[DCLewis1 at aol.com]

Josef,
 
I think you are dating yourself regarding $110/mo.  I think  you'll find the 
enlisted ranks and officer corps in the military make a  darn fine living 
today.  Very much changed when we went to an all volunteer  force - the pay is 
good and the fringe benefits are great.  I'm convinced  that young people go into 
the military as a career after making a personal  tradeoff - how well will 
they do in the service vice how well will they do  driving a truck or working at 
the textile mills. The ex-CoS of the Army  explicitly said that was his 
tradeoff.  Recruiters will tell you that  enlistments go up when the economy is in 
the dumps (i.e. alternative employment  opportunities are minimized).  I think 
I recall that an Army E-5 can make  $65K/yr - not bad for a high school grad, 
and did I mention the 20 year pension  and free med?  Do a Google, look up 
the pay rates - and then add in free  medical, separate housing allowance, etc, 
etc.
 
Of course the money they make is not "to go to Iraq" and to be shot  at, it's 
to be in the service.  And if being in the service means they  have to take 1 
or 2 tours in Iraq or Afghanistan, that's the choice they  make.  But they 
are not signing up to Iraq for $65K/yr, they are signing up  to a 20 - 30 year 
career at $65K and benefits, with a couple of tours in Iraq -  there's a big 
difference.
 
Herb has said they are not mercenaries.  Recuiters, the Services, and  the 
Congress will tell you that prospective pay and benefits are a large  part of 
the personal tradeoff that induces recruits to join the military.   The reason 
personnel pay increased so dramatically when we went to an all  volunteer force 
was that the pay HAD to be increased to meet recruiting goals -  prospective 
recruits were making their personal decisions based to a  substantial degree 
on financial inducements, I'd call that a very practical  approach, but it 
clearly has mercenary attributes.
 
Dave