Verified Document

Army Pay I Am Currently In The Essay

Army Pay I am currently in the Army, CW2, with a pay grade of W-2 and married to another Service Member. While I support the Army's pay policy, there are clearly disparities in pay and raises are not always equal across the board, again depending on increases in job responsibilities, description, service ratings and other ancillary influences.

In general, because the military is such a hierarchical organization, pay is based on length of time in service; responsibilities (pay grade, supervisory roles, level of specialized education necessary, and a host of other factors). The pay grades and allowances have been standardized for all the services, and do have some exceptions (medical expertise, hazard pay, etc.). Authority for basic pay, issues with absences from duty, special pays and exceptions are outlined in the June 2005 policy changes, with individual yearly changes made in a matrix (Department of the Army, 2005).

Effective January 1, 2014, the Basic Pay matrix runs from E1 to 010 grades-based roughly on 2-year time periods. In general, there are marginal raises between years, with some exceptions. For instance, the military most definitely expects individuals to move upward in rank over a 2-3-year period, or their pay becomes static. For example, E3 grade remains the same after 3 years with no changes. O7-10 pay is limited on an Executive Schedule,...

Within the pay matrix there are basic housing allowances with and without dependents, again, based on pay grade; clothing allowances, family separation allowances, and a detailed list of incentive and special pays (Aviation, Career, Hazardous Duty, Hostile Fire, Demolition, Diving, Health Professionals, Multi-year retention, Reup bonuses, etc.) (Department of Defense, 2014).
Pay in the military has improved over the past several decades. The competitiveness of the pay is based on the particular specialty, and base pay lagged about 13% behind civilian pay in most areas prior to 2008-2009. However, fresh out of High School, no additional education, a brand new E1 would receive close to $30,000 / annum, including free housing, food and income tax advantage. Compare this with an E6, four children, 10-year's experience in the military, and making about $55,000 / annum. With 10-year's experience and a particular expertise, while the military salary is decent, it is not highly competitive. Similarly, those coming in as officers (commissioned) with 10 years' experience will be making close to $94,000/annum, and depending on expertise, is likely fairly competitive with the civilian sector. Basic pay in the military is taxable unless the person is in a combat or non-tax zone; and…

Sources used in this document:
REFERENCES

Department of the Army. (2005). Military Pay and Allowance Policy. Army Regulation 37-104-4. Retrieved from: http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r37_104_4.pdf

Department of Defense (2014). DFAS Military Pay Table. Retrieved from: http://www.dfas.mil/dms/dfas/militarymembers/pdf/MilPayTable2014.pdf

Meyer, C. (2010). The Myth of Low Military Pay. Truthout. Retrieved from: http://www.truth-out.org/archive/item/88263:the-myth-of-low-military-pay

Powers, R. (2012). What the Recruiter Never Told You. About.com U.S. Military. Retrieved from: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/recruiter5.htm
U.S. Census Bureau. (2011) Household Income. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/cpstables/032012/hhinc/toc.htm
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Army Reserve Retention Impact
Words: 1450 Length: 5 Document Type: Literature Review

Army Reserve Retention Impact Due To Deployments The requirement for the BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Business Administration This thesis has been Accepted for the faculty of Endicott College Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies by: Prof. Terence Lynn, M.Ed., C.A.G.S., L.M.H.C Professor Lawrence O'Toole, M.Ed. Sub-Problems and Supporting Information Page ? Technical and Other Terms Page ? Passion for Research Page ? Dependent Variable Page ? Independent Variable Page ? Chapter Two, Literature Review Page ? The History and Importance of the Reserves

Army Reserve National Guard Retention Impact Due to Deployments
Words: 1986 Length: 7 Document Type: Thesis

Army Reserve/National Guard Retention Impact Due to Deployments The United States Army Reserve (USAR) can be traced back to April 23, 1908, since Congress passed a Senate Bill 1424. This authorized the Army to establish a reserve corps of medical officers. The USAR is a key element of The Department of the Army's multi-component force. The Army Reserve's primary mission is to provide trained and ready personnel with the skills necessary

Army Structure; From 3-Brigade Division Units to
Words: 5902 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

Army Structure; from 3-Brigade Division Units to Units of Action At the Pentagon, briefings routinely begin with the old adage that "the only thing constant today is change." Since the age of the Cold War, the United States Army has faced change at home and abroad, experiencing not only a massive transformation in technology and infrastructure, but also in the worldwide approach to warfare. As the end of front-line battles gave

Ohio Army National Guard Consists of a
Words: 7256 Length: 26 Document Type: Research Proposal

Ohio Army National Guard consists of a plethora of people who are seeking to make a difference in the world they serve. They will honor and protect the United States in all aspects of their life. This is done by using ships and plane to prepare for war or to help others if an epidemic should arise. These individuals are brave individuals who believe in changing lives for the positive

History Evolution Espionage. Pay Attention Spies Reasoning
Words: 1152 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

history evolution espionage. Pay attention spies reasoning willingness assume role. This paper cite assigned readings incorporate thoughts deemed relevant forum discussion. Questions discussed forum class participation: Is spying ? Should a spy/source considered a traitor country? How mitigate risks engaging types individuals? If refer books "The Moral Dilemmas Spying" Why Spy? Espionage Age Uncertainty." Espionage While espionage involves a complex system in the present and while it has come to be

United States Army Do to
Words: 7293 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

Hearing loss is very case specific because one person who has hearing loss or impairment may be able to hear certain sounds or be completely deaf. Impairment entails something is not working as well as it should but there may still be some basic functioning. Hearing loss can go by many terms such as deaf, deafness, or hard of hearing. All could be one and the same situation but as

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now