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[elvislee]

For those affected; here you are.

http://www.military.com/military-report/house-panel-agrees-to-3.9-percent-raise-in-2009?ESRC=miltrep.nl

[Smiler]

What's the rate of inflation running at?

[DCFIREMANN]

What's the rate of inflation running at?

Higher than the raise!!!!! Go figure!

Be Safe

THE DAWG

[Smiler]

Higher than the raise!!!!! Go figure!

Be Safe

THE DAWG

So your guys get the same pay cut as ours.  Our public sector staff (armed forces, nurses etc) get 2.9%, inflation over here is around 4.2% and our politicians vote themselves a 9% raise - it really sucks.

[REGGAB]

Interesting how history repeats itself.  With these fuel prices, I wonder if troops are carpooling like we did back in the day.

[cuthbertss]

ah hell...this isnt anything new.....  pretty much standard data since i have played this game....
about every 6 years or so, you get a nice raise to play catch up...  the rest of the years...  like that or worse

[grc]

What's the rate of inflation running at?

Higher than the raise!!!!! Go figure!

Be Safe

THE DAWG

Yup, that sucks.  I've always felt that the enlisted ranks deserve much better pay, but with increases that don't cover inflation they can't stay even much less get ahead.  Makes me real proud to be an American when they show stories on the news of military families having to apply for public assistance. 

Of course, there's a large number of folks in this country (including me) who can directly relate to the enlisted folks situation.  Private industry has been doing this to the nonunion employees for the past couple of decades.  Inflation at 4%, average "merit raise" fund budgeted at 3% of payroll.  The only way to progress is to get promotions, be a member of the latest "protected class", or just be the biggest suck-up.  All of this at the same time that CEO compensation has increased from 40 times the average workers pay to something in the vicinity of 500 times.  Don't forget, Greed Is Good!  Hmmmm, wonder how much congress and the executive branch are going to award themselves.

Jerry

[Hugh Janis]

I'm with you Jerry.  I have a white collar job than could earn me 1/2 of what I did last year.  It's happened a couple times in my career.  There was one year where my mortgage was a month late and I couldn't bring it current while living check to check.  At least I had a job and the freedom to find a different one.  Servicemen can't or they're AWOL.

I feel bad for the servicemen.  Many are supporting families at home who have to deal with $4/gal gas now and all of the inflation that that leads to directly (groceries etc.).

[Sean M Cary]

Interesting how history repeats itself.  With these fuel prices, I wonder if troops are carpooling like we did back in the day.

Not on Camp Lejeune... 

You should see the beasts the young Marines are driving!  Huge freakin 250's and 350's...most are Turbo Diesel so they are getting really slammed, diesel is over $4.00 a gallon here. 

Traffic here SUCKS!  Getting out the main gate and onto 24 a 17 mile ride take over 40 minutes.

Not many MC's...  I get 54 mpg on my KLR650...34 miles a day adds up in my F-150.

And hey, we sorta earned the raise...just my opinion.

Sean

[Sean M Cary]

Yup, that sucks.  I've always felt that the enlisted ranks deserve much better pay, but with increases that don't cover inflation they can't stay even much less get ahead.  Makes me real proud to be an American when they show stories on the news of military families having to apply for public assistance. 

Jerry

I am a huge proponent of young Marines NOT getting married.  These kids get married at 18 or 19 and start pumping out kids like its cool... I get by as a Major with a wife and two kids making more then a LCpl, but we are not rolling in $$ by any means... I would not have been able to afford the CVO I have if not for my dad giving it to me...so I am out of my league with most of you on this site. 

I am not sure how they make it married and young enlisted.  The Marines in the Barracks with no cost of living are rolling in extra $$ - you should see the rolling stock here.  Huge trucks, Cobra's, HMMV's you name it (and I drive a 10 year old Ford!)...  These kids are getting 7 months or more tax free in a combat zone with the extra pay, and you can't spend it there.  They come home and train like crazy and go right back out 7 months later.

Gotta get back to work - been slacking today. 

Sean

[TankerPig]

I was a tank company XO which also made me platoon commander of the HQ platoon, which is the largest Plt in a tank company.  Before we punched on our deployment, my Plt Sgt and I counseled 5 Marines on why NOT to get married before we deployed.  Apparently they all fell in love and had this notion in their heads that getting married to their sweethearts before they left for Iraq was romantic and going to make a marriage last forever.  We return (with everyones fingers and toes intact) and low and behold they all end up getting divorces within a couple months.  Combat pay gone, which is a big chunk of change.  One Marine's wife also bought a brand new Ford pickup while he was gone...she told him it was a present for him..although she bought it a month after he left and she was driving it everywhere.

I found one of the biggest challenges as a leader of Marines is making sure they are financially responsible.  This is a hurdle especially when there are vulture payday-loan establishments and shady car dealerships camped all along the roads into bases (especially Camp Lejeune) and Marines running around simply wanting to buy brand new toys.  I'm torn between wanting enlisted Marines' base pay to be increased and wanting to strangle them when they buy cars whose monthly payments they can't afford.

[cuthbertss]

I was a tank company XO which also made me platoon commander of the HQ platoon, which is the largest Plt in a tank company.  Before we punched on our deployment, my Plt Sgt and I counseled 5 Marines on why NOT to get married before we deployed.  Apparently they all fell in love and had this notion in their heads that getting married to their sweethearts before they left for Iraq was romantic and going to make a marriage last forever.  We return (with everyones fingers and toes intact) and low and behold they all end up getting divorces within a couple months.  Combat pay gone, which is a big chunk of change.  One Marine's wife also bought a brand new Ford pickup while he was gone...she told him it was a present for him..although she bought it a month after he left and she was driving it everywhere.

I found one of the biggest challenges as a leader of Marines is making sure they are financially responsible.  This is a hurdle especially when there are vulture payday-loan establishments and shady car dealerships camped all along the roads into bases (especially Camp Lejeune) and Marines running around simply wanting to buy brand new toys.  I'm torn between wanting enlisted Marines' base pay to be increased and wanting to strangle them when they buy cars whose monthly payments they can't afford.

years ago when i was a CPT I ran into one of my BROKE privates at the Ford dealer...he was buying a new truck....  i told the dealer not to come crying to me when he didnt pay for it....

a few weeks later i got a call... the check he wrote for the down payment bounced and he missed a payment....  go figure...
stupid

[07 CVO]

I was a tank company XO which also made me platoon commander of the HQ platoon, which is the largest Plt in a tank company.  Before we punched on our deployment, my Plt Sgt and I counseled 5 Marines on why NOT to get married before we deployed.  Apparently they all fell in love and had this notion in their heads that getting married to their sweethearts before they left for Iraq was romantic and going to make a marriage last forever.  We return (with everyones fingers and toes intact) and low and behold they all end up getting divorces within a couple months.  Combat pay gone, which is a big chunk of change.  One Marine's wife also bought a brand new Ford pickup while he was gone...she told him it was a present for him..although she bought it a month after he left and she was driving it everywhere.

I found one of the biggest challenges as a leader of Marines is making sure they are financially responsible.  This is a hurdle especially when there are vulture payday-loan establishments and shady car dealerships camped all along the roads into bases (especially Camp Lejeune) and Marines running around simply wanting to buy brand new toys.  I'm torn between wanting enlisted Marines' base pay to be increased and wanting to strangle them when they buy cars whose monthly payments they can't afford.

Tanker,

I am a MSgt and have been in the USAF for 20 years, and we do not have the same policy as the USMC about getting permission for our junior enlisted on getting approval to get married thru the chain of command.  What the USAF has done instead has given the jr. enlisted much better private living quarters where they aren't enticed as much to need to get married to get a little privacy.  I have always believed that if you give the jr. enlisted a little freedom they may just fool you and make the right decision, but if you scrutinize ever moove they make they are going to sneak and do whatever they want just to get one over on you.

As for the pay raise I believe it would be better served as a flat rate across the board because the 4-star recieves a $675.00 raise where the E-3 who needs the raise get a whopping $65.00.

Mark

[TankerPig]

07 CVO

The Corps doesn't have a policy requiring Marines to get permission to get married.  Plus, like you, I am a HUGE supporter of treating junior enlisted like men, always have, always will be.  And I never doubt that they are capable of making good decisions.  That's the reason that I never had problems sending 23-yr old (and younger) Sgts and Cpls as patrol leaders...responsible for the lives of at least 20 other Marines...depending on them to interact with the local populace in an honorable manner.  They rarely suprised me since I always expected the best from them.  My Plt Sgt and I counseled the Marines because they wanted to get married right before we were getting ready to deploy to Iraq...and we wanted to ensure that they were getting married for the right reasons (they weren't, as they all just met these girls not more than two or three months prior to deciding to get hitched, and like I metioned, all had this Shakespearean-tragedy idea that it was romantic to get married right before war). 

The "standard of living" between the USAF and USMC vastly differ, but my Battalion at least never had issues with the barracks.  We actually had enough rooms to give Sgts their own rooms, 2 Cpls to a room, and 3 LCpls/Pfcs to a room (this situation varied between types of units.  I can guarantee the grunts had a different set up).  If I did run across a Marine getting married to simply get a place to live with some privacy, I would have counseled him against it -- but in the end I can't stop him, just guide him as best as I can since I am responsible for their welfare - and I take that responsiblity very seriously.  It's not scrutiny, it's being a good leader and taking care of Marines.  You'd be hard-pressed to find a senior enlisted Marine leader who doesn't feel the same.

[07 CVO]

07 CVO

The Corps doesn't have a policy requiring Marines to get permission to get married.  Plus, like you, I am a HUGE supporter of treating junior enlisted like men, always have, always will be.  And I never doubt that they are capable of making good decisions.  That's the reason that I never had problems sending 23-yr old (and younger) Sgts and Cpls as patrol leaders...responsible for the lives of at least 20 other Marines...depending on them to interact with the local populace in an honorable manner.  They rarely suprised me since I always expected the best from them.  My Plt Sgt and I counseled the Marines because they wanted to get married right before we were getting ready to deploy to Iraq...and we wanted to ensure that they were getting married for the right reasons (they weren't, as they all just met these girls not more than two or three months prior to deciding to get hitched, and like I metioned, all had this Shakespearean-tragedy idea that it was romantic to get married right before war). 

The "standard of living" between the USAF and USMC vastly differ, but my Battalion at least never had issues with the barracks.  We actually had enough rooms to give Sgts their own rooms, 2 Cpls to a room, and 3 LCpls/Pfcs to a room (this situation varied between types of units.  I can guarantee the grunts had a different set up).  If I did run across a Marine getting married to simply get a place to live with some privacy, I would have counseled him against it -- but in the end I can't stop him, just guide him as best as I can since I am responsible for their welfare - and I take that responsiblity very seriously.  It's not scrutiny, it's being a good leader and taking care of Marines.  You'd be hard-pressed to find a senior enlisted Marine leader who doesn't feel the same.

Tanker,

I do not doubt you or your SNCO's leadership abilities, and I have worked with some fine Marines in the Past. I have done two Joint Service assignments where I worked hand-in-hand with Marines for seven years. This is where I am somewhat knowledgeable of what you guys go thru.  I also understand why you do counsel your jr. enlisted about getting married before going off to war. I do understand not wanting them to Blow the money on "I'm torn between wanting enlisted Marines' base pay to be increased and wanting to strangle them when they buy cars whose monthly payments they can't afford." but I have seen more than one officer make these same mistakes in my career. I would rather them have the pay-raise and invest some time into financial management classes before and after a deployment.

Mark

[TankerPig]

Back in the day...when I was a new Lt and actually had junior Marines working for me (I am a Staff Weenie now...sigh) I made them all take Math for Marines and the Financial Management MCI's (Marine Corps Institute) out as soon as they checked into my section. 

I never had a Marine write a bad check from my section.  When I was a Company Commander I actually had Marines tell me that still had checks left, so they assumed they still had money.

Sean

Those two MCI's are mandatory for junior Marines as part of their PME now