“Man, we were rolling in the dough!”
In 1968, I was E-5, over two, married and got a separate quarters allowance. My take-home was right around $350. We ate a lot of macaroni.
When I was in Navy ROTC in ‘65, IIRC, an Ensign (O-1) was making about $300.
At Parris Island in ‘68 as an E-1 we were making $88/month.
Things have really changed!
Still, for laying your life on the line, they can’t pay you too much. What they need is “Draft Everyone” then allow people to hire someone to take their place (I think the Yankees did this in the War of Northern Aggression).
So, they draft some rich young lawyer who does not want to go. He/She/(It?) put their draft number out on Ebay. I make a bit of $4,000/month plus you purchase a $10 million life insurance policy for me.
Eventually the “rich young lawyer with better things to do” takes the low bid of $3500/month, $5 million policy and 5 weekends, annually, on the lawyers yacht.
Oh, and the “replacement draftee” still draws his military pay.
Free market at work!
When I was in Navy ROTC in ‘65, IIRC, an Ensign (O-1) was making about $300.
At Parris Island in ‘68 as an E-1 we were making $88/month.
Things have really changed!
Still, for laying your life on the line, they can’t pay you too much. What they need is “Draft Everyone” then allow people to hire someone to take their place (I think the Yankees did this in the War of Northern Aggression).
So, they draft some rich young lawyer who does not want to go. He/She/(It?) put their draft number out on Ebay. I make a bit of $4,000/month plus you purchase a $10 million life insurance policy for me.
Eventually the “rich young lawyer with better things to do” takes the low bid of $3500/month, $5 million policy and 5 weekends, annually, on the lawyers yacht.
Oh, and the “replacement draftee” still draws his military pay.
Free market at work!