ALT-1 Joining the Army
The Pros and Cons to joining the Army
As it was with me, I am sure many of you are trying to figure out whether or not it is a good idea to join the Army. You've probably talked to the local Army recruiters and no doubt you've sought the advice of veterans or members of the military, whether they are family or friends. Well I'm going to tell you what the recruiters will not tell you and what you need to know before making a life changing decision. First off let me say that I have been Active Duty Army for 9 years now, but I am in no way trying to persuade you to enlist or otherwise. I am simply here to convey to you what I wish I had known before I enlisted at 17 years old. Now I know you have thought about job security, opportunities for advancement, benefits, salary, and all of the things that anyone thinks of before choosing a career or job. All these things are either good or bad in relation to the Army, depending on the person.
One of the most common questions I have been asked is "What are the living arrangements like?", and to be truthful, there is no one answer for that. You might have your own small room to yourself, or a big room to yourself. Maybe sharing a big room with another soldier, or sharing a small room with another soldier. You might live with several people if you are deployed overseas. If you are married, the Army will provide you with a house, and I use that term loosely, on base. But if you are stationed overseas, the Army may not allow you to bring your family with you. As you can see, I could spend hours answering that question, so for now we are just going to move on.
Now, lets talk about what makes the world go round. That's right, money, money, money. I am going to explain this by telling you how much I make as a Sergeant with 9 years service time. My baseline pay is about $2,600 per month. That times twelve months is $31,200 per year. Sounds pretty decent right? Now I'm going to break that down for younger individuals who still haven't had the wonderful experience becoming familiar with Mr. IRS. or with what's known as "My wife and three Kids". After taxes that $2,600 becomes about $2,000. I actually think I just heard your jaw hit the ground. So that's a paycheck of $1000 dollars per two weeks. Mind you this is a Sergeant with 9 years. Now I have groceries, car payments, car insurance, dental insurance, phone bills, and gas. So lets be generous and turn that $1,000 every two weeks to $250 every two weeks. So should you want Internet and cable, you are not looking at a whole lot. As a single soldier when I was a private, after paying my car note and auto insurance, I think I had about $300 per month left over. So you definitely won't get rich in the Army, but you will be able to survive if you use your finances wisely.
Next on the list is education. We all know how important education is and rightfully so. The Army is very much for the advancement of knowledge for its soldiers. Now the recruiters will tell you that the Army will pay for 100% of your tuition. Now that is true if you enroll in a college that cost about $1400 a year because after that, it comes out of your pocket. So don't join with the delusion that you can take classes from Yale or Harvard, because it's just not going to happen.
