Beth,

Before Reagan began the buildup, I understand that life was pretty miserable
for military folks after 'Nam.  As much as I like Mr. Carter as a person,
his treatment of our services bordered on criminal.  My boss got his
commission as a shavetail Army Lt. in '78.  He has some real horror
stories--about the quality of life AND the quality of recruit in those first
years of the all-volunteer services.

Many of the people I work with are in the National Guard or Reserves.  A
good many purchase their BDUs, boots, dress blues, greens and whites through
internet stores like Armed Forces Merchandise Outlet:
http://66.218.71.225/search/cache?p=armed+forces+merchandise+outlet&ei=UTF-8
&url=vllE-sCxkoYJ:www.afmo.com/

Stuff is MUCH cheaper than buying at base exchanges, although you still have
to get the dress uniforms tailored locally.

I suppose off-base housing affordability depends on your duty station.  I
know my parents struggled a lot more at Quantico than at Mayport NAS (of
course, that was long before Jacksonville got invaded by snowbirds <g>.  I
imagine housing is pretty dear around there now).

I think the phenomenon of enlisteds with families is a recent phenomenon
that was a result of the all-volunteer service.  The services have tried to
keep up with the new demographic, but so much of the infrastructure is still
geared toward the old, don't you think?

Kyle

-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth H. Thiers [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 7:38 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Taxes; was RE: Mag's whip


Kat,
Even when I was in, most enlisted personnel wifes took jobs to make ends
meet.  We only got housing allowances if we lived off base or off naval
housing.  I got $300 a month because we didn't have a galley on our command
and had to buy our own food, plus a housing allowance, about $175 a year for
uniforms (even though the cost was much higher because I usually had to buy
at least 5 sets of working uniforms, new boots, 2 new sets of whites, and 2
new sets of blues, socks, t-shirts, etc every year).  Being an E-5 after 5
years in the military my base pay 12 years ago was something like $11,000, I
think with extras I got it somewhere up to $20,000.  I'd have to look it up.
Oh, I also had to pay for my own life insurance and pay into the GI bill the
first year in the service.
You could make it, and many families still do, but, you do have to be
thrifty.  I do miss the the cheaps at the on base malls and commissary plus,
the cheap recreation opportunities.


beth t the OT

-----Original Message-----
From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
Subject: Re: Taxes; was RE: Mag's whip


Trish, problem is, the allowances are fixed, not indexed to where one lives
so if you live in an expensive area it's hard to make ends meet.  And
non-coms get less than officers.  In today's economy, some military wives
are taking off-base jobs to make ends meet.


Kat