Just Pay the Damn Soldiers What They Deserve Already

Posted on January 26, 2005

Hackworth: Nickle and Diming the Troops.

Maybe you better sit down and pop a Xanax before reading any further, because what I’m about to tell you should seriously short you out: not only is the average soldier’s salary barely life-sustaining, the combat pay of the average grunt in Afghanistan and Iraq is only $7.50 a day or a measly $225 a month. And to make matters worse, the folks bringing up the rear — hundreds of miles from the horror show — are pulling down the same combat pay as our heroes who daily lay their lives on the line.
America was far more generous to her soldiers during World War II, when combat pay on the battle fields of Europe and Asia was 30 cents a day or about ten bucks a month. Taking the rate of inflation into account, our draftee Army that whacked the Japanese and Germans received three times the hazardous duty pay we’re currently paying our professional Army.

Jesus Christ. Some kid sent out to kick doors down in Mosul, he deserves combat pay. Some other kid typing up supply requisitions in Kuwait City does not. What the fuck is going on at the Pentagon these days?

Hackworth’s group Soldiers For the Truth has compiled a roster of DoD specialized skill pay rates and imminent danger pay regulations if you want to dig into the details. Note that the hostile fire bonus is significantly less than that paid to “soldiers assigned to a vessel at sea or in port 50 miles from home port” — those lucky SOBs can get up to $400/month! It must really be stressful, being so far away from home and all.