• Toneswirly@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Lol yeah 35k to sign your life away to the government. Ill just smoke weed in my duck costume thank you very much.

  • Crack0n7uesday@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I think starting salary in US military is closer to $50k now. I remember Trump promised (and one of the things he actually delivered) military pay raises and that’s why he has much support with veterans.

    • JustAnotherRando@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      The $35k may have been referring to the sign on bonus. I don’t know if sign on has gotten that high, but it was the first thing I thought of.

  • neptune@dmv.social
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    9 months ago

    Thanks for sumarrizing this potentially false, outdated story, with those helpful images.

    • Buelldozer@lemmy.today
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      9 months ago

      It is when you are in the military and housing, food, and healthcare are paid for. At that point all you REALLY need the 35K for is to buy a V6 Camaro (or Mustang).

      • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        bah, someone hasn’t been on post in the last decade… it’s all about 'dem chargers now. fucking chargers, as far as the eye can see… oh look, there’s one getting repo’d now, to later be resold to some e3 on a ridiculous loan! the majesty of nature!

        • Facebones@reddthat.com
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          9 months ago

          I remember my base tours where they desperately try to accentuate the “for sale” lot your fancy car will inevitably be on in 6 months, unsurprisingly it deterred approx nobody.

    • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de
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      9 months ago

      That’s the sign on bonus. The salary is around $22,000 a year starting. Abysmal, but you don’t have to pay for much. Food, and housing and insurance is covered.

      Army wouldn’t be my choice, but my best friend did his 20 and out in the air force and climbed high enough in the ranks that he was making six figures. He got to retire at 38 with free Healthcare the rest of his life and gets like $60k a year and got to go to a lot of cool places (as well as shit ones, of course). AF or coast guard be about the only ones I’d consider.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        I knew a marine growing up. Fully into all things marine, vietname vet. Right around the time I turned 18 he told me to not go into the Marines, go into the Air Force, go into anything except the Marines.

        Maybe he didn’t like me, but I don’t think that was the case.

      • yacht_boy@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Guy I worked with retired from the Navy as a captain and got whatever very generous pay came with that. Then used his veterans preference to get a job in my agency, did that for 20+ years, retired as a gs 14 so he gets that annuity plus his TSP savings plus social security in a few years. He’s still barely 60, so he is working as a consultant. I’m guessing he’s pulling down $200k with all the various incomes and maybe working 20 hours a week, and he’s got the Healthcare and other benefits for life. People trash talk the military and government but if you work the system right it can be worthwhile. Hell, I wish I’d joined just so I could get USAA.

    • aidan@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      In a lot of places, yes it definitely is. With 2.5k a month I have a lot of money leftover.

    • Artyom@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Well private annual salary is actually $23,011 according to goarmy.com. Idk where the 35k is from, might include a signing bonus or something.

    • Stamets@lemmy.worldOP
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      9 months ago

      It’s not the wage. It’s an enlistment bonus for shipping out to basic within a short time frame of enlisting. Meant to help fill vacancies in the Army.

      • BoofStroke@sh.itjust.works
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        9 months ago

        Not to mention clothing, housing, food are all taken care of too. Not to mention perks of military base discounts and programs.

      • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Nobody wants to join the military because people are tired of going to fight strangers in foreign countries they have no beef with. We’re figuring out that our military is actually more of a terrorist organization with veto power in NATO.

        Plus you know, people are worried about the impending climate crisis and the future water wars more than the geopolitical dick swinging the military is used to enforce.

        • thedirtyknapkin@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          plus all we ever hear about from vets is how this country refuses to take care of them… the abysmal state of veteran care in this country has broken the line in many traditionally long running military families. like, if big papa breadwinner of the traditional southern family comes back broken and unable to work that family just ends up on the street. that alone breaks that chain of what may have been 10 generations of military men. now think of every less extreme scenario and how common they are and how they affects the minds of those children that may have previously been gung-ho to sign up.

          veterans these days have little pride over what they accomplished or failed to accomplish, the war stories are hard to make glorious sounding, they all have some severe medical issue caused by the military that the military refuses to acknowledge and/or help them with, so very many homeless veterans…

          I’m not at all pro military, but even I can see how ridiculously fucked it is that a man can sign his life away to fight for a county and for that county to not even have the decency to pick him up out of the fucking dirt after…

          • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            veterans these days have little pride over what they accomplished or failed to accomplish, the war stories are hard to make glorious sounding, they all have some severe medical issue caused by the military that the military refuses to acknowledge and/or help them with, so very many homeless veterans…

            I don’t disagree with your conclusion but fyi - korean vietnam and 80s conflicts vets very rarely have gung-ho battle glory stories to sell. they experienced as much trauma as iraq/afghanistan vets, there’s not a lot of glory to go around. the familial tradition of service is being broken, but the service is also trying to diversify and get away from being 80%+ legacy/ mil family tradition we had in the 90s.

            • thedirtyknapkin@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              i wasn’t trying to be exclusive to only the most recent conflicts. this is a thing that’s been developing and getting worse for a long time. i never thought anyone had any proud battle stories from those eras either. pretty much since wwii as far as i can tell…

    • ililiililiililiilili@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      For the vast majority of those enlisting, I’d say the 35k must go towards a down payment on a 4wd, lifted truck (with balls hanging off the back).

      • YaksDC@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        There are so many predatory car dealers around every American base. All the sign say will finance E1 and up. (E1 is the lowest enlisted rank) They know once they get them to sign if the teenager tries to default they can contact their command and put a lien on their pay.

  • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
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    9 months ago

    they’ll bring back slave armies before they let the lack of volunteers actually hamper their efforts to use the military to establish american global dominion

  • Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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    9 months ago

    I always love it when I see this meme.

    The stories in the comments of Americans getting pushed to the military are always wild on these.

      • Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Yeah you’re not clocking out and getting stoned/drunk watching old Cartoon Network shows if you work for the military.

        Once you sign, you’re living that life for a chunk of years.

        And if you really fuck up, military courts are brutal compared to civilian court.

    • IndiBrony@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      You’re on the clock 23 hours and 59 minutes of the day. That hourly rate is MUCH lower.

  • AA5B@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Depending on where this was and how long ago, this is pretty close to minimum wage in some us states. If they get paid as much to wear a duck costume, at no risk except their pride, why wouldn’t they?

    • Jax@sh.itjust.works
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      9 months ago

      Well, it’s 35k period. Plus the pay from the job, which is usually just straight up work experience in a field like hvac repair (for example).

      Let’s be clear, joining the military is not a bad deal monetarily. They will take care of you as far as your career is concerned.

      • While I was not one of those guys, there were a couple in my cohort who lived in the barracks, ate in the mess hall, didn’t buy stereo systems on credit with 30% interest rates, and (most of all) didn’t hang out in strip clubs every weekend. These guys ETSed after 3 years with a couple hundred thousand dollars in the bank.

        The issue for most service persons is that there are sophisticated, established industries located mere miles off-base whose sole purpose is to seperate soldiers from their money. They’re exceptionally good at it. Like, honestly terrifyingly good at it. Not like it’s hard; most of these kids have zero experience managing money, are chronically horney, and desperate for any diversion from their jobs. Regardless, most who leave after short terms leave broke.

        Like you say, with a little self control, it can be a pretty good deal. It’s not just the salary; you get free room & board, if you want it, and that’s a huge benefit.

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I think it’s a 35k signing bonus on top of the shitty military pay.

      But there are benefits to military beyond pay. The free housing and Healthcare alone are worth more than a private’s wages. Enough expenses are covered that 25k a year is actually pretty good for a single person with no education or experience. The retirement benefits and free college education are also very attractive. You have people retiring in their 30s and 40s making good money on top of whatever field they decide to pursue post-military.

      I’m no supporter of the MIC, but joining the military can be a good economic and career decision for someone fresh out of high school without any direction.

      • Confound4082@lemmy.ml
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        9 months ago

        Yes, free healthcare, GI Bill, free housing, retirement, there are definitely negative things, but there are a lot of upsides, even just doing it for one enlistment can be very beneficial