Number Crunching

The reality is even sadder.

I’ve been pouring over numbers for hours. Research for yet MORE info the IRS wants.

(As a side note: the lady that is working on my application is very nice and thinks that every organization that wants to help the military should be able to. AND she thinks what we pay our military is pathetic.)

Anyhoo, I thought that I would share what I have found this afternoon. Here is an excerpt from the report I’m sending in. (If you want to see the data, I’d be glad to show you, but there’s LOTS!)

The 2011 Military Pay Rates (as published by the Department of Defense) of the five lowest ranks (E-1 through E-5) in the military have been pulled and compared to the 2009 Average National Wage (as published by the Social Security Administration), the 2011 Poverty Level Guidelines (as published by the US Department of Health and Human Services) and the 2008 National (and regional) Household Expenditures (as published by the US Census Bureau in 2011).

The Military Pay Rates fall between 50% – 65% LOWER than the Average National Wage.

Of the 25 separate Military Households compared to the Poverty Level, 56% fall below the Poverty Level.

When compared to the National Average Expenditures (what the average median household in the US spends each year to live), 100% of the Military Households compared earn between 39% -56% LESS than the average US household spends.

THEREFORE, it is well within reason to conclude that the majority of lower level military households are barely able to pay for basic living expenses, let alone take a (well-earned and much needed) vacation.

These numbers are based on Base Pay only and doesn’t factor in Housing Allowance (which you only get if you live off base) OR Subsistence Allowance (which is only calculated for the military member only – I guess his family doesn’t count AND isn’t paid (or only partially paid) if you live in military housing).

So, what do you think about this?

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