THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 19, 1995 TAG: 9506170005
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
``When it's tougher here than over there'' (Parade magazine, May 28) by Al Santoli describes how today's military men and women are fighting to stay above the poverty line. This article is an exaggeration and distortion of the truth. The current rates of military pay and allowances do not support the article's main assertion.
For example, Mr. Santoli reports an annual pay range of $11,000 to $13,000 for Marine Corps privates (pay grade E-1) and lance corporals (pay grade E-3). He compares these figures to the poverty level for a family of four, so we must assume that he is talking about Marines who have dependents. These figures are incorrect by a large margin.
In the Norfolk area, an E-1 with dependents and fewer than two years of service will be paid $15,647 in base pay and housing allowances (BAQ and VHA). Basic Military Compensation (BMC) includes the tax advantage of the tax-free allowances and other compensation and arrives at a figure of $16,108. BMC for an E-3 is $19,511.
This article also raises several questions that were never addressed. How many of the low-ranking (E-3 and below) service members have a family size of four or more? How long will these service members stay at this low rank before being promoted? The average length of time for a Marine to be promoted to E-4 is 2.8 years and BMC for an E-4 is $21,621. The average length of time for promotion to E-5 is 5.5 years and BMC is $25,909.
How responsible is the service member who fails to defer marriage or a family for the few years that it would take to attain the rank and accompanying pay necessary to support a family?
I believe stories like this hurt the image of the military and affect the morale of young military members who may read the article and accept it as fact. In reality it is a gross exaggeration, and the annual salary figures are understated by more than 30 percent.
DOUGLAS SIMPSON
Virginia Beach, May 28, 1995 by CNB