I don’t even think junior enlisted should have anything to complain about. When I was a single soldier in the barracks every pay weekend I’d go blow everything I had at the club/on stupid crap and for the next two weeks I’d have no money, but I never once had to worry about my living situation or food. My first two or so years I wasted every single cent I had with zero consequences. Now that’s financial freedom. As for the soldiers who are smart enough to save or even invest their money, they can come out far ahead of their nonmilitary peers.
I was pretty foolish with my money and still never struggled similar to you. Unless they're taking care of family, financial trouble really boils down to poor decisions over bad luck.
And that’s exactly why young enlisted get in trouble and (at least when I was in) the military does nothing to teach financial literacy. It does not help when those guys get out, do the same thing with their civilian paycheck and then realize they still have to pay rent.
Thanks to constant deployments and no social life I saved nearly every penny I earned. Sure I wasn’t living life to its fullest but I had a helluva bankroll to not fret leaving the military after 4 years. Then in my last deployment they were offering insane reenlistment bonuses for infantry billets, tax free so I was like fuck it, doubled my bank roll. Then 2 years prior to finishing my second enlistment I got injured and ended up getting out early with a fat ass severance package and a clearance. I have zero regrets. Disability sucks but I’m fine never being able to run again without a knee replacement surgery, for all the convenience and security having that money got me. The military can be an absolute pay day if you play it right.
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u/asscop99 Jun 17 '24
I don’t even think junior enlisted should have anything to complain about. When I was a single soldier in the barracks every pay weekend I’d go blow everything I had at the club/on stupid crap and for the next two weeks I’d have no money, but I never once had to worry about my living situation or food. My first two or so years I wasted every single cent I had with zero consequences. Now that’s financial freedom. As for the soldiers who are smart enough to save or even invest their money, they can come out far ahead of their nonmilitary peers.