Armed Forces Pay Rises

Cat695

StevieJ wrote: »

I don't think they get paid enough, esp those on the front line risking life and limb, I don't know why they do it to be honest :cool:

Like I have never understood why people sit in an office all day....oh the boredom

On actual pay I as a SNCO think my pay is pretty damn good, however the younger lads DO NOT get paid enough...especially the Combat Arms part of the forces

davilown

Same position and totally agree about the pay for the squaddies - they need more for what they do. Compare them as basic policemen who get paid a lot more.

Cat695

lostinrates wrote: »

I'm not really thinking financially. I'm thinking about a transition to life outside the army. Emotionally if you like, but practically too. It would seem however well remunerated you are if you cannot make an ''appropriate'' adaptation to ''civilian'' life then its going to be a life that doesn't reach its scope for fulfilment.

You are very right LIR....the biggest worry most guy/girls have are moving over into civi life.....especially the Combat Arms people.

But saying that I'm kinda looking forward to it, however even with 4 and bit years to go am already nervous.

mitchaa

StevieJ wrote: »

I don't think they get paid enough, esp those on the front line risking life and limb, I don't know why they do it to be honest :cool:

A lot of infantry soldiers are lads that have left their home towns to get away from crime and drugs and low paid non rewarding careers so they join the military to get away from that.

They are also likely to be non educated guys that 'probably' would not do to well if they were to have a normal civilian job. (Minimum wage type jobs)

I am talking about infantry soldiers, not Army engineers, pilots, technicians, mechanics etc etc, your basic bog standard infantry soldier.

Military life is rewarding, the pay is actually quite good. An infantry soldier starts on a basic of £16k, but he pays no pension contributions and has if he chooses incredibly cheap living costs.

A degree qualified NHS nurse with 4yrs studying starts on £20k but has a 6% pension to pay and has normal living day costs. In comparison, the infantry soldier likely left school with nothing, the nurse left with A levels galore, 4yrs of study in uni and looking at the above, the soldier i would say is in at the very least a comparable financial position, if not better with day to day living costs.

Nurses are just as important as soldiers in what they do. The police start on the same £20k thereabouts as do the fire service so it's not really that bad.

Promotion comes next with all the jobs above and if you are half decent you should be getting your 1st stripe and good pay rise in a couple of years.

In essence, i would say a lot of these lads that chose the infantry soldier as a career path instead of heroin and a life of crime in their home towns have made a good choice.

Im of course generalising a little, but we all know that the infantry soldier is likely to come from a poor background, with little education in comparison to his officer in charge, who is more likely to be privately educated and from a wealthy background.

When you take bonuses, non contribution pension and their living costs, even as an 18yr old private you are not doing too bad for yourself in comparison to an 18yr old civilian. In fact you are i would say doing a million times better. There wont be many 18yr olds earning £18k pa in comparison.

It is a dangerous job, but chances are you will make it home and live out your career. Only a small portion do not. You could be stabbed as a civilian in a pub brawl, runover, in a car crash, it's just luck at the end of the day. If your cards marked, there's not a lot you can do about it.

StevieJ

Their risk of coming home in a body bag are slightly higher than the nurse :cool: or the policeman for that matter.

vivatifosi

I would like to see the forces better paid. Yes they have had to get involved in combat for a long period of time, but since the second Gulf War they have been caught up in more and more war zones and I don't think the pay has caught up with the increased danger.

However for me the main issue is not the forces pay (which should be higher) but the lack of correct equipment. We are losing far too many young men and women who are in the prime of their lives because we as a nation choose to equip them poorly and with the wrong equipment. That is shameful and is absolutely the forces issue that should be addressed first.

Cat695

Well It IS 2.8%, the Government has agreed with the AFPRB findings

In line with the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) recommendations, the basic military salary for officers and all other ranks will increase by 2.8 per cent, Defence Secretary John Hutton announced today, Wednesday 31 March 2009.
In addition, the rates of Specialist Pay (including Flying Pay, Submarine Pay and Diving Pay) will also increase by 2.8 per cent. The Government has also accepted the AFPRB recommendations on a number of targeted financial measures, including a minimum pay increase on promotion to the rank of Sergeant and Petty Officer of 5 per cent and a reduction in the qualifying period between each level of Longer Separation Allowance.

iolanthe07

Sorry to be pedantic, but Armed Forces personnel do not actually receive pensions. What they get on retirement is 'deferred pay'. I think the distinction is more than academic, because it means that they have contributed through having some of their pay put off until later, so their 'pension' is not strictly non-contributed. I am in the happy position of receiving 'deferred pay', and it is actually quite generous - £5.75k pa index linked from age 60 in return for only ten years' service

Jim_B_3

mitchaa wrote: »

They do already with a non contributory FSP awarded after 22yrs service. 40yrs old and having a 2nd income is not to be sniffed at.

The ranks actually do get paid fairly well aswell, Sgts on mid £30k with a non contributory pension, and if single cheap as chip living costs. Free dental, bonuses galore when they go away on tours, they are not as poorly paid as they are made out to be.

Don't neglect the fact that they don't work an eight hour day - they work a twenty four hour day. Some of that time they may well spend in their pits or taking a break to see the kids at home, but when the boss calls them in at two a.m. and tells them to bring their gear as they're going somewhere hot at 20 minutes notice, they go.

mitchaa

Jim_B wrote: »

Don't neglect the fact that they don't work an eight hour day - they work a twenty four hour day. Some of that time they may well spend in their pits or taking a break to see the kids at home, but when the boss calls them in at two a.m. they go.

I know a little bit more than i am letting on, but i know the above is just spin;)

Here's a weekday of what i know to be true of a soldier in the aviation world.

Monday..Start work at 0830, Naafi break 10-1030, dinner break 1215-1315, Naafi break 1500-1530, finish work 1630...Hrs worked = 6hrs

Tuesday..0830 start, PT 1030-1200, back in at 1, usual naafi break at 1500, finish at 1630...Hrs worked = 5hrs

Wednesday 0830 start, 10am-1030 naafi break, sports afternoon at 1230...Hrs worked = 3.5hrs

Thursday...Same as tuesday

Friday...Same as wednesday but with no sports afternoon, just an early knock off.

23hrs per week actually spent in work doing what they are supposed to be doing;)

1 guard duty per month which although is 12hrs long during the week after work, the MPGS let you sleep through the night. 24hrs at the weekend but again you would be able to sleep at least 8hrs and the rest is spent watching TV, reading newspapers with around about an hour or 2 real work, car passes, answering phones etc.

On exercise, the guys i know work a 24 on 24 off system, but the 24 on is actually only around 12-16 dependent on work.

The same for op tours, 24 on 24 off with around 16hrs work on the ON period.

The military also get a LOT of leave in comparison to their civi counterparts, in reality around 8-9 full weeks per year, with annual leave, CO grant days, pre exercise days, post exercise days, pre tour leave, post tour leave etc etc

I know the above is 100% true for 1 particular large base in the military. Im not saying this is the same forces wide, but the 24hr 365day thing is just spin.

Of course there may be a couple of weeks where you have to work a weekend, or have to work your sports afternoon or have to work a friday afternoon, but above is a genuine template of hrs worked in its majority;)