I'm not sure which is paid more, but one complains a lot more about not being paid enough than the other one does.
If you have never heard anyone kvetching about getting by on an E4's salary, then you have never had a conversation within thirty miles of an Army reservation.
Actually, I have on multiple occasions, including being on a military base for my father's promotion to Major and the command thereof.
Well, a major wouldn't have reason to complain about pay, no.
His original comment makes more sense now. A typical officer's kid may as well live thirty miles away from post for all of the time he's likely to spend around enlisted soldiers and their families, especially those with the lowest pay.
wait, you think officer's kids go to a different school or something? Perhaps elementary schools on the bigger bases, but they would certainly go to middle and high school with the kids of many enlisted men and women, though they might get lost in the shuffle with all the "towny" kids. Most of the lowest ranks with kids just have very small children. You will rarely see an E-4 with an 9 year old, but even those babies hang out together in the base day care (if you can get a slot) with the babies of O-4s.
back to the OP, When I was an E-3, my also working wife and baby were on WIC ifyoucanbelieveit. I'm sure many young teachers are too. Seems to me anybody who could die for the country* or who is teaching our children should be paid enough to not need a Federal assistance program to feed a child. So both I guess...especially the lower ranks.
*to be fair, service to the country isn't the number one reason most people join. It's in there, sure, has to be or GTFO, but it's rarely number one.
Poll
