Democratic Rubble
Freedom Fighters

Sounds like it was written by one of McCrazy's "Freedom Fighters"?

Used every cliche in the book to build this imaginary straw-man opponent.

Is that guy in the background one of McCains pink pussyhats?

" An older article I got a few chuckles out of. I thought some other LF readers would like it too. "

Yeah, I read this on another forum. I liked it as well !

I was going to post it here, until I saw you had. Thanks!

Used every cliche in the book to build this imaginary straw-man opponent.

Well, I thought the writer did break some new ground with the trope that actual Soviet invaders of America would be more honorable men than these overweight soft scruffy-bearded Lefty campus pussy-boyz he's chewing up in this article. And it did have a delightfully mean tone overall.

I’m that guy with the rifle who signed on the dotted line for $24K a year -----

I’m that guy with the rifle who signed on the dotted line for $1200 a year in 1955.

Hard to believe, but a buck Pvt in the army got aprox $100 a month back in '55.

Hard to believe, but a buck Pvt in the army got aprox $100 a month back in '55.

Underpaid but it was a conscripted army. And a dollar did buy a lot more back then.

Underpaid but it was a conscripted army. And a dollar did buy a lot more back then.

True enough. --- Tap beer was 10 cents, gas maybe 15 cents a gallon. --- 20 times that now, at least.

As they said in some movie, nothing really changes but the uniforms..

I’m that guy with the rifle who signed on the dotted line for $24K a year

That's a better deal than I got.

I signed on the dotted line for a hundred and thirty-four bucks a month and a twenty grand insurance policy.

I signed on the dotted line for a hundred and thirty-four bucks a month and a twenty grand insurance policy.

I'd hire tpaine. He worked for just $100 a month. A bargain.

You're overpriced, bucko.     : )

Hard to believe, but a buck Pvt in the army got aprox $100 a month back in '55.

Your memory is failing you.

E-1's were getting $69 a month in the 60's. When I got out as a E-5 only got 240 bucks a month. I could actually work 40 hours a week at a 7-11 and make more money.

Then in the early 1970's the pay raises started,and now even mid-level NCO's earn pretty good money if you can personally buy into the E-5 that hands out towels and tennis rackets at the Special Services Center in Portland deserves the same amount of money as a Sgt E-5 squad leader in a infantry division deployed to some Shitstainastan.

Then in the early 1970's the pay raises started,

Yes, when the draft ended (or suspended) circa 1973 and the all volunteer Army came about pay increases followed with other VOLAR bennies too.

Yes, when the draft ended (or suspended) circa 1973 and the all volunteer Army came about pay increases followed with other VOLAR bennies too.

What are VOLAR bennies?

TV room, furniture, desks, etc. I remember the older NCOs called lots of those things VOLAR stuff.

Thanks. I had never seen or heard that term before. Maybe it never made the trip down to Bragg? NCO's and Officers that were stationed at Bragg pretty much always got stationed there,with the 101st Abn in Kentucky,or with the infantry school at Benning if they weren't going to or coming back from the 173rd Abn on Okinawa,or the 11th Abn in Germany. They/we were never really exposed to the regular army that much.

The reality is that Airborne Divisions and Special Forces Groups were a VERY tiny outposts in a very large and scattered army,so what went on within them was almost "local" or "regional customs",and they/we didn't know what the regular army customs were.

E-1's were getting $69 a month in the 60's. When I got out as a E-5 only got 240 bucks a month. I could actually work 40 hours a week at a 7-11 and make more money.

Same here. And on our post we lined up to get paid in cash and using two dollar bills. Getting promonted to E-5 meant big money.

Same here. And on our post we lined up to get paid in cash and using two dollar bills.

Yup! I remember that. It was always a VERY young 2nd Lt that got stuck with the job because nobody else wanted it and he was the lowest ranking officer around.

Use to feel sorry for them. Most were less than 20 years old and scared to death of the 30 and 40 year old NCO's with multiple combat trips,or even wars,behind them,so there they sat,with a 45 pistol they were as afraid of as the guys standing in the payline,hoping nothing goes wrong and all the numbers match at the end of the day.

I was talking with a retired Colonel one day last week,and we both agreed that being a 2nd Lt in a combat arms command HAS to be the toughest damn job in the world. Practically everybody you are in command of and responsible for knows more than you do,and you know it and so do they. Yet you are still responsible for their lives and their welfare. No other job in the world puts that kind of weight on the shoulders of a 18 or 19 year old.

E-1's were getting $69 a month in the 60's.

Just went on line, and according to them, I got $79 in basic, $84 after 4 months, and close to $100 after 2 years. --- Then, shortly after basic, I went to jump school and got $55 a month more.

So both our memories are going.. Good to see you here posting again.

Then, shortly after basic, I went to jump school and got $55 a month more.

I hope you weren't one of those jumping junkies, tpaine. Jump pay was something to brag about.

Then, shortly after basic, I went to jump school and got $55 a month more.

Me,too. It always pissed me off that enlisted swine like we NCO's were only getting $55 a month in jump pay,and officers were getting $110.

I guess I wasn't the only one upset over that because it seems like all the SF jumpmasters would use the officers as wind dummies. If they didn't go into the trees,the jumpmasters would release everyone else at the same spot when the airplane circled around. If the officers went into the trees,he would release a little earlier or later,depending on where the officers landed.

Then around 1965 we got the MC-1 maneuverable parachute,and it took all the fun out of that game.

O-1 basic pay was $294.60 up to 2 years service. The lowest paid officers made about $74 a week.

E-1 basic pay effective October 1975 was $361.20.

E-1 basic pay effective October 1980 was $501.30.

E-1 basic pay effective October 1982 was $573.50.

What are VOLAR bennies?

http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/090/90-2/CMH_Pub_90-2.pdf

THE MODERN VOLUNTEER

ARMY PROGRAM: THE BENNING EXPERIMENT, 1970-1972
by Brigadier General Willard Latham
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 2010

First printed 1974
GPO, WashDC

The expiration of authority to draft young men for military service in mid-1973 placed the United States Army on a volunteer footing for the first time since 1948. In preparation for this challenge, the Army had initiated the Modern Volunteer Army Program two and a half years earlier to attract and increase the enlistment of able men and women, raise the quality of Army life, and improve professionalism throughout the rank and file.

An important part of the program was Project VOLAR, a field experiment conducted at selected Army installations from 1970 to 1972 to develop methods and procedures for achieving the program's objectives. The methods and procedures that survived this extensive testing and critical evaluation are now being applied Army-wide with significant benefit as the Army makes its transition to a volunteer force.

I hope you weren't one of those jumping junkies, tpaine. Jump pay was something to brag about.

What in hell is a jumping junkie? --- I dont remember much bragging, but sure, we were all pretty proud to pin on our badges.

E-1 basic pay in 1965 was $87.90 until 4 months service

Probably was,but what we were paid after paying taxes and for laundry was 66 or 69 bucks. I can't remember for sure right now.

Yes,we DID have to pay some laundry fees in basic training because the DI's were demanding starched and pressed fatigues and fatigue jackets,and the base laundry didn't starch them. Most likely a scam the DI's had going with the private contractors on base that supplied services like starching,sewing on name tags,stripes,etc,etc,etc. Not that it matters. What mattered was we had to pay it.

Yes,we DID have to pay some laundry fees in basic training because the DI's were demanding starched and pressed fatigues and fatigue jackets,and the base laundry didn't starch them.

We swab jockeys did not have to pay for laundry. We had to wash everything by hand and hang it all outside, tying it to the line with clothes stops (short pieces of cord). At Great lakes in the winter, hitting about -25F, everything would freeze before we could get it all tied onto the line.

Our actual paychecks varied as we were paid twice per month, and the number of days in a pay period varied from about 14 to 17, I do not recall precisely.

I recall my early paychecks were about 30 plus dollars.

Our actual paychecks varied as we were paid twice per month

I think that was true of everyone but the army. We were paid once a month.