Comments by "Darkpaw1" (@darkpaw1522) on "Is US Military Pay Worth It..? (Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard)" video.

I'm a veteran. EASED very recently. Here's my short answer: Yes if: - You have a bad degree - You're trapped in the ghetto - With abusive parents No if: - You have a good degree - You already have a 60k+ job Long answer: Only join the military as an officer. As enlisted it's not worth it. You get to do the hardest work but get paid the least. Officers make about 2.5x more than an enlisted person. For example, a E-1 makes at max $1,514 per month, where as an commissioned officer makes $3,287 per month. As an officer you also don't have to participate in group punishments or any of the other random bad things that happen to you just because you're a lower rank. The absolute only reason to join as enlisted is if you come from a desperate situation. For example, I was in the "hood", my mom stole my college money, and constantly mentally abused me; she was setting me up for failure, and I had no way to stop her. I joined the military to escape that life. If that sounds like you, then do it. The Post 9/11 GI bill is not worth it as much anymore. They took away room and board payments, so now you only get the BAH, which is basically rent + food money, with a bit left over. It's helpful, but you will still need FASFA/ Student loans, especially if you're like most military guys and you get married some point. Worst is it only last for about 3 years, which is too short if you're starting with little to no college. Meaning you inevitably will be taking student loans anyway. Add on all the back pain, knee pain, etc and it can get bad. Disabilities is nice but not worth the pain your body goes through, you'll feel like you're 50 by time you're 30. And they cut corners on the pay, it's very hard to get even 30% unless you were in a cast at least. Just no matte if you enlist or go officer, whatever you do DO NOT GO INFANTRY. You will regret it, trust me. These people get treated the worst BY FAR in the military in any branch. Get yourself a nice comfy office job that transitions well into civilian life like Intel or fiscal, namely try and get a job that requires some level of security clearance. They go a very long way whether you EAS or do a whole 30 years. Bonus: Branches from worst to best. Marine Corp (worst lifestyle, best respect). Navy (No respect, terribly treatment) Army ( Great respect, very good quality of life) Air Force (Best quality of life, decent respect) Basically, just go Air Force. A bit harder to get into but trust me the wait is worth it. In some places they even have maids clean your rooms in the Air Force. If anything don't go Marine Corp or Navy, especially the former. They have the lowest budget. One place I lived was in a condemned building with black mold in the bathroom. For the love of all that is holy don't join the Marine Corp or Navy.
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Agreed. Air Force is the best. Really wish I joined it instead. My bud was on a base where he had a maid come by every now and then to spot clean their rooms.
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@ARH662 Yeah, I don't regret joining the Marine Corp myself. Unfortunately my recruiter wasn't as honest. Well, to put it more bluntly, I didn't know which questions to ask. I mean from the average young civilian's perspective all military branches are relatively the same. You don't take into account how a military budget can effect your way of life. The Marine Corp budget now is 186k, and every other branch is literally more than double that. It's the difference between living in a barracks with black mold with 2-3 other people or living in a barracks with your own room and free wifi. If I'd known this, I'd joined any other branch. But like I said, it's rare a civilian would know what to look for without knowing a veteran, namely a recent vet.
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@ARH662 It was overseas in South Korea so might been one of those "rare base" perks. I was in the Marine Corp, in Oki our barracks had a lady called "Mama-san" who dry cleaned and patched our uniforms for about $5. But aside from maids Air Force definitely had better food. I was stationed at a Air Force base for a momth and actually lost 6 lb, I didn't even work out and ate 4 times a day (they had a meal where they combined breakfast and dinner at midnight). They also had 4 different chow lines. My favorite was the one that served steak every night. You haven't lived till you had a omlet with steak 5 nights in a row. Also Airmen have field days but they're not nearly as strict. My friend told me they have field day once a year. Heard that about Army too. Either way it's way better. Wish our recruiters told us this stuff, then again if they did we probably wouldn't have joined their branch lol.
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