For the Love of Military Furniture and Other Benefits

by: Scout'sWife

Mon Aug 03, 2009 at 16:39:16 PM EDT

( - promoted by untiltheyallcomehome)

I never thought that I would find myself wishing for military furniture. This is something that is only available to you overseas, and something that most of us hate. Every bit of it is uncomfortable, from the couch, to the armchairs, to the beds.

However, as bad as it can be, I must be grateful. It sure beats sleeping on an air mattress and eating off the floor. In fact, I consider it a privilage for the military to provide me with not only the furniture, but the housing that I need. There are very few jobs in the country that provide us with that luxury, free of cost.

Scout'sWife :: For the Love of Military Furniture and Other Benefits

This summer I have had too many wives complaining to me about how the Army doesn't take care of them. One spouse I know, was upset because the base that they were going to wasn't going to have housing available to them. Not only that, but the amount of BAH they were going to receive wouldn't cover any of the four bedroom homes that they would need to house their large family. She couldn't understand how the Army would make her homeless. I tried to explain to her that she is afforded many opportunities because her husband is enlisted, that she would never have otherwise.

For Example

Housing on-post if available, BAH if its not: no other job pays you extra for your home.

BAS: they pay you money to feed your soldier

FREE! Health Care: Do these wives have no idea how much health insurance costs, even if your job doesn't cover part of it, it can still run a couple hundred dollars a month for a family.

FREE use of facilities: Go and look at any local gym and see what they charge to use it. You can work-out on high-tech equipment without paying!

Help for your career: There are so many ways that a military spouse can start or finish their college degree. Plus, there are multiple places that you can volunteer and put it on your resume.

I know that I am missing a lot of benefits here, but I just want some of the wives to understand how good they really have it. My husband just returned from a 14 month deployment, missed over half of his daughter's life, and the birth of his son. Yet I would not wish him to change his job for anything. Especially in this economy. If it weren't for the military we would be pinching pennies and wondering if we were going to have jobs tomorrow, just like the rest of America.

So take it in perspective ladies. Some things suck about this lifestyle, but you have to make sacrifices to get anything in life.

Tomorrow is another day.

Tags: parenting in the military, moving in the military, pcsing, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View

Send As Email

For the Love of Military Furniture and Other Benefits | 4 comments

It's all true! (6.00 / 1)

Sometimes we get so caught up in what we HATE about the military that we forget about all the things we should be grateful for. Yes, it's difficult. But we're built of things that nothing can take down. Military spouses are definitely up there among the strongest people in the world. It takes a lot to go and fight in a war like most of our husbands and wives do, but it takes just as much strength and sometimes more to throw support behind them.

"Let future generations understand the burden and blessings of freedom. Let them say we stood where duty required us to stand."

by: untiltheyallcomehome @ Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 09:23:08 AM CDT

Outstanding!!! You are right and your family deserves these benefits. (0.00 / 0)

All too often people overlook the value of additional benefits they receive from ANY employment that is not in the form of a paycheck.

Some other jobs have some benefits that have a high $$ value that is not in there actual pay.

Salesmen with company cars are worth about $10K annually.

Corporate rates on health insurance.

ETC.

I don't know of any job that provides the amount of benefits that have the total worth of those provided the military.

On behalf of our military, (I was in 1978-1982), my only complaints over the last 10 to 20 years have been the care provided returning troops, recognition of PTSD, TBI, delays in disability claims and other issues regarding taking care of returning military.

You are absolutely right that although military pay may be relatively low for the occupation and risk, the benefits make almost all military personnel FAR above the average Americans "total income" and provides FAR more job security than almost ANY other Americans jobs.

IMHO all those benefits are deserved but should not go unrecognized by our military and their families.

I receive my health care at the VA. Without it I would have no health care (maybe be homeless) and no way to see the numerous specialists I must and average an appointment at the VA about every 3 weeks. I NEVER forget that my service from 78-82 (in peacetime) entitles me to these benefits that in my case are worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Thanks God for The United States Military and the benefits it did and does provide me.

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer

by: DonQuixote @ Thu Aug 06, 2009 at 01:08:16 AM CDT

If you get it (0.00 / 0)

That may all be true but as an acquired spouse I havent seen a cent. I havent been given a rag. I had to move myself oversees spend 3 months in a foreign country with no access to the base or anything on it. I had to make a trip to south carolina for 3 weeks and put myself up feed myself and get myself a car, never reimbursed and now I am command sponsored they are making us move again at our own expense. sorry I dont see where this life has one benefit to me, maybe to my spouse but to date ive spent 12,000 to make the miltary happy and all ive gotten in return is sitting our rental place in the frezing cold alone.

by: ericalcorey @ Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 21:22:15 PM CST