What is the price of a life? Are there factors that determine this price? If the person has a family, if they are old or young, male or female could all be factors. These factors do not matter in the United States military. Whether a person is white or black, male of female, single or married they all receive the same pay. A wage that is hardly enough to support themselves, and almost never enough to support a family. The United States Military is greatly underpaid for the duties that they are required to perform. The risks that every soldier takes to serve their country deserve more money than what they are given. U.S. soldiers wake up every day knowing that it could be their last. U.S. soldiers are away from their families for months and even years at a time, missing some of the most important things in their loved ones lives. This can make military relationships almost impossible to maintain. The chance of having to take another person’s life can cause a mental and emotional trauma that is hard for a person to ever come back from. All of these risks come about 20,000 less than the average pay of a full time mailman according to the 2008 fiscal enlisted military pay and allowances.
The death toll since the war in Iraq started in April 2003 has broken 4,000 deaths in this last year. There have been over 16,000 troops who have been wounded in action and returned, and another 13,000 who have been too bad to return to service (United States Department of Defense). The number of deaths within the military has caused a great concern for many people within this country. The number of recruits to all branches of the military has dropped drastically in the last 4 years. Many feel this is due to the belief that there is not enough money offered for the chance of losing their life. Another opinion of why many people stopped enlisting in the service is that there is more money offered in civilian jobs with much less danger involved. Last year it was shown that military pay was up to 14% less than civilian jobs with the same education level in the private sector (Rand.org). The growth in the pay rate for civilians has grown more steadily and at a higher level than the pay of the military. This fact raises questions to potential soldiers, such as is it worth it to put my life on the line for less pay than I can make anywhere else. It also raises the question concerning leaving family behind while they leave to serve their country and what would their family do if they were to become injured or even die.
One of the hardest things for any person to do is to leave behind everything they love. The United States military can at many times require a person to do exactly that. The time spent away from loved ones can never be replaced. Many will argue that no amount of money could ever compensate for the missed moments in their loved ones life. The time away is not the only problem with the military lifestyle. According to “The Nation” research has shown that a military family on average moves every 3 years. This moving all the time mixed in with deployments and training can make families almost impossible to maintain within the military. The divorce rate in the military is around 3.5% according to the Department of Defense. It is much higher with women in the military, around 8%. The main reason for divorces within the military is PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress disorder. “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened (National Institute of Mental Health). This can occur from witnessing harm to others or doing the harm to others yourself.
According to MSNBC 1 in every 8 soldiers who have seen combat suffer from PTSD. The chance of having to take another life can cause serious mental and emotional problems for any person. Recovery from this kind of ordeal can take years, sometimes it never goes away. The medical help which soldiers may need to help with this disorder is paid for out of their own pocket. The money they make is not sufficient to pay this type of bill. It leaves many in debt and with a disabling mental problem for the rest of their life.
The majority of this countries workers do not get up in the morning wondering if they will live to see the night. These workers do not sit at work for months at a time wondering how their family is doing. These workers do not have to face down the fear of taking another person’s life. The United States military is greatly underpaid for the duties that they perform. It is time to stand up and give these soldiers what they deserve. It is time to give them the money they earn so they can live a better life than the one they are living to protect you.
Honor, duty, and freedom are all things us as Americans desire in our lives. The truth of it is that without the armed forces of this country freedom wouldn’t exist. With the freedom we receive comes great responsibility. A responsibility to act when things are not the way they should be. A responsibility to stand up and do what is right. We as a country should stand up and demand better pay for our protectors, our safe keepers. Now is the time, the chance for us to gain honor, something the U.S. military knows all about.
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