I have read a few posts on here where people are complaining about the pay that they recieve in the military, BUT then there are posts where people say they dont want to have their SO's get out because they cant afford to have them get out.

I guess I am confused. What makes you want to have your SO stay in, but then on the other hand complain about pay.

**I understand, there is a security until they want to eliminate people, etc. I was just CURIOUS because I see the contradictions on here. Ive been a military wife and I am not a veterns wife. So I see the goods and bads of both sides.

while actual pay sucks, the other benefits are what people might stay for. Honestly we couldn't afford for dh to get out unless he can make about 6-7k a month which is about what he makes now including BAH BAS and health care. The health care for me is a big one. we simply wouldn't be able to afford health care in the civi world. Where I was working before to cover all of us on my 10 buck an hour salary wouldn't have been worth it. It would have taken about 40-50% of my paycheck.

The money works for us. We can even afford for me to stay home. We do budget, but I think most people in our pay bracket do.

The money works for us. We can even afford for me to stay home. We do budget, but I think most people in our pay bracket do.
that is true, I stay at home, it's not luxurious, but comfy. Our base pay isn't bad considering where it started at.

that is true, I stay at home, it's not luxurious, but comfy. Our base pay isn't bad considering where it started at.

Yeah, us too.

Though I do have to add to my original post, I never had to live married life on any less than an E5s base pay. And, even E5 we were dual mil, so I'm sure that is harder to do.

I think the military is paid well. My mom worked two jobs and made less then what my DH makes. My DH loves the military and is a lifer even past the 20. As long as the good days out weigh the bad....I also love being a military spouse. I love the sence of security and knowing I will always have a roof over my head.

db and i were talking about this the other day because we figured out take home wise we make within a couple dollars of each other BUT he ends up making way more because his housing and all bills that i pay (electric water and such) are all paid so he actually ends up making alot more it just doesnt show up on a paycheck and i dont think most people account for that

Db and I were talking last night about my starting salary as a teacher (which is high because of the area I teach in..) and he was like...wow you are definitly the breadwinner...but I think the benefits that come along with the pay are what most people want to stay in for....Plus it gives moms the opportunity to stay home with the kiddos...so in a way I hope that Db decides to make it a career and retires from the Navy...I would definitly feel more secure in our future.

I never complained when DH was in except for the healthcare...But I was just confused because some people complain and then complain about this and that.

I was just curious as to what people would answer!!

Thanks ladies!

The pay sucks when you average what they get paid to how much they actually work and sacrifice. Their basic pay alone, which people argue is their actual salary, is pitiful. An E7 with a Bachelor's degree and more than 10 years in only bringing home $2,400 a month... PITIFULLLLL.....

However, because we have soon to be four children, the medical benefits make it worth it to us for right now. Truth be known though, I don't know how our benefits now would actually compare to the civi side of things b/c I have NO experience with civi benefits. So, I don't know if we're actually better off in the military or out. I just know for right now we have no choice b/c he has two years left. So, we're happy with the fact that we can pinch pennies and afford for me to stay home, along with the fact that we never have to worry about medical bills.

I'm definitely not happy with the basic pay though and I think it's pretty much disgusting how much lower the BAH is in some areas, compared to the actual cost of a home to rent or buy, yet most military housing areas are full. So, you're left with no choice but to use some of your piddly "basic pay" just to cover the rest of your housing expenses.

You really don't want to get me started on this :lol

It would have been better for us to rent on the outside when he was in...They gave us this tiny place and I dont think it was worth his money he got for BAH.

I think dh gets paid pretty well, but that's because he's a nuke. BUUUUUUT, if he worked this long in a civilian job with overtime, I think he'd be getting more. But the benefits make it worth it for us. So I don't complain too much (I don't think) about OUR situation, other than hours.

When I make a negative comment about pay, I'm usually thinking of the E3 over in the sandbox with family at home, doing the HARDEST job and getting paid crap. It's not our situation, but it makes me angry for them.

I think the military is just like any other job in the world. If you don't budget you can't survive. Its simple as that. Wish people got that through their heads.

E3 over in the sandbox with family at home, doing the HARDEST job and getting paid crap. It's not our situation, but it makes me angry for them.

Yep yep yep. I agree. Very sad and pitiful.

or the reserves guys who get called up and have to leave their good jobs, take a huge paycut to be activated and deployed, then are supposed to be guaranteed their job when they get back but sometimes get let go because of "other reasons". It's just sad.

I think the military is just like any other job in the world. If you don't budget you can't survive. Its simple as that. Wish people got that through their heads.

:yes

My husband makes better money than he did when he was in (and he was a Nuke in the military and is a dod one now)...We dont live like we have more, we still use the same budget as we did when he was in. The only thing missing now is my peanuts pay check.

I think the military is just like any other job in the world. If you don't budget you can't survive. Its simple as that. Wish people got that through their heads.


I have to agree that living with a budget is what everyone should do, no matter the income.

I have always been the type to save now and play later. We also don't deprive ourselves from things we want, but we usually budget and save for anything big.

Dh pay isn't big, but the benefit that comes along with it is nice. Unless we're gurantee a he has a job that will bring us atlease 5-6k a month, i don't think its the right choice right now for DH to get out.

With benefits my dh makes almost 5000 a month. We do really well and I dont have to work. I go to school and we have all we need. We also budget and dont get credit cards. We have a car payment,insurance, school payment, cell phones and cable/internet. We have a good amount of money left over. So IMO military life is great. I dont, however, see how people with big families do it.

that is true, I stay at home, it's not luxurious, but comfy. Our base pay isn't bad considering where it started at.

I agree... We're actually pretty comfortable, even with all our BAH going to PPV..

I have read a few posts on here where people are complaining about the pay that they recieve in the military, BUT then there are posts where people say they dont want to have their SO's get out because they cant afford to have them get out.

I guess I am confused. What makes you want to have your SO stay in, but then on the other hand complain about pay.

**I understand, there is a security until they want to eliminate people, etc. I was just CURIOUS because I see the contradictions on here. Ive been a military wife and I am not a veterns wife. So I see the goods and bads of both sides.

It's only a contradiction if the SAME people say both things.
If these things come from different people then it's jsut their personal opinion.
Everyone's different.

Me, personally, money is secondary. We've been so poor we could only afford to pay 1/2 towards each bill every month and we frequently borrowed money and pawned valuables. Regardless of how much or how little my husband makes the more important thing is that he's happy with his career choice. If he's happy then the struggle to make ends meet isn't so bad.
If he's unhappy then no amount of money is going to make the days and nights better.

i know for us, my dh would be making more $ if he hadn't joined. but that's because he had established a career before he joined at age 26. so it made me angry to go from his comfortable salary to the crap they start with in boot camp. the military has it's benefits in that you can work your way up fairly quickly and there is job security. but, in my opinion, the sacrafices aren't always worth it. also, i have good credentials and can always get us decent healthcare. in fact, my healthcare at my old job was better than tricare with no monthly premium. i guess that's why i am not impressed with the benefits. :dunno but for some it is a great choice when it comes to finances. i know our situation is different than most

we are on E3 pay and it freaking sucks bad. even with COLA and seperation it is a joke. I only have two kids and i am very careful about how much I spend with food and such. I am just glad my rent is low be/c I can barely afford the $475 we pay already. I have already cut out stuff like my gym membership, traded down my car, got rid of cable and use my inlaws washer and dryer. I don't complain too often be/c at least it is a steady paycheck, only when I run out of toliet paper 8 days from payday. We can't really afford me to be a SaHM but we try to make it work. Honestly, with me being the onl y parent to two kids under 3, I don't see how I could work and keep my sanity. Hopefully, at our next duty station I will be able to get a decent job so I can help out more.

The pay sucks when you average what they get paid to how much they actually work and sacrifice. Their basic pay alone, which people argue is their actual salary, is pitiful. An E7 with a Bachelor's degree and more than 10 years in only bringing home $2,400 a month... PITIFULLLLL.....

However, because we have soon to be four children, the medical benefits make it worth it to us for right now. Truth be known though, I don't know how our benefits now would actually compare to the civi side of things b/c I have NO experience with civi benefits. So, I don't know if we're actually better off in the military or out. I just know for right now we have no choice b/c he has two years left. So, we're happy with the fact that we can pinch pennies and afford for me to stay home, along with the fact that we never have to worry about medical bills.

I'm definitely not happy with the basic pay though and I think it's pretty much disgusting how much lower the BAH is in some areas, compared to the actual cost of a home to rent or buy, yet most military housing areas are full. So, you're left with no choice but to use some of your piddly "basic pay" just to cover the rest of your housing expenses.

You really don't want to get me started on this :lol

I agree Brandi.

We've never had any complaints about the pay DH receives with the Navy. We've had a taste of the civilian life and it did not work for us. We live very well, far better than we ever did as civilians, but that is just our experience. When we add my income onto his with the added BAH etc., we will bring home nearly a six figure income. We cannot complain. Add the other benefits to it, we couldn't really ask for more. DH says he worked harder and was treated far worse working the same job in the civilian sector....and it didn't pay better either, so he is very happy with what he is doing now and probably won't retire until he is forced to.

LOLZ I don' complain about the pay. We make pretty good money. I DO want my DH to get out though. I miss him and it would be nice to get to actually live in the same home together for longer then a month at a time.

I think that DB's pay (even with benefits) is lousy when you compare it to the hours he works and the risks he takes in the name of the job. DB is an e-6. He's working on his degree and is constantly going on trainings and such to improve and expand his skills, and thus his value to the Army. Nonetheless, I still make significantly more than he does and I have quite nice benes on the civil service side of the Federal government. It disgusts me that I should earn so much more than him to risk what... a paper cut and carpal tunnel syndrome?! Absolutely ridiculous!!!

I was never happy with military pay, while we were in or after we got out. I do miss the Tricare, but that's about it. I think our military is paid scraps for what they do, and they deserve MUCH more.

I guess this thread isn't for me because I don't complain about the pay or the military in general.

We've learned to make do with what we have and if a problem arises, it's our own damn fault (moneywise). Budget, budget, budget.

my only "complaint" with pay is that i feel it's too low an amount when you account for the hours they work and the dangerous jobs they do. i got bored once when DH was out to sea and i tried to estimate his hourly take home wage (including BAH). it was less than minimum wage.

with that being said though, the benefits DO help even the playing field a bit. especially tricare. as much as people may have issues an/or bitch about them what other insurance out there covers an ENTIRE pregnancy, delivery, hospital stay, etc? i had 2 kids (2 csections, gestational diabetes with the first that required extra care and my second was in the NICU for several hours) and i never paid a DIME. my cousin has insurance through her employer and she and her husband still owed quite a bit after insurance paid their part.

now, would i like more money? who doesn't. do i think my husband deserves more money for the job he does? well yeah. however, between his base pay, BAH and all the other stuff he makes enough for us to pay all our bills and for me to stay home so i try not to gripe about it.

Just wanted to add... Adam worked it out once, and during his time in Korea, if he was being paid hourly (for the hours he was working, not sleeping) he would have been making $0.15 an hour. :no Sad.

I agree that the basic pay isn't very good. However the benefits we receive need to be added in if you are really going to compare what you make to a civillian. Still we're a bit under, but it's not terrible........

My husband is an E7 and we do quite well.........I've been able to stay at home and not work since he was an E4. We were under a serious budget then and still are to an extent, but there is alot more room to play now.

for us...we don't complain....we thank god for a roof over our heads and food on the table and healthy kids, and cloths on our backs....what more can i ask for....my husband is an E-5....we are a family of 7....and we live great....we have only a few bills....cable/internet....and insurance for our truck....oh and our cell's...but thats about it....for food....i put aside about 600 a month...i make menue for 2 weeks....i go off of that for my list of things to get at the store, no if's or butts....we gas up....and with my husband gone about 90% of the time, we stay close to home, fishing, camping, hiking...or going to parks doesn't cost much.....my kids are well taken care of.....and then when my husband comes home, the money we save for the fun stuff....thats when we spend....we budget.....we soooo budget...cause its easy to spend money....but i have quiet a bit left over....so i don't have to pinch penny's at the end of the month...we have a savings...we invest...we do what we have to.....we get asked alot...how we do it....and my husband always says.....ask my wife. lol

It's only a contradiction if the SAME people say both things.
If these things come from different people then it's jsut their personal opinion.
Everyone's different.


:yes

I have no complaints with the pay. We're actually doing beyond well. That also has to do with our decisions that we made for our future etc.

i dont complain about the ay i mean he isnt pulling in 10,000 in each paycheck :lmao but we live comfortable my son gets feed, he has clothes, and he pretty much has everything he needs to survive.. even though we do live on base we can afford a house i just feel more secure on base wih him going on deployments i dont think i would feel safe off of base.

I think it varies with what kind of Civi job u have. When DH got out and went through the Police Dept, their benifits and pay were really good, much better than the army. We struggled with he was AD. The pay was horrible back then. You have to take into account, how many hours are worked also.
When DH works long hrs through his civi job, we are paid OT for it.
He makes double at his civilian job than being active duty.
We took a major pay cut when he got deployed.

Just want to add, anything under E-4 with a family= crappy pay!

The pay sucks when you average what they get paid to how much they actually work and sacrifice. Their basic pay alone, which people argue is their actual salary, is pitiful. An E7 with a Bachelor's degree and more than 10 years in only bringing home $2,400 a month... PITIFULLLLL.....

However, because we have soon to be four children, the medical benefits make it worth it to us for right now. Truth be known though, I don't know how our benefits now would actually compare to the civi side of things b/c I have NO experience with civi benefits. So, I don't know if we're actually better off in the military or out. I just know for right now we have no choice b/c he has two years left. So, we're happy with the fact that we can pinch pennies and afford for me to stay home, along with the fact that we never have to worry about medical bills.

I'm definitely not happy with the basic pay though and I think it's pretty much disgusting how much lower the BAH is in some areas, compared to the actual cost of a home to rent or buy, yet most military housing areas are full. So, you're left with no choice but to use some of your piddly "basic pay" just to cover the rest of your housing expenses.

You really don't want to get me started on this :lol


I totally agree Brandi. That E7 pay is CRAP! My DH is a civi and makes alot more than that. Granted, we pay out alot in medical insurance though. Regardless, I still think the military is underpaid, even with the "benefits" the military gets.

IMO they do not pay enough for them to take my husband into a war zone for the better part of two years BUT before he was in the military he was working for a place who actually bounced a paycheck on him. The Economy sucks right now and it is not an option for dh to get out right now although he wants to. The health insurance does help but when you are in the lower ranks of the military there are times (like when we were E1-2) we qualified for food stamps, we are realizing that it gets better as you go up in rank.

Well as parents of six children, the military has served us well. The medical alone has been a great benefit. Even now while my kids are in college they are covered by our insurance. Their perscriptions are inexpensive while in collegel. Dental and medical.

When a service member is in the military I think that they do get comfortable in their surroundings. There are not the BIG lay offs that we see in many companys. If you do your job well and stay on track then you are pretty well safe in the military world. (weight standards, making rate in a timely manner, passing evals, etc)

We have been able to pay for our two older children in college (no scholarships or grants) Having six kids is not a plus for either of those two even with great grades.:lmao

My dh has gone the Officer route but we have done careful planning with our money and gone without some things when the kids were little and it didnt matter.

Who knows what the future will bring us. I have been able to stay home with the kids (unless it was a job where I could have them with me)... SO it has been a great life. The only negative thing that we have found out for the time he has served is that he has missed a tremendous amount of milestones with the kids. Even now as they are getting older he has missed many things..

So the only negative thing that I have found is how many things he has missed. I am very thankful that he has stuck it out and provided for our family well.He is a very great supporter of our families needs. I have been very lucky to be able to work in the kids school system now so their holidays are my holidays... vacations are mine too.

I also don't think anyone joins the military expecting to make truck loads of money. This is one of those jobs that you do because you want to, not to make six figures.

Being that I've now lived on both sides AD and now civilian I can tell you that Adam made more money while on AD (including all benifits). I know we all want to think our husbands can do so much better in the civilian world but its not realy all that easy out here there are so many others trying for that same job. Coming from AD we though Adam would make pretty decent money with having his Masters Degree in Business, he was a Yeoman, hes a Computer Programmer and his minor was in Project Management. Well his butt ended up working for DFAS as a GS-6 making $15 an hour. Well that might sound like alot but when you take out almost $200 a month for insurance right off the top that doesn't leave us with that much left to pay rent, car payments and the rest of our bills. He was actually bringing home less every 2 weeks then what his check were in the Navy and we had to still pay rent with those checks! and this is for a man who has a Masters Degree is Business. Thank god things are starting to get alittle better for us now, hes been out for alittle over a year now. Hes working as a Web Programmer at Peterson AF Base hes still only making $18 an hour though but it looks like hes getting a raise in may to $21. I've had to go to work more hours now I work part time as a Loan Specialist for a Mortgage Company. But when he was AD I didn't work the whole 6 1/2 years.

So its not always greener on the other side, if your dh or bf is thinking about getting out have them really take a look at what field they are going into to, make sure its not over manned because its a struggle out here when it is everyone is fighting for the same jobs.

Do I think it could be better? Yes. Do I think it's all that bad? No. Once you factor in base pay, special pay allowances, (and others) time in service, rank etc all of which lead to more $$,,, plus essentially free housing, essentially free health care and all the other things, like education benefits for the AD member, and soon the spouse perhaps, plus the broad range of general and specialized training they get as AD members... it's really not all that bad a deal.

The pay only goes up if you go Officer as well. My uncle who is a now retired O-6, if he were to be called back to serve (which he could due to his MOS and specialty within that MOS in spite of his age) he would be making close to, if not over 100K a year.

My DH decided that it would be better to just get out. He knew the minium he needed to make (which is important) to be able to live the same life style. My husband like dawns has two degrees, but he is a dod worker (a wg) and he does manual labor. I will not say how much he makes an hour, but its a hell of a lot more than he made in the navy including everything else.

Just have a plan and such. Know how much you need to make for x,y, and z to happen.
We have to pay for our insurance now but its awesome insurance. It covers just about any kind of treatments and even alternative medicine. I think for me that was the biggest complaint I had when he was in. I hated the medical care. My records are a complete mess and it just sucks!

With the hours DH works and the experience he has it does suck but I don't really complain about the pay because it does get us buy. We are thinking of staying in for at least shore duty just because I like the medical and knowing that we have a bit of job security. I love not worrying if tomorrow DH will have a job :shrug.

woops.

For us it all comes down to medical coverage. There is no way we could afford to cover the kids alone. I am more than willing to suck it up for the next 6-7 years to only have to pay roughly $500 a year for medical insurance.

My DB does well for himself but I really believe that the pay is way below where it should be. I mainly think that because of the amount of hours they work far outweighs most civilian jobs. DB is working around the clock on deployment and should be paid, in my opinion, at least double the amount he is paid now for all those hours. It makes me made that they work so hard and yet I hear of so many families struggling.

For us it all comes down to medical coverage. There is no way we could afford to cover the kids alone. I am more than willing to suck it up for the next 6-7 years to only have to pay roughly $500 a year for medical insurance.
Why do you pay 500 dollars a year?

Why do you pay 500 dollars a year?

I mean tricare after retirement.

I think it all amounts to how you budget. People can make 10K a month, not budget wisely and still live paycheck to paycheck.

DH and I were talking the other night about how well we are doing with money. We have all our essentials, some extra fun stuff, and still save a ton every month.

I totally agree that with all the hours my husband puts in to work if it was a civilian job he would get a big load doing over time. However I do not complain about the pay, neither does he.

We've lived the spectrum....starting at the beginning (E-1) to his promotion today (O-4)....and we have lived very comfortably thru the years.

Granted we had to pinch pennies in the beginning but we were always wise. Maybe we didn't save enough but I guarded our credit like a she-wolf!

Also we waited to have children so we could afford them! Our first was when we were both E-4. Our 2nd when DH was E-6 and then our 3rd when he made Chief.

I think everyone has mostly the same opinion, the pay isn't that bad considering the benefits that go along w/the base pay. Health care is :nutts and insurance is getting harder and harder to get in the civi world as part of a package. Usually the employee has to pay into the coverage and HMO's and PPO's aren't that great.

Overall I'm VERY happy with our decision to stay AD for the past 26 years, the long run is paying out quite nicely. JMHO. :)

DH is E4 and we have 3 kids, he makes AD (deployed) what I make civilian, we live off 1 paycheck and whatever drill money, child support, and per diems (he's in the guard, they keep him busy with day to day stuff 10-20 hrs/wk). when he deploys I quit my job, it's a deal we have. Our kids always deserve to have one parent home. So I can't complain about the pay too much.
The only complaint I have is BAH. We live in Aberdeen, WA an hour and a half from Ft. Lewis, WA (our nearest base). A Ft. Lewis E4 w/dep gets $1200 +/-, but an Aberdeen E4 w/dep only gets $800. We are only 1.5 hrs away, the cost of living IS NOT that different, in fact rent may be a bit lower, but our utilities are higher on average. So how come I get $400 less?? Is it because I live in a small rural area and not the big city surrounding the base? How is that fair?
OK, done with my rant..sorry.:blush

while actual pay sucks, the other benefits are what people might stay for. Honestly we couldn't afford for dh to get out unless he can make about 6-7k a month which is about what he makes now including BAH BAS and health care. The health care for me is a big one. we simply wouldn't be able to afford health care in the civi world. Where I was working before to cover all of us on my 10 buck an hour salary wouldn't have been worth it. It would have taken about 40-50% of my paycheck.

The money works for us. We can even afford for me to stay home. We do budget, but I think most people in our pay bracket do.

The pay sucks when you average what they get paid to how much they actually work and sacrifice. Their basic pay alone, which people argue is their actual salary, is pitiful. An E7 with a Bachelor's degree and more than 10 years in only bringing home $2,400 a month... PITIFULLLLL.....

However, because we have soon to be four children, the medical benefits make it worth it to us for right now. Truth be known though, I don't know how our benefits now would actually compare to the civi side of things b/c I have NO experience with civi benefits. So, I don't know if we're actually better off in the military or out. I just know for right now we have no choice b/c he has two years left. So, we're happy with the fact that we can pinch pennies and afford for me to stay home, along with the fact that we never have to worry about medical bills.

I'm definitely not happy with the basic pay though and I think it's pretty much disgusting how much lower the BAH is in some areas, compared to the actual cost of a home to rent or buy, yet most military housing areas are full. So, you're left with no choice but to use some of your piddly "basic pay" just to cover the rest of your housing expenses.

You really don't want to get me started on this :lol
:agree with all this

however you guys have to think that when he works overtime he would get paid, but when the guys get off early or like when they have half days ( i know few and far between but in some cases it has been known to happen lol) they would be getting paid less. And if the guys were hourly i assure you they would not be working that many hours to begin with.

Very late on this since I have been working all day...haha...
I actually think the military pays very well. I look at the benefits added on top of the salary - i.e. housing, BAS, medical, dental, 30 days of paid vacation a year to start and sick time isn't charged to your leave either. An 18 yr old starting off in the workplace could not find a job that good in the civilian world. I think when we calculated what my DH makes with benefits, he makes pretty close to what he would make in the civilian world.
There are a few careers that you can make much more money in that have specialties that the military prepares them for - i.e many of the biotech's in our hospital are 1st or 2nd classes and can get out and start as a GS-11/12 in a government job making twice the money. But, they wouldn't without that military training.

:yes

I have no complaints with the pay. We're actually doing beyond well. That also has to do with our decisions that we made for our future etc.

I agree w/you Steph. We've made very wise decisions with our money since the beginning. I think it all comes down to financial responsibility.

we're actually doing decently right now. Of course we want more money. I think the Cost of living helps. I can stretch my money as well.

we are still in a bit of a "downsizing" shock i guess you could say....dh made close to 70 grand a year before enlisting with the army, and now he makes around 28,000 including BAH and other things. then again he is currently e3, so i am hoping that with e4 coming up and e5 right in about a year it will get easier. whats funny is that we are less broke somehow than we were then...lol i think having such a decrease in income has been good for us responsibility wise. wow, did i just say that? LOL anyway, we have two kiddos and i get to stay home, so life is good.

Even on E3 pay we have everything we NEED, and really don't have any money issues. We aren't in debt or on WIC. We're even able to save about 400/month. Living within your means and budgeting is important no matter what you're paid.

however you guys have to think that when he works overtime he would get paid, but when the guys get off early or like when they have half days ( i know few and far between but in some cases it has been known to happen lol) they would be getting paid less. And if the guys were hourly i assure you they would not be working that many hours to begin with.

Um I wouldnt be so sure...My DH works for the govt, and just now finished working 7 days a week 12 hrs a day. He did that for about three months straight. But if he were hourly and on shore duty like he was when he got out we would have been broke cause he was home super early all the time.

Um I wouldnt be so sure...My DH works for the govt, and just now finished working 7 days a week 12 hrs a day. He did that for about three months straight. But if he were hourly and on shore duty like he was when he got out we would have been broke cause he was home super early all the time.

Is he currently a salaried or an hourly employee? if he's salaried, he's entitled to comp time for the extra hours. If he's hourly, then he should be getting overtime pay for anything beyond 80 hours in a pay period.

Is he currently a salaried or an hourly employee? if he's salaried, he's entitled to comp time for the extra hours. If he's hourly, then he should be getting overtime pay for anything beyond 80 hours in a pay period.

He does get overtime, but is it worth it...

I will say that DH is underpaid for what he does. Out in the Civilian world, he'd make more if he'd recieved his education in the civilian world and had 13+ years in by now. However, he has spent this time in the military. So he has 13+ years of military seniority. He has 13+ years of military education.
We have decided that he should stay in for the full 20. We can't afford to live out in the civilian world right now. He'd have to start over. He'd have no retirement benefits under his belt. He'd have no health care for his family. He'd have to find and figure out how to pay for housing for his family. The benefits make the difference. If DH retires he will have pay coming in every month that will cover our basic bills. That way he and I can afford to go back to school. He has his GI bill to pay for school. We will have health insurance so we don't have to worry about it. We are making investments and paying off debt now so that we can afford a home. It will be a modest home but a home none the less.
IF DH had only been in 4 years at this point we could think about getting out. We would not have another kid. I'd go back to work. We'd go live with his parents. We would start over but it wouldn't be too much. We could make it work. Our small family would survive. If DH were to get out now, I don't know how we'd begin to start over. Career is the logical way to go at this point. The benefits we get is compensation for his being gone 9 months out of 12 each year. If DH could get out, make 100K a year, then he would get out. But right now, getting out means starting over and we are too old for that. We also have a child depending on us.