Opinion

Think about military pay, too

Posted April 12, 2015 12:01 am

There seems to be a continuing din and hubbub about the minimum wage. Whenever I get into any discussion with anyone about the topic I ask, "Do you think that a young person flipping hamburgers should be paid more than a young person serving in the military?"

Based on 2014 figures and including all pay and allowances a young GI can expect to earn $22,700. Assuming a 40-hour workweek and 52 weeks/year that computes to $10.91 per hour.

Anyone who has served in the military knows that quite often the work day is longer than eight hours. I served on an aircraft carrier and it was routine to be on duty 12 to 14 hours some days; no overtime pay nor time and a half.

Let's all be a bit more realistic with our thinking.

Richard Murdock

North Aurora

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