Sp00led Ya

I am a 22 year old reservist from Maine, I decided to volunteer to deploy to Iraq. A soldier in my unit is a 74D (chemical) and volunteered over a year ago and got Civil Affairs, he just returned and has helped me out a little bit. I am not Civil Affairs but I found the next unit in rotation and it is out of Fort Bragg. Train up starts in July, and then Iraq 3 months later I believe for 9 months because they shrunk the tour length. I needed some advice to take with me when I go.

Financial:

I am a single E-4 with no children. I am promotable to E-5 but I do not know if they would even bother with that over there. I have 2+ years time in service and I was wondering what I would make per month roughly overthere. I was told $1854 (base pay I think) $750 hazerdous duty pay, and $250 per month for something else. I was also told that I could receive BAH if I had someone write me a letter saying I payed XXX.XX per month for rent. I have about $13,000.00 in debt I would like to pay off (credit cards, car note, personal loans etc) and once that is paid I will not have one ounce of debt...

I plan to buy a new car when I get home (new to me anyways) but that is after my previous debts are paid, I want to come home with a clean slate. I know they say don't buy a bunch of stupid stuff over there, I was planning on buying a cheap TV, a Play Station 3, a laptop and hmm... that is about it, just some things to keep me sane I guess.

How much should I expect to make per month? What financial advice would be useful? I also have a mother who I don't really trust and would like to have everything paid for via direct deposit but for some reason I don't know how that would work for random things I have to pay.

Gear:

What gear is recommended that I buy that is NOT issued. I know that Soldiers previously really liked under armor t-shirts to make it much more comfortable there but they are no longer authorized because of wound infection or some BS. I planned on getting myself some Oakley tactical gloves with the CF Knuckles as well as some Oakley balistics... I wanted to get myself my own blackhawk vest w/pouches I know a few guys from the 173rd ID out of Vincenza that had their own vests to go over there IBA...

Don't die advice:

Any advice would be helpful...

Spare time:

What to do? I heard the internet is available for personal computers in your room for $30 bucks a month or so, that'd be great. Also cell phones are usable with phone cards, about 125 minutes for $5 bucks or so... should I bring MY cell phone?

Staying in shape:

Is it pretty much self PT?

Thanks guys!

ponyeater01LS1

I'm a Marine and was wounded there 2 years ago, it is much different there now. I know when I was there I only made an extra about $980 a month so dont plan on getting rich hahaha. Gear well take what they give ya I know the Army is much more spoiled then us Marines face it we get what you guys throw away. Spare time? well dont sit on your rump or the time will creep on by, hit the gym and get big. and for the "dont die advice" well when God wants ya he's gonna take ya consider every day a blessing. good luck, keep ur head down and shoot straight

TXZ28LS1

iTrader: (5)

well first off what base in iraq are u going too?


your base pay as an E-4 sounds about right. i dont know if the army deployed benefits is the same as air force. but the air force is that u will get paid tax-free, and if you have dependents u will receive $250 a month for family separation. depending where u are u can also receive per diem. its usually like $3.50 a day it can be more depending on location. u also get hostile/immenent danger pay which is like an extra $225 a month. thats pretty much all the pay you probably will get.

THE KEY TO BRINGING HOME CASH IS NOT TO SPEND!!!!!!!!!!!! TRY NOT TO GO TO THE BX AND BUY **** U DONT NEED. EAT AT THE CHOW HALL AND NOT WASTE MONEY.. IF HEARD SINGLE GUYS BEING ABLE TO BRING HOME ATLEAST $15,000. if anything just bring like $5-600 bucks and see if u can live off that while your there the whole time.

there really is no advice but just to becareful!!

things to do in spare time is probably sleep and play video games and go to the gym. thats pretty much all there is to do.

good luck man!!! stay safe

toneloc60

iTrader: (7)

I just got back and I have a bit of advice for you.

First off, don't buy a bunch of crap at before you go. I don't know how many times I told my joes that, but, they didn't all listen. The more **** you buy ahead of time is that much more you'll have to lug with you while moving from home to mob station, mob station to Kuwait and Kuwait to Iraq. Just stick with what is issued. Trust me, that's plenty to haul.

Depending on where you'll be in country, you'll have plenty of places to get anything you think you'll need. However, I stayed very busy with work. All I had time for was checking my email on my laptop before I went to bed. I also IM'd my wife a lot.

Don't waste money on phone cards. Find out the DSN operator's number closest to the people you want to call and use the DSN lines. It's free. If not, wait till you're situated and then buy credit on SPAWAR. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get there. It's the cheapest.

You should be able to pay off your debts no problem. Just don't get into the habit a lot of joes do of buying movies, eating BK or Pizza Hut and all that and you should do fine.

Stick to your guns when it comes to your budget, eat at the DFAC, and go to the gym.

While I was there I spent $65/month for internet and bought a pair of $25 lifting gloves and an iPod shuffle for $80. Other than that, I was able to put $15,000 toward my project car. It can be done.

Good luck and God bless.

toneloc60

iTrader: (7)

oh, and the Army is tax free too.

qdz21

iTrader: (1)

I'm not in the army or anything, but I just wanted to say good luck and GOD BLESS!!

bene

iTrader: (16)

Alot of single guys I know when they get deployed the allowance they get for BAH they pocket it because, they put their belongings in the storage. No bills or no house rent to worry about. You can do the same w/ your car, if your car is paid off. No insurance payment, more money in your pocket. BAS is the same, if you do get this allowance, that is pretty much free money for you since you'll be either in a MEAL CARD eating at the chow hall or what we call it in the AF, DFAC. Like others said, don't blow your money over there for something you don't really need. You'll end up carrying more stuff w/ you when you get home if you do.

As a veteran you are entitled to use Soldiers and Sailors Act. Read up on this and use it to your advantage as far as your debt goes when you are deployed.

All these extra stuff you mentioned above will eat up your money you're trying to save up. You don't need a cell phone to use for moral call, you'll get that FREE. If you want entertainment, they have MWR center over there to keep you occupied and they are FREE.

I don't know about Army PT, but in the AF we have our own schedule and sometimes we have this thing called command runs (5K meters) which is a mistake to me over there. Mass of military personnel running= BIG TARGET.

bballr4567

iTrader: (5)

I can give you a damn good estimate of how youll make bc Im an E4 with 3 years in. I bring about $2400 a month in. Being single you will NOT get BAH, just BAS which is 279 currently. You will also get 250 Hazard duty pay and itll be tax free. That is basically it.

Like everybody is saying the key to building up money is to NOT spend it. Ive got about 8k after 8 months but that is after a 2500 down payment for a car, 4k in paid back debts and about 2k in my IRA.

Its VERY easy to spend a ton of money on just random crap. Just dont buy it. If you have a good unit you will get the oakley gloves and glasses issued to you. Youll get the crappy M Frames but its free. Check out usstandardissue.com if you truly want to buy some oakley stuff. The only thing I recommend is the 8" Desert boots. Well worth it!

Also dont bring a lot of crap over. You dont need half of the crap the army issues you much less extra stuff.

Plus dont get the under armour TIGHT shirts. Im a medic and we have seen numerous infections from guys that dont get to wash their clothes enough and the shirts are the only thing that really links them all together. They stop wearing the shirts and their infections went away.

Anymore questions just ask away.

Sp00led Ya

As far as pay is concerned I thought that the hazard pay went up to $750.00, bas... whatever that is at $279 and my base pay which at E-4 I think is hmm $1854.00? So I would get just that and it would be untaxed? I would get normal base pay when I was in my 3 months train up at Bragg?

I was told to have a good flash light, gloves, sunglasses and that is pretty much it. I do not know where in Iraq I am going to be or how fast 9 months will fly by but I planned on getting a laptop, ps3 and a tv... that is about it. I am not too concerned about talking to people on the phone unless it is to sort out a bill or pay a bill or something.

I am trying to figure out how dangerous my situation is being in a civil affairs unit even though I know it is hard to tell ever. I am concerned about my money because my mother has played games before while I was on active duty before, using my money and trying to put it back before I noticed etc etc...

I have about $10,000 ish in debt I want to knock out (credit cards, personal loans etc) and I want to be able to pay for in cash, or get damn close to paying for a new car in cash. Hopefully I will have enough to get what I want.

I am going to be out of Fort Bragg so hopefully I will not have to deal with craptastic gear like old kevlars, those ghetto flak jackets or M-16A2's but hell I do not know how crazy it gets as civil affairs over there. I do know we go outside the wire every day though, our mission can't be done on a fob.

Then there is PT of course, I don't know how often we'd have time to have PT formation and bla bla bla when we have a mission in the city to tackle, maybe it's just "on your own" kind of PT. I heard from a CA guy that some times we'd get briefed the night before about a mission at say... 0800, some times we'd get back at psh 1300 and hang out til the next day or what not.

I'm curious as to how much fear should be in my gut too. Ugh so many questions. **** my life

bballr4567

iTrader: (5)

You will get an IOTV. They are better but still a PITA.

As far as hostile fire pay its authorized up to 750 but Iraq and Kuwait are still 225 a month. Forgot about the 100 Hazard duty pay which used to be called save pay for some reason.

Flashlight I would forgo. Now a good headlamp is another story. Much easier then a flashlight because well youll still have both your hands free.

If you want to buy the gloves and glasses check out the site I posted above. Its Oakleys direct order discount for troops. Will save you a good chunk of change.

Id wait a few months to get a PS3 honestly. We have had 3 or 4 of them here and every single one has bit the dust because of the dust! Plus you dont know what your living arrangements will be and well just wait.

As far as your money dont let anybody have access to it. Its that simple. Dont give anybody a POA. NOTHING. Its that simple. If she messes with it press charges. Everything can be done by phone or net these days really so no need for it.

CA teams are pretty safe for the most part. I know ours do a lot of shiek meetings in the small villages here and set up medcaps (we go out and treat iraqis). You will go outside the wire but its nothing too bad. There is ALWAYS a lot of downtime.

PT depends on where you are at. The big FOBs are just like back home. The one Im at there is VERY little orginazied PT and when there is its usually a football or baseball game.

Sp00led Ya

So I should expect sub $30,000 un-taxed? I heard from a guy on nasioc who spent a few months with CA guys that they are actually part of psyops/socom deal so they are pretty lax and kind of fall under there own rules/regs which is pretty lax with little uniformity and even have there own safe houses so villages can access them easily whenever they need them. I'm not sure because I am an engineer and dental tech who is volunteering to go with a CA unit out of bragg so I will probably just assume the position as a CA guy like the 74d in my unit did.

alc80

iTrader: (3)

isnt there provisions to the relief act, something like its only for deby incurred before enlisting?

Blacked Out

Its all been pretty much covered dont buy lots of **** before you go. You will be supplied plenty of gear at Bragg I mobed from there the last trip. Save money by eating at the chow hall is key. Eat the food they provide you and dont go to the PX all the time. People you never heard of before are always sending care packages with hygiene stuff. If you want a tv and stuff you can buy them from guys rotating home for real cheap. Since your single get a letter saying your paying rent from home and you will receive BAH from that zip. And then you can throw some money to the family when you get back for holding all your stuff to make it legit. I was an E-6 last trip and I was able to bank 50K so the potential is there to make some coin as long as your smart about it and SAVE.

Sp00led Ya

What is train up like? I heard it is just like active duty but that means that you would do PT every day... then go to the range, land nav etc etc.

What should I say in the letter to recieve the BAH?

Mr.MartyStone

iTrader: (12)

Just provide a copy of your lease. If you don't have a lease then just write up a rental agreement on ms word or something.

1gen

iTrader: (1)

buy lots of socks and an ipod

aggiez28

iTrader: (19)

make sure you get a room next to the pool or the spa.

ponyeater01LS1

wow the life of every branch except the Marines haha guess thats why we fight harder and party longer

JosephIV

iTrader: (14)

My only advice is listen to those who posted, and don't falsify your rent status. If you get caught they will get back the money that you received and knock you down in rank. So you would end up working for Uncle Sam for peanuts. I had an E-4 and E-5 get caught and their monthly pay was garnished. Both ended up busted down one paygrade. Not good.

I never went to the sandbox so I can't give you advice there.

Sp00led Ya

I do pay rent though. I live in a room at my moms friends house and just pay her like $100 bucks a month cuz I don't even shower there. I'm going to have her write up a rent aggreement before I leave. I don't know how any of that is false...