Being a Lieutenant is the Best Job I've Ever Had

[regexcellent]

Traumatic brain injury. It's not well understood and it doesn't necessarily (from what I understand doesn't usually) lead to serious psychological problems but it can.

I was talking with a corporal (E-4) in the 173rd Airborne the other day, who mentioned that when he was in Afghanistan last he was on a COP (combat outpost) with about 22 men, led by a single lieutenant (O-2), but they were usually at more like 18-20 because they would have some folks in the rear recovering from bomb blasts for two weeks to prevent TBI-related problems.

[Al B. Sure!]

I think you're vastly overestimating the people who get hurt physically or psychologically in the US military, particularly among rear echelon folks.

IED attacks are very common against logistics convoys.

[Dinner]

Go ask Oerdin how much active duty a reservist can see.

On deployment? I got my regular E-5 pay plus BAH. I have been out since Jan 1, 2005 but at current rates that would be ~$2900 per month for pay and ~$1800 for BAH. Which is only $4700 per month or $56,400 per year though you at least don't have to pay federal income taxes while on deployment. Yeah, I made more not being on deployment and considered that a big step down. It's not worth it for most people with good paying jobs unless they're part of a union and their union contract makes up the difference between their civilian pay and their military pay (which is normally much less).

Edit: Oh, I forgot my combat pay but that was a joke at only $200 per month and married people with dependents can make more for dependent allowance but I didn't qualify for that as a single guy.

[Patroklos]

How people really make money is getting reenlistment bonuses while in theatre if their rate/MOS/designator/whatever offers them. Those could be upwards of 50K for some people which is usually taxed at something like 40%, but are tax free in a combat zone. Plenty of people try and time their deployments or volunteer for one to make sure that's the case.

[Hauldren Collider]

Oerdin was enlisted but he made MORE money? What is the point of being an officer again?

Masturbatory fixation on being saluted by college age kids

[notyoueither]

It said the most common was a specific kind of brain injury caused by getting your head rattled by a bomb blast. Something more specific than just a concussion, typically comorbid with PTSD.

EDIT: Whoops, I misremembered. It actually said that, of the two million who went to Iraq and Afghanistan, 20-30% are believed to suffer from PTSD or TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury--a catchall for "concussion that screws you up psychologically"). So, that one in five is just the psychological cockups. Many of which coincide with physical injury.

We used to call that getting your bell wrung.

Lots of people recovered and went on to live their lives without ever being diagnosed with a serious injury.

[Al B. Sure!]

For those confused about the pay scale:

I make the same as Sergeants with 8 years time in service (~$2900/month base pay). A captain with 8 years makes $5687/month base pay.

Given same time in service, I would make twice what Oerdin made.

We used to call that getting your bell wrung.

Lots of people recovered and went on to live their lives without ever being diagnosed with a serious injury.

Better call up Roger Goodell and tell him not to worry about that whole concussion thing!

[MRT144]

But why? That seems arbitrary and not reflective of how qualified for anything either of you are.

[notyoueither]

Better call up Roger Goodell and tell him not to worry about that whole concussion thing!

I'm following the concussion issue with keen interest. As a juvenile I flipped a motor bike at 30+ mph and landed squarely on the top of my head. I did the literal multi flip head on bang that you see in cartoons.

Lucky for me that primative helmut was a good one.

The fine people at the hospital told my mother I had a 'mild' concussion. She should take me home and let me sleep. I was blacked out for most of two days, with periodic consciousness.

A few years later I got my 'bell wrung' again playing HS football. The concussions did have an effect. I will attest to that. Was it debilitating? No.

They were personality altering, the first a bit and the second a lot more although far less severe (didn't even lose consciousness). Looking back at it I didn't really come out of the fog for about 6 or 7 years after the second. But they were not debilitating, and I only suffered two not several as many pro sports players may.

[rah]

I mentioned first responders because of the fraud charges on disability claims for many 9/11 first responders. That all those claims where originally accepted has to mean that they are not that uncommon or it wouldn't have taken this long for it to become an issue.

[regexcellent]

But why? That seems arbitrary and not reflective of how qualified for anything either of you are.

Officers get paid a ****load more becuase most are not like Alby and can get jobs elsewhere that pay decent money.

[Dinner]

****, they'll make just about any **** an officer. I could have been an officer but decided more money was to be made in the civilian world so why bother?

[MRT144]

****, they'll make just about any **** an officer. I could have been an officer but decided more money was to be made in the civilian world so why bother?

Cause then your internet penis would be bigger.

[regexcellent]

****, they'll make just about any **** an officer. I could have been an officer but decided more money was to be made in the civilian world so why bother?

Not just any ****, any **** with a degree and >2.5 GPA who can pass a PT test. Possibly only 2.0 GPA in the reserves, I don't remember.

[Hauldren Collider]

If you have a 2.0 GPA at cmu iirc you go on academic probation.... nice to know the marines have such high standards