Military funding for space exploration has increased dramatically in recent years. According to this 2013 military pay chart the funding is set to increase next year was well.
Several websites list the current year’s military pay chart along with an archive of previous years’ pay charts. However, just because the base pay chart is readily available for all to view on the internet, does not mean that an active duty member’s monthly pay is so easy to calculate. Base pay charts are relatively simple to read as long as the individual knows how his or her rank equates to a pay grade, and the number of years served.
Factors that can increase the amount the active duty member earns include, but are not limited to, Basic Allowance for Sustenance (BAS), Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) without dependents, BAH with dependents, Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), Separations pay/ Geographical Bachelor (also known as Seps Pay), Hazardous Pay, Flight Pay, Combat Pay, and many more. Discovering all that the active duty member is entitled to based upon his or military occupational specialty (MOS), duty station, pay grade, length of current duty, and so forth, can be a task which causes frustration for many.
All that an active duty member is entitled to each month is clearly laid out along with the deductions taken from the individual’s pay on his or her Leave Earnings Statement (LES). Knowing this, many wonder why they would ever bother to try and figure out exactly how much their pay is each month. The reason is a very simple one, but might take a bit of explaining.
First, one needs to understand that an active duty member’s pay entitlements have seemed to almost always be in flux. Though this is not true, the times that pay begins to rapidly change is when the member is facing a change of duty station, deploying, or being sent TAD. At these points and times there are several other issues that the active duty member must address. Therefore, verifying that all the pay entitlements showing on a LES are accurate tends to become a low priority. Subsequently, if there is an error in what was allotted to the active duty member, the error will not be caught until those in charge of verifying that everyone’s pay is accurate catch it. This can take months.
Most the errors that result in over payment do require months to catch, because the active duty member either believes he or she is entitled to the specialty pay, or believes there is another reason why his or her pay has increased. When over payment occurs, the active duty member is responsible to pay back the overage amount. Often this can be done in small stipend each month, but in some occurrences the active duty member is faced with a “No Pay Due”, or where the active duty member receives no monetary pay until the entirety of the overage amount is paid.
To avoid never having to worry amount paying bills while facing a “No Pay Due” all one needs to do is determine how to accurately read a military pay chart. This includes the charts that display all the specialty pays and why they are issued.
