No rent, no utilities, free healthcare, free food, you get extra pay if you get married, you get a month of vacation every year. There's also a lot fringe benefits within the military lifestyle that you don't realize you had until you get out - for example, if you have a doctor's appointment it's expected that you'll go in during working hours, and not on your free time. Mid-level leadership (Sergeants) also have a lot of leeway to let people leave early if they have a good reason to, something you don't see in corporate culture at all.
Basically, all of the things that a functional state would provide to everyone as a baseline, is provided to the military as compensation. The pay that you get is basically 100% spending money - that's why so many kids get a Camaro at an unreasonably high interest rate, because it and their phone are their only expenses.
No rent, no utilities, free healthcare, free food, you get extra pay if you get married, you get a month of vacation every year. There's also a lot fringe benefits within the military lifestyle that you don't realize you had until you get out - for example, if you have a doctor's appointment it's expected that you'll go in during working hours, and not on your free time. Mid-level leadership (Sergeants) also have a lot of leeway to let people leave early if they have a good reason to, something you don't see in corporate culture at all.
Basically, all of the things that a functional state would provide to everyone as a baseline, is provided to the military as compensation. The pay that you get is basically 100% spending money - that's why so many kids get a Camaro at an unreasonably high interest rate, because it and their phone are their only expenses.
Real "service guarantees citizenship" hours.
Shit like that makes it so tempting to join, but I know a lot of folk who have been seriously harmed both physically and mentally from their service.