Please be gentle...a silly military question ahead....

Ok...so I have been looking at things on all military/AF webpages and have come across something that is totally baffling me.
Gretchen is going to enter the Air Force as a Capt with 2yr exp. What "grade" is she going to be? Do you have any idea what the classification of capt is on the O-1 through O-whatever scale? I am totally confused, I am pretty sure that E=enlisted, right? I have come across pay sites with the listings of what Officers make compared to enlisted and whatnot, along with yearly medical bonus pay, but I have no idea what any of it really means!
Now recently, didn't someone post that some type of pay was going to be delayed, that was usually paid in Oct? We were to have gotten Gretchen's annual grant today (she commissioned on Oct 16, 2001) but haven't seen it, or heard from anyone either. We aren't in a terrible need for it yet, but...

Thanks for being kind and dealing with someone a little...slow!!

[Rapunzel]

My understanding is that "O" = officer and the number refers to the rank - 2nd Lt. = O1, 1st Lt. = O2, Captain = O3, Major = O4, and so on. My husband is an Air Force Captain and his rank right now is O3.

If that is completely wrong someone tell me quickly!

Jennifer

Jon adds that pay is also based upon how many years of "active duty" an officer has under their belt. Nice and muddled, ain't it?

[mommax3]

Yes, Captains are O-3. Matt, it was me that posted that our bonus was delayed.....it usually goes in October 1st, but the active duty member has to sign a contract saying they will be working for the next year before they can get the money, and the contracts were not available to sign until last week. We used to be able to fax the contract back to Randolph AFB, and then the money would go in.....now they require the OFFICIAL copy, and it has to go through official channels, so it travels on Air Force time. DH signed the contract and got the various other signatures that were required, and made a copy and had me overnight it just in case it might fool them at Randolph so now we wait. And what is today....the 17th......will we be getting any interest on this late $31,000 payment? HA! Will we be paying interest on the credit card bills we have racked up while we are waiting on the Air FORCE? That goes without saying. (we are really hating the air force lately)

I hope Gretchen's money shows up without too much trouble.


Sally

[DCJenn]

Same thing with the Army-

They told Rick that he had to sign the contract, but then he tried to make an appointment to go- the contracts weren't available yet... Yay!

Plus they lost the paperwork for the reimbursement for the Boards, too. Luckily I have kept copies of everything remotely military related (word tot he wise if you're not quite in the system yet- KEEP EVERYTHING and if you dont' have a printer that makes copies, buy one or get to know the Kinkos')

Rick takes the Boards on Monday and Tuesday so I'd like that $1220 sooner rather than later. and the bonus? Well, no house hunting will be done without it, that's for sure.

Jenn

Ok, since I already have shown my knowledge of the military...here is another question, or two for everyone here....

I am looking over the paytable and I know that there are times of the year when you get large chunks of money doled out to you (ie- Sally's fiasco example). That happens in October, is that the "incentive special pay"? What is the "multiyear special pay"?....and then how do you know what 'level' you are? Do you really get a monthly allowance for 'substance'???

Thanks again for being patient and handling my many questions! We have been looking at the listing of places to "wish you were" and we have talked to several former AF docs. We are just going to plan on being in Minot or Grand Forks(not listing them of course!) and then wherever we really end up would seem wonderful!!(no offense to anyone that lives/lived there and likes it, I am NOT a cold weather person...especially for 8mths out of the year!) One more question...and this one can cause a good discussion...have you ever lived on base housing, or would you just suggest trying to buy a home? I ask this because DW family was career AF and they bought the majority of the time. They have been telling us we should live on base (if available) to help pay down student loans faster. My concern with buying a house and being in the AF is moving quickly. I know that you aren't guaranteed to stay anywhere for any amount of time. Plus, most the bases I have looked at online all say that the wait is about 6mths. Does the housing allowance work if you are renting? Your opinions, experience, snide remarks...anything would help out here! Sorry about the brain picking, just trying to figure out something that is not making much sense to me right now. Thanks again!

[DCJenn]

Matt-

First the easy question- the choice is either BAH in your pay check to pay for living off base or living on base with no additional funds.

I don't know any doctors who have lived on base. Usually the housing is really tight for junior officers as there are more of them needing housing to start with. Add in the fact that junior officers are also usually married and often have children, it can become nearly impossible to find housing on base.

(There is NO junior officer housing at Walter Reed, FYI)

You get the bonus twice- once in July and once in October. One is for agreeing to work another year (incentive) and one is based on the specialty. They also add additional funds for where you are in the training process.

The whole thing is quite confusing...

Good luck with the selection process- I had a friend who was stationed at Minot- thanks, no!!! Hoping for New Mexico, California or Florida are in your future.

Jenn

[mommax3]

Hi Matt,

I agree with everything Jenn said. We have never lived on base, but we knew one doctor here that lived on base, and a couple that lived on Ft. Sam in San Antonio. They liked it and I am sure it saved them money, (remember, utilities are paid and it gets REALLY HOT down here) but we never considered it because a) we didn't want to be surrounded by the military lifestyle or meet DH's patients at every turn; b) we have three cats and officially we would only be able to have two pets in base housing; c) we knew DH would be doing deliveries at the civilian hospital downtown, and living on base would put us further away than living off for those inevitable middle-of-the-night trips; and d) we were able to afford to buy a much larger house than we would have been assigned on base.....and we didn't buy at the top of our range, either.....but this IS Texas, a state with one of the cheapest costs of living. Most of the doctors we know here live in much newer and prettier and more expensive houses than we do, but we went for space over amenities and got a bigger house for less $.

If I were you, I would wait until you get your assignment and then see what the situation in that community and on that base. Wherever there is a military installation, there will always be people moving in as well as moving out, so you can put your fears to rest somewhat on the resale issue. How much time does your wife owe? Four years? I bet you will be in one spot the whole time......the rule is three years on-station before a PCS, (which stands for permanent change of station) and it doesn't make sense for the military to pay for another move for someone who will get out in a year, so they usually leave docs who owe four years at one place the whole time.

Hope this helps. And that your wishes for a warmer than average location come true!!!

Sally

thank you for helping clear things for me.