While in the military, single people don't have to worry about paying bills as long as they live on base. My sister wasted all her money by buying all the pretty little things she wanted. My brother sent money home, instead. When my sister got out, she didn't know how to budget for rent, food, and clothing, so was constantly in debt.

I don't know exact numbers, but I do know that families in the military struggle with the same weight of bills that civilians do. They don't get minimum wage, but they don't get outstanding amounts, either. The jobs that many of them do would command much more in the private sector. I knew a computer expert who doubled his pay by retiring.

Any current military willing to comment?

By the way, I just asked said brother-in-law all of the questions in the OP

I'm sure part of it has to do with the history of empty promises the US military has made to many vet's about what services they would benefit from, education and otherwise, after they finished their time.

I'm also sure part of it has to do with the mental effects of war. Many soldiers come back dealing with horrors and/or guilt which bring them into depression, and some come back unstable. They may lose their jobs over this, either through their actions caused by these struggles or just as likely due to the perceptions of those who hire them.

Additionally, it doesn't help that many vets come back missing body parts. It's alot harder to get a job that way. Many homeless vets you may notice are in a wheelchair. I certainly have seen quite a few in the city.

War cripples, in more ways then one.

Like you said, $50 is a lot to you because you're 20. So back when your 17-year-old friend signed the contract to enlist, he thought he was getting a lot of money, too. They certainly aren't paid hundreds of thousands of dollars (unless they were in it for life). I think very few of them take into account inflation, living expenses, and military supplies that they have to pay up on. Those things can get pretty expensive, especially when one isn't taught how to save, invest, and plan for the future, etc. I think the fact that for whatever they are doing, they get a paycheck hinders their ability to save. After all, whether they're overseas or on leave (vacation), they get paid. So it tells them that regardless of if they work, they're going to get paid. The thing is, when someone retires from the military prematurely (as in, don't stay in for the maximum amount of time to get pension), the benefits stop almost immediately. Sure, they get the GI Bill, but some don't even know what they want to do (which may be the reason why they joined the military in the first place). Some ex-military just go into shock because they've had that military mindset for so long that dealing with the real world may be hard to adjust to. I know when my boyfriend was in the military, he had to buy his own supplies and pay to get his patches on his uniforms. That adds up, especially when you've got other bills such as cell phone (which he can't just stop paying for just because he's overseas for half the year and therefore aren't even using it), car insurance, etc. I think the worst part is how there's no time for anything else between the time you're service is ending and when you are dropped back into the civilian world. The military promises to train you in the skills you need to get into a good career but they don't necessarily put enough effort into those programs.  

@ThisUserNameIsAvaliable@xanga - I agree. Many people join the army in hopes of getting paid somehow. When they get out, they forget that they have no skill or degree that would be of any help in the civilian world. Plus, like T0m03 said, if you're not in it for the long haul (20+ years), your benefits are very little once you get out. I know a lot of people who went to college, got a degree, and then joined the military in order to get a higher rank. They get paid extra for having that degree, plus it's something you can fall back on if you get out before you're eligible for pension.