Housing/Food allowance

Do a web search for BAH calculator and follow the directions.
Elgin AFB zip is 32542, the internet was acting up an I was unable to pull up any calculators.

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/bah.html Try this site!!

http://www.bah-rates.com/

This one is working better - and it's accurate; I checked it against my own rate. Don't type "AFB" or "Air Force Base", just put in "Eglin".

BAS for officers is $223.04 a month regardless of rank or if you have dependents.

Both your BAS and your BAH are nontaxable.

BAH w/o dependents: $1196.00
BAS: $223
Basic pay for an O1 w/o prior service time: $2655 (which will go up by 3.4% January 1 to $2745)

Unless you're making more than $4074 a month (or $48,884 a year - of which over $17,000 is NONTAXABLE and therefore worth about thirty percent more than that, or about $22,000 - so in reality you're making about $52K), you won't be taking a pay cut. And remember, you won't be paying ANYTHING for ANY health care (and I don't know what your premiums are but mine are simply stupid) - no dental, no medical, no hospitalization, no prescriptions - nothing.

You don't have to worry about accruing sick time, either.

You may not know this either (some folks don't) - you don't have to spend the whole housing allowance on housing, but you're paid the $1196 a month regardless of how much you spend. If you find an apartment for $700/month - you pocket the difference TAX FREE.

When you compare military to civilian pay, you have to factor in your allowances as well. YES - your BASE PAY is probably less, but your allowances will cover things you're currently paying out of your take home pay (health insurance, rent, groceries). You get $1196 in a housing allowance, you actually get $1196 in your check because it's not taxed. Same goes for BAS. Two hundred big ones, tax free.

Try getting Uncle Sam to not tax you on the civilian side...