Nate you pay taxes????? When your are serving over seas???? Holy cow hockey my husband got (retired now) his regular pay no taxes pluse danger pay and separation allowance to help with child care cost for the spouse. Our heath care still is paid for as well. A Canadian soldier third rank up from a privet (Canada has few ranks) as a master corporal makes $1800 clear after taxes once our rent of $450 was taken off. It close to doubles that with out taxes then you add on the danger pay and separation allowance. As far as right equipment that just makes me sick, when I helped gather all my husbands kit together when he retired, there were three kinds of flack jackets and body armor. Ten pars of boots from jungle boots to desert boots and every thing in-between. We loaded up the trunk and the car and he still came home with a trunk full. He had six different helmets for heaven sake. Any thing that his body touched like uniforms boots towels t-shirt etc. came home. It all had to be accounted for. Some he is saving for his grandson, he planes on giving them his army boots, and most of them saw little use. The rest will find its way on e-bay. I think it is a crime that men like you should go in to a fight with out all the best equipment. How can the government pound their chest and say we are the best when they treat the best their country can provide with second rate equipment. I’m going to shut up know before I start government bashing. I am in garission and am not overseas right now. So no extras for us. But I still feel bad for the ones that are over seas.