You Can Get Rich by Serving in the Military!

“You’re just a glorified grunt!”

Those were my father’s first words to me after I enlisted at nineteen years of age

He wanted me to attend college, and convinced me to try it for a year, confident that I would enjoy the experience and stay. I went. I flunked out. And the following year, still against my father’s advice, I joined the Army.

I was raised in a middle-class family and, to be honest, we were comfortable. My father worked hard and had a good job in computer programming. And because of that, I never wanted for much. My family traveled a lot, and we had very nice vacations. I assumed when he said those words to me, he meant that I wouldn’t be able to travel and I wouldn’t have enough money to buy nice things. To be honest, I wasn’t really thinking about that at the time.

So, in November 1987, I went to a recruiter and signed a contract to be an Airborne Ranger. My father wasn’t happy about that either. He had gotten over the fact that I was entering the Army instead of going to college, but he insisted I look into a career field I could use when I separated from the military. When he found out I was joining the Rangers he thought I had made a horrible mistake, that I would just be a ‘glorified grunt.’

I knew my father loves me and he just wanted the best for me. In the end, he was wrong … and right.

I was a grunt, he was right about that. In retrospect, I could have chosen a career more suited to the civilian world, but the whole reason I joined the Army was I didn’t know what career I wanted. I ended up serving over 31 years as a grunt.

But he was wrong that I wouldn’t be able to live comfortably. I definitely never wanted for anything while I was serving in the military, and now that I’m retired, I think I’m doing pretty well for myself. Am I rich? Well, If nothing else, I’m Army Rich.

Army Rich

If your interpretation of rich is a millionaire, then I did not retire from the military rich. However, if I had had a mentor walking me through life, advising me on good money decisions, I could definitely have retired with over $1 million. This article is the first in a series to be that mentor and help you separate from the military with the most utility from your benefits and the most money in your pocket.

I didn’t have anyone to advise me when I came into the Army, and if I had, I’m not sure I would have listened to them. Still, if I had been told everything I will tell you in this article series, I might have started earlier in preparing for my retirement.

Here are the five elements that I include in my definition of Army Rich.

1. Learning a Skill
2. Earning a Good Salary and Saving Money
3. Education Opportunities
4. Work Experience
5. Retirement Planning

Skills:

The Army has sent me to its premier leadership schools, and these skills are very much in demand. I also have very advanced computer skills that I learned in the Army, a National Paramedic license, and a certification for packing and loading hazardous materials. Depending on which profession you want to pursue, you can receive certifications worth thousands of dollars all paid for by the Army.

Savings:

I had over $10,000 in savings when I separated from the Army, all my credit cards paid off, and an excellent credit score. In just 4 years you could have over $20,000 in the bank and a car paid off easily using techniques in this article series. Additionally, when I retired I had three rental properties that were bringing in over $1,500 in passive income a month.

Education:

I received my Bachelor’s degree in US History and Master’s Degree in Creative Writing for free while I was in the Army (with a lot of hard work taking night classes and weekend classes). And I still have a scholarship worth $100,000 (the 9/11 GI Bill) and a state scholarship worth 150 credit hours (almost 5 more years of school) if I want to study something else. Now, with online classes, you could finish a four-year enlistment with more than 2 years of college and the same $100,000+ scholarship I have and even more depending on your state of residency.

Experience:

When you finish four years in the Army you will have at least 3 years of job experience in your chosen profession. My service as a grunt for over 30 years, because of the War on Terror, has made me in high demand to many companies. But you can choose any medical, logistical, or administrative field and you will have more experience coming out of the Army than most of the college graduates have walking across the stage to grab their diplomas.

Retirement:

I stayed in the Army for over 30 years, so I have a monthly paycheck of over $4000 a month. But You don’t have to stay in 20 years to earn a retirement. Just by staying in four years and using the Army’s retirement options, you could have over $100,000 for yourself when you retire at the age of 72.

Stay Tuned

I wasn’t able to take advantage of all the benefits the Army offers because I didn’t have a mentor to advise me. This Successful Soldier series of articles can be the mentor for you that I never had access to. I will give you tips on how to get promoted faster, make more money, and take advantage of every benefit the Army has to offer. Whether you plan on staying in for a single enlistment of 4 to 6 years or longer, you will have the information I wish I’d known when I enlisted in the Army. All the information that I will pass on to my sons and daughters if they want to join the Army.