[rickyrhodesii]

Galaxy is right on. I'm a few courses short of my degree and none of it came out of my pocket. I'm also using the MGIB to pay for 60% of my instrument rating and commercial.

I can't tell you much about FAA pay, but here's a breakdown on my monthly pay:

Base Pay (based on your rank) ~$2300
BAS (money for food) ~$280
BAH (money for housing if you live off base/post) Varies for each location
Special Duty Pay (watch supervisor Pay, based on how long you've been a w/s) ~$225

Monthly total $2805, after taxes ~$2500
Annually ~$30,000

And don't forget the benefits that aren't included in your pay...free health and dental insurance, lodging, tax free retail store, use of numerous facilities (free or small charge) such as gyms, pools, golf courses, bowling alley and the list goes on...

I'm happy and proud to say I'm also debt free! But like you've probably heard before, we (military) don't do it for the money.

And in case you're wondering, no I'm not a recruiter!