The military pays very well now, not like it use to be.
Not so fast there kid! An E1 makes 1491 bucks a month in 2011. That's barely over minimum wage.
If you're willing to stick it out for twenty or thirty years and get every available advancement, which ain't that hard, after about ten years you'll be doing OK but you ain't going to be driving a Mercedes!
My first week back in the world, working at GM, I made 500 bucks a week. My last week in the Navy, Sept 79 I made a little over 140 bucks.
I stand by my statement that the Military still pays like shit!