Reservist profited from war

Washington Post:

Contradicting conventional notions, most military reservists who left their civilian jobs to fight in Iraq or Afghanistan made more money there than in their regular jobs.

That is the conclusion of a study by Rand Corp.'s National Defense Research Institute, which found that 72 percent of the troops surveyed made more while on war duty in 2002 or 2003 than they did in their civilian jobs in 2001. More than half made at least $10,000 more.

On average, the reservists made $850 more per month while on duty than in their civilian jobs, the report said.

Nevertheless, the study said, a sizable proportion of the reservists -- 28 percent -- lost money, including some who saw their earnings drop by more than 10 percent.

Higher salaries, combat pay supplements, family-separation allowances and tax-free earnings have combined to boost troops' pay on the front lines. But Rand senior economist Jacob Alex Klerman said researchers are working to understand why this study differs dramatically from earlier surveys and anecdotal reports about families struggling to get by when a primary wage earner went to war.

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