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holiday or weekend; then you'll get it the last business day before. You know what's even better than just getting paid on a Friday? Most units in the Army celebrate "payday activities," which means that everyone goes home early on Friday of the week you get paid, just because Uncle Sam wants to give you a break.

When you're deployed, you don't pay any taxes. You get extra pay for just being in a combat zone, and if you've got a family at home you qualify for separation pay. All that money, tax-free... it's not uncommon for a Soldier to come home and have a huge stash of cash just waiting in a savings account!

You may also be eligible for miscellaneous extra pay when you're not deployed; if you have a family, you'll receive BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) and what we call "separate rats" - which is money the Army gives you for groceries. You can be really smart about it and find a place to rent that costs a lot less than what you get for BAH and pocket the rest of the dough! If you're stationed in a high-cost area, you'll also get COLA (Cost of Living Allowance), which is based on how much more that place costs to live than everywhere else.

COLLEGE CASH
The Army offers tuition assistance in the form of the Montgomery G.I. Bill. The amounts they give out are always changing, so it's best to talk to a recruiter to see what the most current figures are. It will cost you $100 a month (right out of your paycheck) for your first year of service; after that, you don't pay another dime and you're eligible for a significantly larger amount of money to pay for your college education. There's been recent talk of allowing family members to use your G.I. Bill, and recruiters will have the most up-to-date information on sharing your benefits with your dependents.

ARMY BENEFITS
Just like most other jobs, the Army offers benefits - but they far surpass most of what you'll find in the civilian job market.

The insurance that the Army gives it's members and their families is called TriCare. There's a lot less red tape involved with TriCare than there is with your typical health insurance. Military members can be seen by a physician at any time and for any reason (at absolutely no cost), and prescriptions are always free from the pharmacy on your post. Depending on the version of TriCare you choose for your family, there may be a small co-pay on visits and prescriptions, but they're always going to be covered.

The Army also offers free vision and dental care to all servicemembers;

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