Its complicated. Short form: Basic pay is very low, partially justified by all of the living expenses that the military covers for you (food, housing, health c

Its complicated. Short form: Basic pay is very low, partially justified by all of the living expenses that the military covers for you (food, housing, health care). If you live off-base, you get an extra pot of money, the "basic allowance for housing", BAH. If you have dependents then your BAH is higher. I definitely knew of couples that had justice-of-the-peace weddings right after they were engaged, and then had a formal ceremony 6-12 months later. All of the rate schedules are published online. The married/single difference for an E-5 (mid-level enlisted rank) in New London, CT is only $369. The big difference is that if you are married, then you are more likely to qualify for off-base housing in the first place. http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm