So my hubby is going on the Mue to Oki...if i remember correctly at the pre deployment brief we only get 250 in sep pay and thats it....it doesnt sound right to me...is it? sorry first deployment ever...im kinda blind to all this... 

Yup. Meu's only get other extra pays when they hit "combat zone". He should get Sea Duty pay or something like that...buts its a small amount. 

pretty much equals out to the money they TAKE for food. UGH!!!! 

Lots of times when they are on a ship, and depending on command, they lose their BAS, too, so you typically will see very little 'more' money on ship. Once he hits a combat area, the pay changes. Of course, there are always exceptions. :) 

My husband did two MEU's. I think we saw an average of maybe an extra 100 a paycheck. Sometimes it was 200 extra, sometimes it was less. Depending on where he was. 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's still tax-free income while on the MEU right? I think that's where the "extra" comes from... because they take out BAS, give you FSA (so that more or less balances out) but you don't pay taxes. My hubby goes on a MEU in 2009, too. I'm moving home to save money since we won't really get extra from this deployment, and we want to start a family. Not really about pay, but, for those with husband who have done MEUs, what was communication like? Last deployment between him having internet in the "can" or whatever, motomail, and him always being on a large base with lots of phone access, I must say I got spoiled with being able to hear from him a lot during deployment. Just wondering what I'm in for this time. 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's still tax-free income while on the MEU right? They have to be in a tax-free zone. 

its tax free if they are in a tax free zone. my husband just came home from a meu a month ago. the phones suck and are really expensive. u can do moto mail and they get their own email, if he can get to the computer . 

for those with husband who have done MEUs, what was communication like? Depending on his workload (teaching classes, training, ect) I got an email pretty much almost every other day. Sometimes we could email back and forth for a few hours. Phone calls depended on how much time he had in phone cards, and if he could get a hold of a sat phone. 

MEU's themselves are not tax-free. Entry into combat zones earn you tax-free. If they spend the whole time floating around Hawaii (LOL, they won't) there is no tax-free, but once they pass a certain mark, it will be. You should get the specifics for their deployment at the pre-deployment brief. There is email and satellite phones on ship. Communication was good. DH's first MEU was before email. LOL We had to do snail mail and, looking back, that was torture. :) 

Mine is taking his laptop...if they can..idk how internet is or if it is even worth it for him to take it...idk... 

My husband has taken a laptop, but couldn't use it to access the ship's internet. He had to use his office computer to email. He used his laptop for movie watching and paperwork, I think. 

they can not use the internet with their laptop on ship but when the port they have internet places. 

idk i dont understand why he wont leave it here..i dont have a computer at all if he takes this one and i dont have any more than 200 bucks to buy one..urrgg 

The 31st MEU is actually stationed in OKI and the guys go over and live there for the 6 months.( It's also called UDP by some people) That's why you really don't get any extra money. You loose your BAS, but you get FSP so it equals out. They will go on ship for usually about 6-8 weeks. Then your husband will get sea pay, deck pay, what ever he qualifies for. If they go to a tax free zone, that month will be tax free, but nothing else is. OKI is not considered a combat zone. About communication....the guys live in baracks so if he has a laptop or what ever he can take it with him. I've even heard of some guys getting phones hooked up in their rooms, but we never did that. OKI is basically like 6 months training. They are safe, well fed, and comfortable. :o) We have done 2 of these. If you have any more questions just let me know. 

I've come to the acceptance that a MEU is a roughly 6 month long cruise and we can't count on paying off any extra bills. I may as well get a job to pay for my husbands port adventures. lol 

I may as well get a job to pay for my husbands port adventures. lol Lol! I did get a schweet Chanel purse out of the deal! 

My husband said he wanted to be like that guy off the food channel that samples the weirdest (nastiest!) foods and he's going to take pictures to document it all. He's crazy! As long as he's not walking down any "red light district", he can do whatever the heck he wants. I know what those ports are famous for! haha 

OMG i swear if he goes on a spending spree im gunna kick him when he gets back...he will be lucky to get 200 a month...ha guess thats what he gets for running up huge bills... 

I told my husband he gets $400 a month. That's it. He better use it wisely... or do good at poker to fund his adventures like he did last deployment. 

I may as well get a job to pay for my husbands port adventures. lol Ha! Yes! One of my husband's MEU's they stopped in the Seychelles and he went scuba diving, had lobster dinners, called me twice a day. I was so thankful for my job when I got those bills! LOL 

My husband said he wanted to be like that guy off the food channel that samples the weirdest (nastiest!) foods and he's going to take pictures to document it all. EXACTLY what mine is going to do too! As long as I don't have to personally witness it, my stomach can not handle it! 

I may as well get a job to pay for my husbands port adventures. lol Ha! Yes! One of my husband's MEU's they stopped in the Seychelles and he went scuba diving, had lobster dinners, called me twice a day. I was so thankful for my job when I got those bills! LOL And this is why I am moving home for my husband's MEU haha. I'm going back to school full time, rather than working, so to make up for what I KNOW he'll end up spending in some ports (he swears he won't) I'm just going home for 6 months. 

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