Mainly because, as you saw, most of the money was in allowances so it was nice that it was not taxable, but it was only available while I was in Boston as a recruiter. I was "volun-told" to be a recruiter, it is a horrible job. Like any good Soldier, I do the mission I am told, not the one I want. Anyways, recruiting duty burned me out. I was working for guys that had never deployed (I don't typically judge on that) and were telling a 17 year old kid what war is like. That environment just changed my attitude towards being in the Army. Two years away from my family, meeting my daughter when she was 6 months old, losing half of my hearing, coming out without a scratch after a direct strike from an IED on my vehicle.....didn't want to keep pushing my luck.