Is Being A Mercenary More Profitable Than Being In The Army?

[ratetankmark]

If this is political or anything then please feel free to shut it down, but according to my father, mercenaries get paid for their services like hired thugs and they have less rules to follow than being in an army of your respective country, I have no plans to do either, but it seems like the only difference between a Mercenary unit and an army is that one isn't looked upon as fondly as the other for reasons I don't understand, they're both fighting in wars but they do it for different reasons.

[Mozenrath]

Generally, they are paid better, but they are also afforded fewer protections and while some rules of war don't necessarily apply to them, that also concerns ones where soldiers would be taken alive and mercs could just be killed on the spot.

What is and is not a mercenary is a legal grey area, though.

["Gentleman" AJ Powell]

May pay well, but it's riskier. Safer option would being a Private Military Contractor, more of the benefits that come with being a soldier, but pays well.

Unless we go the Guns of the Patriots route, then you end up getting killed by Giant bipedal robot cows.

[ICBM]

The role of the mercenary has changed a bit in the last ten yrs or so. It has expanded and is enjoying an actual public profile. They have always followed conflict and been sideways employed by governments but always disavowed and never acknowledged, we started using them in mass in Iraq. A lot of money in the form of bounties, was made in addition to the private security they provided. I worked with black water guys(now called something else) they were all former soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. A lot of toothless hillbillies among them, but they had the most awesome gear you could get. When we would fly into airfields they owned, I always had made sure to bring fresh fruit from our dinning facility on our base. I won't get in to more detail, but they would talk to us when you hot the ground and seemed pretty sharp. It is about the money though. I have disliked them BC of that but once you are one on one talking to a guy, its hard to be mad. Curiosity takes over.

[Zombie Mod is not a ghoul.]

It didn't pay enough for Photoshop lessons.

["Gentleman" AJ Powell]

Oh, and I almost forgot:

[Capt Lunatic]

It pays much better than standard military service.

But then Sly Stallone always shows up and ends your world.

[Piccolo]

Dec 24, 2013 6:05:11 GMT -5 "Gentleman" AJ Powell said:

Oh, and I almost forgot:

Yay! First thing I thought of.