Active Service, Passive Income

I think most of us joined the military for action and adventure. We heard that we could travel to all sorts of remote countries and exciting locales. And, after 22 years, I can say that I have traveled to my hearts’ content. But, how many of us joined for the chance to be a Passive Income Hero? 

Yes, the military is a great place to build out unique passive income streams, not just from the retirement pension. I say this not because the military is easy and you have tons of free time. No, I say this because the military is straightforward.

Josh, what do you mean by the word straight-forward? I mean, in 22 years, I was never guessing what to do next in the military. I mean, I knew what to do to get promoted to the next rank. I mean that everything I ever needed was on the base that I was stationed at.

Comparing the military world to that of a civilian identifies unique benefits in each. Of course, as a civilian, you have freedom of movement and choice. But as a service member, you have many guarantees that civilians would love to have. 

Servicemembers have things like a steady paycheck, accessible healthcare for themselves, cheap healthcare for their families, dental, free gym, free pool, meal allowance or chow hall access, tuition assistance, tax-free housing allowance, tax-free shopping on base, etc.

There is actually too much to list. Needless to say, we have a great life at the cost of time away from our family and putting our lives in danger. We, as servicemembers, need to start appreciating these advantages more often. 

One of the main things that civilians lack over servicemembers is a clear line of career progression. This is probably the main advantage of being in the military. Every service member has at least an opportunity to start as a Private (E-1) and make it to the rank of General (0-10). It is improbable, but I have met multiple one and two-star Generals (0-7, 0-8) that were prior enlisted.

Civilians rarely have the option to move up into upper management or become CEO of a company. If my son started working at Apple, there would be no path for him to become CEO. 

Civilians, especially in today’s society, have to move from job to job to access promotions and pay raises. Loyalty is no longer appreciated in the civilian world. If you stay in the same position, you will receive the same pay. That’s how it works. 

This means that civilians are never really settled into their lives. They are constantly looking for the next big break. They are always seeking new qualifications, education, and certifications to leg up on the next position. 

For us military types, this means that we have a chance to build great income streams outside of the military because we have time to focus. When we move locations, we keep the same job attributes that we made over the years.

I have watched my wife’s civilian career alongside my military career. Every time we move, she has to start again. I move, but my rank and status carry over, same job, different day. This ability to move in a straight line can be what we need to build multiple income streams.

You see, there has never been a better time to earn income streams over the internet. Using our time to focus, we need to start creating content at the earliest possible age. Daily military life alone gives us a ton of content just ripe for creation. 

We can create things like YouTube videos, FaceBook groups, Instagram, books, blogs, music, design, physical exercise, healthy lifestyle, dieting, running, etc. On top of our interesting careers in aviation, combat jobs, and information technology, we do so much on a routine basis.

Most young people in the civilian world do not have the “freedom” of those in the military. Yes, the servicemember has more “restrictions,” but those allow them to have access to food, meals, room and board, and a steady paycheck. The servicemember is always taken care of, without question. The civilian has to fight to keep his apartment, food, and compensation—this can be stressful.

So as young servicemembers, start thinking long term. Begin to read books and learn the ways of passive income. This income can supplement your lifestyle throughout your military career and afterward as well. 

If you decide to finish 20 years in the military, with additional streams of passive income, you should easily be able to stop working a job at the ripe age of 38. Yep, that’s right; you can use the military as your wealth generator and the military pension as your income base. 

From there, over your 20 years, you just need to stack on some real estate ventures, dividends, cryptocurrencies, and royalties, and you can have a fantastic life. I started late, at age 38, after 20 years in the military.

Now, at 22 years and going strong, I have three houses, a large-ish dividend portfolio ($170,000), and a growing base of book royalties. If I had started five years ago, when I was at 17 years, my income streams would have been a lot more mature. But there is no use in crying over spilled milk. All I can do now is share my experiences with others.

Servicemembers, use the advantages you have of consistent and telegraphed promotions and lifestyle to build your income streams out. You will be traveling from duty station to duty station; you may as well be buying houses at each location. You can create a travel blog or YouTube channel on military life. 

Whatever the case is, figure out something that you enjoy doing and keep doing it consistently. That is how you grow an audience over time; you give them content daily. We are the most disciplined people that I know, so use that to your advantage. 

If you are looking for a place to start, read the articles below. Do your research, form your self-education, and you will become a Passive Income Hero. Good Luck!

Investing: How We Plan to Retire on Dividends (book)

Cryptocurrencies: My First Book on Cryptocurrencies (book)

Real Estate: Financial Independence through Real Estate (book)

Business: Retire Rich, Retire Comfortable with a Business (book)

Everything plus way more: The Biggest Book on Passive Income Ever! (book)

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Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I am an Amazon Affiliate. Please research any investment vehicles that are being considered. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it.  I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.