2. For officers, the pay was a little better
Active duty officers of the Army and Navy during the 1920s were nearly all graduates of the respective academies at West Point and Annapolis. There were simply not enough jobs in the reduced services to provide berths for graduates of the Reserve Officers Training Corps. For the officers, social graces were as important as military skills as a means of advancement. A young officer who earned the ire of a senior officer’s spouse found his career in jeopardy. Officers were expected to attend formal cotillions and balls celebrating George Washington’s Birthday, Navy Day, Army Day, the President’s Inauguration, and other auspicious occasions. White gloves and dress swords accompanied their full-dress uniforms. Marrying well was a career move for many social climbers. For the Navy, some such formal events were held aboard capital ships, for the most part, the great battleships.
Officers supported this lifestyle with a pay scale that began at $176 per month (roughly $3,000 today). If one should reach the lofty rank of Colonel (Army) or Captain (Navy) one received more than three times that amount. It was needed, not only to maintain the extensive uniform requirements of the services but also to pay mess bills. Both the Army and the Navy required their officers to pay for their food, with monthly checks made out to their mess treasurer. Although memberships in officers’ clubs were not required, the social nature of the services made it necessary, and it too cost money. Even aboard ship, the officers of the Navy and Marines paid for their food, while the enlisted men enjoyed the largesse of Uncle Sam when taking their meals.