The generals have declared the war is over, Iraqi Information Minister al-Sahaf has stopped declaring that Americans are miles from Baghdad and the self-proclaimed Mayor of Baghdad has been “defeated” in his reelection bid by former American General Jay Garner. But despite these enormous successes of our troops in Iraq, the individual solders aren’t making a whole lot of change for their role in the “regime change.”

Although pay for soldiers varies based upon rank and length of service, a recent salary survey by Chicago outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that starting salaries for America’s best and brightest are on par with child-care workers, crossing guards and theater ushers.

According to Department of Defense military pay rates, the base pay of a private with one year of service is $15, 480. That’s just a few hundred dollars more than the $14,144 taken home by child-care workers and move ushers, and the $15,080 pocketed by crossing guards in 2002, according to the Bureau of Labor statistics.

Starting pay at McDonalds run $6 to $8 an hour, which translates from $12,480 to $16,640 a year. Those that stick around for a bit can eventually earn more that $12 an hour. And unless you end up on the night shift at the Golden Arches, you won’t have to dodge bullets

Soldiers who rank higher on the command chain don’t fare much better. The base pay of a corporal with three years of service is $19,980 annually. The entry-level base salary for commissioned officers, such as soldiers with a rank of second lieutenant, is $26,200.

Even the top dogs, like General Tommy Franks, would be ashamed to admit their salaries while hob-knobbing at cocktail parties with their equivalents in the corporate world.

While this might be decent pay for a man on his own, a good number of soldiers have families to support. And while they’re away or training at war, often the jobs that their spouses can take are limited. Currently, 2,100 servicemen collect food stamps.

It’s true that thanks to the GI bill, all soldiers are granted health care, on-base discount housing and college tuition grants, even these fringe benefits aren’t what they were several years ago.

For example, much of the housing hasn’t been renovated in 30 to 50 years and waiting lists for on base housing can last up to a year.

Although the costs for the current war in Iraq were exorbitant, raising pay rates for soldiers is a cost we need to find a way to afford. It’s time that those of us who chose to “be all they can be” starting “earning all they can earn.”