Here’s the funny thing about Captain America–he was technically never relieved of duty post-World War II. So if he went into the ice still a Captain, and woke up in 2011, as Captain America: The First Avenger suggested… would he qualify for back pay?
According to the Army, he sure would.
The point was brought up by a Reddit user who did some math after a funny conversation with his girlfriend:
Also, there is an biannual increase of pay for service with a pay cap at 22 years with no increase of specialized pay or living allowance. Now provided that they kept him at the 1945 pay scale, for the 22 years after that, he would have received a total of $81,684 plus the previous $5,952 giving him a grand total of $87,636.
Now, provided that they kept the pay scale constant for the 66 years after, and they thawed him out in 2011 and immediately returned him to active duty with current Commission (which they did), adjusted for inflation, the government owes him the back pay amount of $3,154,619.52.
Whoa. With so many fans fascinated by the possibility, Army spokesman Wayne Hall sent an email explaining that the theory was mostly correct:
“If Capt. Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) were not a fictional character and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and recovery actually real, he may actually be entitled to receive back pay. However, a wide variety of variables would have to be taken into consideration to actually calculate the true amount of back pay to which he would be entitled to receive.”
He went on to clarify that the original poster had actually miscalculated the original amount that Cap would have made in a year; he had stated that the O-3 pay grade in 1945 for someone with two years or less experience was $313.50 a quarter–but it was actually $313.50 a month. So the back pay calculated was low, by the original estimation.
Point being… Steve Rogers should be a millionaire now. Sort of.
Via Tribunist.com
In addition to his back pay, Steve Rogers would also no longer be Captain. Since he was never taken off the rolls he would have been promoted with his year group. He would likely have been a Major by about 1952-4 and a Lt Col by 1960-4. He may even have made full Colonel after that. So any back pay calcs have to factor that in as well.
Also, I can’t find the reference, but I recall hearing some years ago in relation to a Vietnam prisoner scenario that there is a limit on how much back pay you can get.
And he would be the most senior colonel on active service in the entire military, so he never has to salute first anyone who does not have starts on their epaulette.
So he *can* afford a place in Brooklyn!
Yeah, but Lt. Col America sounds weird… :)
I heard somewhere that “Missing in Action” is a duty station and the soldier or their beneficiaries are still paid.
So theoretically Cap could buy out Stark Industries and kick Tony out?
Welp — there’s your plot for the next Avengers movie.
Not with only 3 million, Stark Industries is worth hundreds of Billions and Tony himself has a controlling interest (thats how Tony is able to place Pepper as the CEO without the boards of directors say, he outvotes them). So if Stark Industries is worth $100 billion (which is really lowballing) Tony would own $51 billion of the company. If Steve invested his 3 million into Stark Industries he’d never have to work again with living off the stipend, but he would no where be near a major shareholder. Taking Stark Industries at $100 Billion again, Steve would own 0.003% of the company while Tony owns 51%.
Gotta watch that Dept. Of Defense Finance though. When my husband separated from the Navy, he had already left his duty station to go to his Home of Record taking the last of his accumulated leave prior to separation. The Navy sent him two checks, one deposited to the ATM aboard his ship, the other a paper check sent to his HOR.
Fast forward five years and his tax refund was offset as they finally discovered the mistake. But, as he’d already left his ship, the money was still there. It took a literal congressional investigation to clear this up, I shit you not.
@1, 3 Would that mean we could call the Steve/Sam ship Bird Colonel?
Of course, this was covered in comics continuity decades ago. (By Mark Gruenwald?) Steve’s true rank was private (never specified if even PFC) and actually kept it fairly secret. Cap used the zillions for charities, tithing, and taxes. It would make a good subplot for the Marvel movie universe.
@ragnarredbeard: Somebody in the wilds of the Internet ran the numbers with this in mind, and assigned General Steven G. Rogers accumulated back pay in the neighborhood of $7 million. Meanwhile, if Bucky Barnes had his name officially cleared and was recognized as the longest serving POW ever, he would be owed more than $3 million.
@5 considering Tony’s funding project at the beginning of Civil War had to be in the multi-millions by itself, I don’t think Cap’s backpay is going to get very far. :P
But “Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War 2: Hostile Corporate Takeover” would have less property damage at least. probably
@9, Where are they getting the rank of general from? Automatic promotion for time served goes only to Full Bird Colonel, Generals have to be confirmed by Congress, IIRC.
@5 – EC Spurlock: I don’t think you’re aware of how much a company like Stark’s could be worth. :) Cap’s back pay compared to that amounts to pennies.
@Aeryl no. 11: Do you think that in the wake of his having helped save NYC from being zorched, Congress would dare deny him ALL THE PROMOTIONS? Even if they were just symbolic ones, since (IIRC) he’s also a civilian now?
In the comics, Steve was always portrayed as a private during the war, who was only called Captain when he assumed his secret identity. But in the MCU, he was clearly portrayed as a Captain, wearing the insignia, and being treated as an officer by the other characters. No secret identity involved. At the risk of criticizing Simon and Kirby, the MCU portrayal is easier to wrap your head around than the whole secret identity thing. And the MCU portrayal of Bucky as a full grown soldier rather than a boy sidekick also makes a lot more sense.
Back pay is great, but like Aeryl says, they also make mistakes in the other direction, and that can get nasty when they decide they want that overpayment back!
They did this story line in the comics.
He used to money to setup a system for people to call in problems they have that he could solve.
@13, Well there are only so many billets for generals
I don’t think Steve would accept a promotion to General.
@8 @14 The rate and amount would be very different in comics continuity versus cinematic continuity because of this very point. Besides how long ago he was thawed out, Steve Rogers’s rank was very different in comics and film. In the books, he was indeed only an infantry private with an anonymous identity; in The First Avenger, he was explicitly given a promotion to captain as part of his special service duty (even if that duty only included war shows at the time of his promotion – but his unique possession of the Super Soldier Serum seemed to be considered a “special skill” similar to that of a doctor or clergyman awarded officer status). As general officers need to be accepted by Congress, I’m uncertain of the limits on non-commissioned personnel’s automatic advancement (in Private Rogers’ case) past E-6.
(Bucky presents an interesting case too. In the comics, its unclear if he ever actually was officially enlisted before 1945; due to his youth, he was at camp as the “mascot;” even with the retcons of his wetwork, he might have been not technically a member of the Army, albeit an affiliated contracted personnel protected by the Hague and Geneva Conventions as a POW – ergo he could sue for mistreatment at Soviet hands but not necessarily get backpay – while cinematic Bucky was definitely a non-com army MIA and retroactively-discovered POW.)