Haven't posted here in a while, but this thread is full of differing opinions, many based on zero perspective. A bit about me:
Retired O-4, 20 years and 26 days. Prior enlisted. Transitioned to airline career. A wife and four kids.
The BAH system is as fair as its gonna be. Is it perfect? No. It does, however, take rank and location into account in deciding how much to pay someone. Fair enough. The whole with and without Dependents argument is silly. Having 4 kids doesn't increase your BAH a nickel. Being married in the military is not the same as being married and working a civilian job. My wife has embarked on a variety of careers and finally settled on full time mom because it didn't make sense to keep starting over. The extra BAH for having Dependents helped.
Saying that enlisted guys have enough money to save and that they spend it all on X-Boxes and cars really shows a lack of understanding and perspective. Yes, there are some who spend foolishly, but the majority are just trying to pay their bills on a limited amount of money and keep afloat financially. Walk a mile in their shoes before you make blanket statements.
There are always the 1 or 2 holier than thou financial guys who are trying to educate the masses on the time value of money and compounding interest. Look, dudes. We get it. Life happens. Debt happens. Sometimes people make choices that aren't in their best financial interests. Maybe they buy a boat. Maybe they lose their ass on a real estate deal. You don't have to educate everyone on how to save and retire a billionaire. Discussing retirement planning with these guys is like going to the gym with a crossfitter.
I am happily a member of the check of the month club. Know what? It is pretty danged nice. Now I am saving feverishly for my next retirement. Will I be a billionaire? Probably not. I will, however, have lived my life on my terms, provided for my family, and will not be a burden to my kids when I get old. Life is a journey, dudes. It ain't all about the end. My dad saved like a madman his entire working life, retired when he was 60, bought a sailboat, and died within two years of cancer. Think about that.