Below is the calculation for full Involuntary Separation Pay.
Monthly Base Pay X 12 X YOS (years of service) X 10% = ISP
Full ISP is for PTS, Enlisted Retention Board, and others not limited by half-pay.
Half ISP is for PFA failures (BCA only, if you can't pass the actual PR, you get squat), HYT and some oher scenarios.
Example: E-5 over 6 years, less than 8 Base pay $2620.20 per month
($2620.20)(12)(6)(0.1)(0.5 cause you only get 1/2 ISP for being fat) = $9,432.72 (before taxes) rough estimate of 28% for taxes
$6,791.56 after taxes.
Now, that is still better than nothing, but it is basically chump change to get by on while job hunting or until you get into college and teh 9-11 GI Bill kicks in. If you have wife and kids, well, it just gets better from there.
E-6 over 15 years - ($3441.00)
($3441.00)(12)(15)(0.10)(0.5) = $30,969.00 before Unlce Sam's take, $22,297.68 take home.
Again, basically nothing after 15 years of service.
A simple truth is that the days of the Nuke Navy not playing according to Big Navy's rules (for the most part) are over. We have kicked 5 Nukes to the curb in the last 9 months here.