I deployed with the Air Force for a year and it helped me save enough money to leave the military and start my own business

• I was in the Air Force for seven years and deployed to a combat zone in my last year.
• Deployments come with big financial benefits, including access to a high-interest savings account.
• I saved enough money to leave the military and start my own freelance business.

My family doesn't come from money. Although we're all (most of us, anyway) financially comfortable now, every penny of that has been earned. For my dad, it meant grinding away long hours at his carpentry business. For me, it meant joining the military, pinching pennies, and earning myself a degree. 

I was in the Air Force for a total of seven years. As an Arabic linguist, you spend a few years learning the job itself before heading off to your duty station. Air Force linguists generally enjoy a fairly stable lifestyle; there aren't many places for you to live, and the vast majority of us don't deploy. 

But that's a shame. I managed to get myself a deployment during my final year in the Air Force, and although it wasn't easy, doing so helped me launch myself into freedom less than a year later. 

Deployment can be a financial boon

This is thanks to the many generous benefits service members can receive while on a deployment. Along with exemption from federal income tax, those who are deployed can take advantage of an exclusive high-interest savings account that maxes out at a 10% return. 

And depending on where you're located and what you're doing, you may also be entitled to additional types of pay, such as hazardous duty pay, hostile fire pay, and imminent danger pay. 

Finally, nearly all of your expenses are carried by the government while you're deployed. They'll both feed you and house you during this time, which can cut your expenses down significantly. 

All in, these incentives combine to create a very lucrative environment for service members. 

Of course, everyone in the military has heard tales about the 21-year-olds returning from the desert and immediately splashing out on a brand new sports car, but I didn't truly understand the financial boon I'd be receiving as a result of my time overseas until I experienced it. 

A breakdown of your potential income and financial benefits during deployment

Let's say that a staff sergeant with six years of service gets orders for a yearlong deployment. His base pay is $3,273.30 per month, and he's stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland, making his Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) an extra $2,010 per month.  

BAH isn't taxable, so in general he's looking at a tax rate of 12%, or about $390 per month. While deployed, that $390 will be going directly into his pocket, since he won't owe federal income taxes. 

He's also heading into an imminent danger zone, which means he'll be receiving an extra $225 on his paychecks. 

And fortunately for him, BAH also continues while deployed, so although he's gotten rid of his apartment and put his things into storage, he'll still be receiving that $2,010 every month.

You can probably see how quickly this becomes lucrative.

Of course, the cherry on top of the sundae is the Savings Deposit Program (SDP), which is available only to service members deployed to a combat zone and provides a 10% annual return on up to $10,000 in savings. 

There are a number of other restrictions to the SDP, including the condition that you may not make withdrawals until you leave the combat zone. However, overall, there's no denying that the SDP provides an astounding opportunity to save money and earn an excellent return. 

I got everything I could out of the situation and left the military soon after to go freelance

My situation almost exactly mirrored the one I outlined above — I was stationed in a combat zone and received imminent danger pay, maxed out my SDP as quickly as possible, and thoroughly enjoyed skipping out on federal taxes while I was gone. 

All this is to say that my income jumped dramatically during my deployment. And this isn't limited to my situation. No matter who you are — whether you're enlisted or an officer — being deployed represents a highly efficient way to save a ton of money. 

Of course, the pay you'll receive and the benefits that will apply will differ depending on where you are, and there's danger involved in working in a combat zone, but my situation allowed me to build up a very large savings account for my inevitable departure from the military. 

As long as I didn't blow it all on a new Dodge Charger.