Pay Soars to Keep People in Military

Yahoo / AP ^ | 04/10/2007 | EagleUSA

[EagleUSA]

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon poured more than $1 billion into bonuses last year to keep soldiers and Marines in the military in the face of an unpopular war and battlefield deployments that are getting longer and more frequent.

The incentives — including tax-free payments for those who re-enlist while in the war zone — have jumped nearly sixfold since 2003, the year the war in Iraq began.

"It helps a lot of guys out," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Doran, who re-enlisted late last year during his tour in Iraq. "And I think it does sway some of the decisions to stay in when guys are on the fence trying to decide."

The size and number of bonuses have grown as officials scrambled to meet the steady demand for troops on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan and reverse sporadic shortfalls in the number of National Guard and Reserve soldiers willing to sign on for multiple tours.

On Wednesday, officials said the Pentagon is thinking about lengthening tours of duty for all active-duty Army units in Iraq to 15 months instead of 12.

Besides underscoring the extraordinary steps the Pentagon must take to maintain fighting forces, the rise in costs for re-enlistment incentives is putting strains on the defense budget, already strapped by the massive costs of waging war and equipping and caring for a modern military.

[EagleUSA]

Concerned over spending a billion on our troops? I wonder if Washington "remembers" that the government is paying out OVER $100 BILLION to feed, educate, medicate ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIENS.....and we are sweating over giving the troops who defend and die for our country a measley billion??? Hello Washington?? Sense of values anyone??

[kingu]

The incentives — including tax-free payments for those who re-enlist while in the war zone — have jumped nearly sixfold since 2003, the year the war in Iraq began.

Were there a lot of war zones to re-enlist in prior to 2003? What a hack article.

As for your comment about a hundred billion for illegal aliens, I think Congress is more worried that the military re-enlistment bonuses are growing at a pace that is a tenth of the grow rate of the cost, the actual cost that Congress gives to itself. I mean, what if people noticed that Congress spends, now, almost ten billion dollars on itself?

[TheDon]

I’m not complaining. They deserve every penny and more!

[RavenATB]

Wow! What SpecOps career field got $150K? I know some enlisted troops who got $30K-50K, but I never heard of $150K. That’s a “biggie.”

[SevenMinusOne]

Our military has been underpaid for some time. These dollars are the best spent money Washington can possibly spend.

Of course the MSM try and spin this as negative...they are pathetic....(interesting whenever more money is going to "increased teachers pay" the media have orgasms over how terrific that is.....for a group of people who work 8 1/2 months out of the year...get every holiday off and weekend off, benefit and retirement packages that are the envy of most others......Oh, but wait....Teachers and their unions are weighted heavy DEM....and the military isn't.....Go figure.

[SamAdams76]

Well if the federal government can pay pencil-pushers $60K a year or more on civil service salaries, certainly they can do the same for our military.

[SevenMinusOne]

Top echelon shooters and Sr. Army SF guys - They are worth every penny and then some of that $150,000....

[zendari]

Yep.

[The Pack Knight]

Wow! What SpecOps career field got $150K? I know some enlisted troops who got $30K-50K, but I never heard of $150K. That’s a “biggie.”

A buddy of mine told me two years ago that Army was paying $150,000 re-up bonuses to 18-series (Special Forces) MOSs. They get that because that same skillset can get you over $200 grand a year as a private contractor in Iraq. That should tell anyone that our soldiers are underpaid.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

They should’nt be taxed in the first place. Risk getting your ass shot to pieces and having to worry about making sure you dont cross the line over the “rules of engagement” that was written by a bunch of nyu lawyers. NONSENSE!

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

For private contractors the first 80k is non-taxable.After that they really clober the hell out of you.Can someone tell me how to legally avoid the reaming? thanks

[The Pack Knight]

Besides underscoring the extraordinary steps the Pentagon must take to maintain fighting forces, the rise in costs for re-enlistment incentives is putting strains on the defense budget, already strapped by the massive costs of waging war and equipping and caring for a modern military.

This sort of garbage has been corroding our military strength for decades. DoD spends billions upon billions on high-tech aircraft, some of which are never deployed, because they are "force multipliers".

The ultimate force multiplier is good soldiers. You get them by offering competitive pay and benefits, and you make them great soldiers through realistic training. Unfortunately, soldier pay and training ammo don't "create jobs" in enough Congressional districts, so they're always shortchanged.

Pay and training should be the top priority for defense spending. Once they're at a satisfactory level, then and only then should we be talking about next-generation fighters and aircraft carriers.

[The Pack Knight]

I was talking to a Blackwater guy the other day. Wish I’d thought to ask him, because I’d heard of that myself.

[EagleUSA]

Risk getting your ass shot to pieces and having to worry about making sure you dont cross the line over the “rules of engagement” that was written by a bunch of nyu lawyers. NONSENSE!

---

Yes, it is, and as a vet of the Nam era, I can relate. I cannot imagine how many MORE would have died in Nam if the troops had been worried about a bunch of liberal legal hacks who were just waiting for them to come home to sue them use of excessive force. The anti-military liberal scum that infest this country now are our biggest enemy to our freedoms, our ability to defend our country and command the respect that we do from our allies.

Yes, our fine brave warriors deserve one hell of alot more than they are getting, especially from the “hate military” liberals that work against them.

[The Pack Knight]

Top echelon shooters and Sr. Army SF guys - They are worth every penny and then some of that $150,000....

Someone with their skills and responsibilities would easily be making six figures every year in the real world, not just as a one time bonus.

I'll say this. If I hear one more idiot call our volunteer, professional soldiers "mercenaries", I'm punching him in the face. I don't care if he is a World War II vet, like the last guy I heard say that.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Could not have said it any better,EAGLE.

[raj bhatia]

A nation worth its salt must pay its military a top drawer wage. The pentagon is taking baby steps in the direction and we have the libs jabbering about it.

[RavenATB]

Oh, I’m not questioning their worth. I agree that the military is underpaid. I also think they’re under-supported.

[Gnarly]

Pretty rough talk there, Bucko! Considering WWII vets are now in their 80s, you might pull it off!