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thedrifter
07-12-05, 06:17 PM
Your ’06 pay plans
House, Senate will wrangle over a tangle of special pays and bonuses that promise to fatten your wallet

By Rick Maze
Times staff writer


As Congress shapes its 2006 pay-and-benefits plan for service members, two themes stand out. First, lawmakers are concerned about recruiting and retention problems — enough so that they are willing to try a variety of new ideas to address shortfalls.
One approach, planted by the Army in the House version of the 2006 defense authorization bill, would pay a $1,000 “finder’s fee” to soldiers who refer people to recruiters. The reward would be paid if the referred person — who could not be related to the soldier — completes basic and advanced training.

Another precedent-setting idea included in the Senate version of the bill would pay a $2,500 bonus to members of the Navy or Air Force — which have more people than they need — who agree to join the Army or Marine Corps.

Also under consideration are increases in traditional enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses and in special pays and bonuses for critical skills. And the focus is on lump-sum rather than monthly payments, in the belief that a $1,000 check is a bigger carrot than $100 in monthly incentive pay to get people to sign up for long obligations.

Second, lawmakers continue to seek ways to improve pay and benefits for combat troops and their families.

They must face the issue in part because current life insurance and death benefits rates are temporary; they were increased in May as part of a supplemental funding bill under authority that expires with the fiscal year on Sept. 30. If Congress fails to act, payments to the families of war dead would be cut on Oct. 1.

Again, novel ideas are in play. The House bill, for example, proposes “wounded warrior pay” of $430 per month during hospitalization for those who are injured or fall ill in a war zone.

The House approved its version of the bill, HR 1815, on May 25 and is waiting for the Senate to catch up so work on a final bill can start. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved its bill, S 1042, on May 17, but floor debate — initially scheduled for late June — has been delayed while the Senate works on other issues.

Aides now believe the Senate will pass the bill by the last week of July, with negotiations on a final bill delayed until September because Congress traditionally goes on vacation in August.

Here is a rundown of major pay-and-benefits provisions in the two bills, with our predictions of the outcomes:

Basic pay

What: A 3.1 percent pay raise is part of both the Senate and House bills. This amount, slightly above last year’s private-sector wage raises, follows a formula approved by Congress that tries to close the so-called “gap” between military and civilian pay by setting military raises 0.5 percentage point above the rise in the Employment Cost Index, a measure of civilian wage growth.

This pay formula, set in 1999 when the gap between military and civilian pay had grown to 13.5 percent, expires with the 2006 raise, which would cut the pay gap to 4.6 percent. Without the pay formula, it is unclear what may happen with military pay raises in 2007 and beyond, but permanent law governing federal raises calls for minimum increases that are 0.5 percentage point below the ECI.

Who: All active-duty and drilling reserve members.

Prediction: A sure thing.

Thrift Savings Plan matching contributions

What: The Senate bill includes a proposal for the military to match troops’ contributions to the federal Thrift Savings Plan. The plan would authorize — but not order — all services to provide matching contributions for all first-term personnel and would direct the Army to test the concept. Current law allows matching contributions as a re-enlistment incentive for people in critical skills who agree to serve six more years, but no service offers that option. The House bill has no similar provision.

Who: All services would be covered, but the Army is expected to be the primary user.

Prediction: Stands an even chance of approval but is unlikely to be offered if it becomes law.

Saved pay for warrant officers

What: Enlisted members who become warrant officers would have greater protection against the possibility of a pay reduction under a Senate proposal to expand the list of pays, bonuses, and allowances that fall under a “saved pay” rule. The expanded list includes hazardous duty pays and other special and incentive pays. The House bill has no similar provision.

Who: Enlisted members who become warrant officers.

Prediction: Even odds.

Supplemental Subsistence Allowance

What: A temporary allowance created to keep low-income service members with families off food stamps would be made permanent under the House and Senate bills. The allowance, up to $500 a month, was created in 2001 and is set to expire in 2006. It has worked in reducing the number of military members who qualify for food stamps.

Who: Fewer than 1,400 people, mostly junior enlisted personnel with large families.

Prediction: A sure thing.

Reserve housing allowance

What: Under a House proposal, mobilized reservists would be paid the same rate of housing allowance as active-duty troops when mobilized for more than 30 days. This would eliminate the lower Basic Allowance for Housing Type II payments now given to those mobilized for more than 30 but less than 140 days. The result: an average boost of $425 a month. The Senate bill includes no similar provision.

Who: About 30,000 reservists would qualify, based on current mobilizations.

Prediction: Even odds.

Adoption leave

What: Service members eligible for military reimbursement of adoption-related expenses also would get up to 21 days of leave in connection with an adoption under a provision of the House bill.

If both husband and wife are in the military, only one could get the leave. The Senate bill has no similar provision. The Pentagon has been cool to the idea.

Who: About 2,500 families a year.

Prediction: Don’t bet on it.

Overseas COLA

What: A military family that stays overseas when a service member is reassigned to the United States could continue to receive overseas cost-of-living allowance under a provision in the House bill. This would not be automatic, but determined by a service secretary when it is in the best interests of the member, the family and the government. The Senate bill has no similar provision.

Who: Primary targets are service members returning to the States for training who will not have a lot of time to spend with their families and who expect another assignment immediately upon completion of the training.

Prediction: Even odds.

Danger pay while hospitalized

What: The Senate bill would repeal the three-month limit on giving imminent danger pay to a person hospitalized from injuries or wounds incurred in hostile action. There would be no time limit on payments. The House bill includes no similar provision.

Who: Mostly soldiers and Marines recovering from war wounds.

Prediction: Even odds.

Foreign language pay

What: With slightly different approaches, the House and Senate bills would change foreign language proficiency pay to give the services an option of offering lump-sum bonuses of up to $12,000 instead of monthly incentive pay of up to $1,000. The Senate bill would limit the lump-sum payments to those on active duty, but the House bill would make both active and reserve members eligible.

Who: Arabic speakers are in high demand.

Prediction: The bonus option is a sure thing, but only even odds on paying reservists at the same rate as active members.

Retroactive danger pay

What: Under both the House and Senate bills, the defense secretary could provide retroactive hostile-fire or imminent-danger pay, designating both the area in which payment is deserved and the starting date for payments.

Who: A handful of people.

Prediction: A sure thing.

Assignment incentive pay

What: Under both the House and Senate bills, this program, which gives a maximum $1,500 per month to those who take a designated assignment for a specific length of time, would be extended for a year and altered so the services would have the option of giving monthly or lump-sum payments.

Lump sums are expected to be lower than total monthly payments for the same assignment length.

Who: The Navy is the only service to have expressed interest in paying lump-sum assignment incentives, although all the services could use the authority.

Prediction: Even odds.

Selective re-enlistment bonuses

What: The standard maximum re-enlistment bonus, now $60,000, would increase to $90,000, and bonuses would be available to active and reserve enlisted troops with between 16 and 20 years of service, under the House bill. Current law does not allow re-enlistment bonuses for those with more than 16 years of service. The Senate bill includes an increase to $75,000 only for some Navy nuclear-qualified sailors.

Who: About 65,000 active-duty members and 30,000 National Guard and reserve members are expected to get bonuses in 2006.

Prediction: The House plan is a sure thing. Don’t bet on the Senate plan.

Nuclear bonuses

What: The House bill has two proposals to enhance retention incentives, one for officers and one for enlisted personnel. The bonus for Navy nuclear-qualified officers who extend their service would rise by $5,000 a year to a new limit of $30,000 for every extended year.

Annual career incentive bonuses for enlisted members would rise by $4,000 to a new maximum of $10,000.

Who: The Navy nuclear community — officer and enlisted — would benefit. About 700 people would qualify for the senior supervisor bonus.

Prediction: Even odds.

Reserve affiliation and accession bonuses

What: Enlistment bonuses for joining a reserve component would increase to a maximum of $15,000 under the House bill and $10,000 under the Senate bill. Both bills also would create a permanent lump-sum bonus of $10,000 for anyone with prior active-duty experience who joins the reserves. This would replace the $50-per-month affiliation pay currently given to prior-service members for each month of reserve service.

Who: About 39,000 people with no prior service are expected to receive bonuses averaging $7,200, about twice the current average. About 3,400 people leaving active duty are expected to get reserve affiliation bonuses averaging $9,400, about two-thirds larger than the current incentive.

Prediction: A sure thing.

Transfer bonuses

What: A bonus of up to $2,500 would be paid to active and reserve members who leave one branch of service and join another under the Senate bill. The House bill includes no similar provision.

Who: Aimed at getting sailors and airmen to transfer to the Army or Marine Corps.

Prediction: A sure thing.

Reserve critical-skills bonuses

What: The House and Senate take different approaches to the issue of retaining reservists in high-priority skills. The House bill would make reservists eligible for critical-skills bonuses, previously limited to the active-duty force. The only limit on the bonuses is a lifetime cap of $200,000, with the services otherwise allowed to determine who is eligible and how much they can receive for promising to serve at least one additional year. The Senate bill includes the critical-skills bonus, plus special pay of $10 to $50 per drill for people in some critical units, including company-grade officers.

continued.....

thedrifter
07-12-05, 06:19 PM
Who: Fewer than 1,000 people across all services are expected to be offered the bonus in 2006, at an average of $30,000 per person.

Prediction: A sure thing.

Enlistment bonuses

What: The maximum active-duty enlistment bonus would increase by $10,000 to a new level of $30,000. The average payment is expected to be about $17,000, $3,000 more than current levels.

Who: Because of limits on funding, about 20,000 people are expected to get bonuses.

Prediction: A sure thing, and the maximum bonus could rise to $40,000 or more if recruiting remains a problem.

Nurse accession bonuses

What: Nursing students enrolled in ROTC could get an accession bonus of up to $5,000 after completing their second year if they sign an agreement to enter the Nurse Corps under a proposal in the House bill. The Senate bill has no similar provision.

Who: Only nurses who join the Army.

Prediction: A sure thing, but the retroactive aspect may not survive.

Hardship duty pay

What: The Pentagon asked for, and the House agreed to, an increase in hardship-duty pay. The new maximum would be $750 per month, up from the current $300. The Senate bill has no similar provision.

Who: About 44,000 people who make frequent deployments, such as special operations forces, civil affairs specialists and troops in some headquarters jobs.

Prediction: A sure thing, but the effective date may change.

Dental officer special pay

What: The House bill would make dental officers in an intern or residency status eligible for special pay, which current law denies them. Special pay for dental officers averages $11,000 a year. The Senate bill does not include the increase.

Who: About 360 additional dental officers would become eligible for the pay.

Prediction: Even odds.

Wounded warrior pay

What: The House bill would create a special pay for wounded service members, paying $430 a month to those hurt in or evacuated from a combat zone for treatment. The payments, meant to defray incidental expenses for service members and their families, would last as long as a member is hospitalized in a military facility or until the member received payment under the new traumatic injury insurance plan created earlier this year.

Who: Anyone hospitalized on or after the date of enactment, including those whose injuries pre-date the law.

Prediction: Even odds.

Life insurance

What: The Senate bill would make permanent an increase to $400,000 in maximum Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance coverage and would provide $150,000 of free coverage for those in combat operations. Spouses of married members would be notified if a member names anyone other than the spouse as a beneficiary or elects less than maximum coverage.

The House bill does not include the SGLI increases, but proposes providing entirely free coverage of $400,000 to anyone taking part in operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom. To do this, the House would create a new monthly allowance equal to the premiums for $250,000 in life insurance coverage and assume that the government would waive premiums for the remaining $150,000 of coverage.

To ensure the money goes to pay premiums, the allowance would be based on the amount of coverage a service member had elected.

Who: SGLI applies to everyone in the military.

Prediction: A sure thing for the $400,000 in maximum coverage, but the free coverage in war zones and spousal notification provision may change.

Death gratuity

What: An increase to $100,000 in the death gratuity would be made permanent, with payment going to those who die of injuries, wounds or illnesses resulting from combat, hazardous service, in the performance of duty under conditions simulating war or from military weapons or equipment, or if the death occurred during a combat operation or in a combat zone. Otherwise, the payment would be $12,420, rising to about $12,805 next under a formula for automatic increases that match the annual raise in basic pay.

Who: The course of the wars will determine how many families receive the payment.

Prediction: A sure thing.

Temporary lodging rules

What: Under the House bill, personnel authorized lodging expenses on temporary duty would get payments during any authorized absence, an expansion of current law that allows payments only during authorized leave. The change allows payments when a commander grants time off that is not counted as leave. The Senate bill does not address the issue.

Who: Mostly mobilized reserve members assigned to stateside bases who are traveling home on weekends.

Prediction: Even odds.

Reservist income replacement

What: Reservists called up for lengthy or frequent mobilizations who make at least $50 less per month in the military than in civilian life could get up to $3,000 in monthly pay to make up the difference under a House proposal. There would be three ways to become eligible: serving more than 18 continuous months of service; serving 24 months during the previous 60-month period; or being called up within six months of a prior mobilization. Estimated average payments would be about $916 per month. The Senate bill has no similar provision.

Who: About 13,000 currently mobilized National Guard and reserve members could qualify.

continued.....

thedrifter
07-12-05, 06:19 PM
Prediction: Don’t bet on it.

Household goods allowances

What: The House bill would increase household goods weight limits for E-7s, E-8s and E-9s. New with-dependents rates would be 13,000 pounds for E-7s, 14,000 pounds for E-8s and 15,000 pounds for E-9s. The rate for those without families would be 11,000 pounds for E-7s, 12,000 pounds for E-8s and 13,000 pounds for E-9s. Those rates are 500 pounds above current limits for those with families and for E-7s without families and 1,000 pounds more for E-8s and E-9s without families. The Senate bill does not include this initiative.

Who: E-7s, E-8s and E-9s.

Prediction: Don’t bet on it.

Referral bonus

What: Under a test program in the House bill, a $1,000 referral bonus would be paid to a member of the armed forces who refers another person for enlistment in the active or reserve components. For the referer to get the payment, the referred person could not be an immediate family member and would have to complete basic training and individual advanced training. Recruiters and career counselors would not be eligible. The Senate bill has no similar provision.

Who: Limited to the Army for the first year, with a cap of 1,000 bonuses available.

Prediction: Even odds.

Child support retired pay

What: If a retirement-eligible service member or a retiree loses entitlement to retired pay after being convicted of domestic violence resulting in the death of a spouse, child support could be paid from the military retirement trust fund under a court order under a provision in the House bill. The Senate bill does not address the issue.

Who: Child support payments would be limited only to minors.

Prediction: Even odds.

Concurrent receipt

What: Under the House bill, military retirees whose disability ratings are based on the fact that they cannot work would be eligible for full payment of their military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation on Oct. 1, 2009, rather than having to wait four more years. These veterans now have their military retired pay reduced if their disability is not related to combat or combat training.

The Senate bill, as it stands now, does not now address this. But when the full Senate takes up the bill, an amendment is expected to provide immediate and full concurrent receipt of disability and retired pay for all veterans with 20 or more years of service.

Who: About 30,000 retirees would be affected.

Prediction: Some provision could be approved, but it likely won’t be full concurrent receipt for all.



2006 basic pay
All service members are due to get a 3.1 percent increase in basic pay next year under both the House and Senate versions of the 2006 defense authorization bill. The monthly rates that would take effect Jan. 1:

Years of service

Grade <2 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26

Commissioned officers

O-10 - - - - - - - - - - - 12,818.70 12,818.70 12,818.70 12,818.70

O-9 - - - - - - - - - - - 11,689.50 11,857.50 12,101.10 12,525.60

O-8 8,271.00 8,541.90 8,721.60 8,772.00 8,996.10 9,371.10 9,458.10 9,814.20 9,916.20 10,222.80 10,666.20 11,075.40 11,348.70 11,348.70 11,348.70

O-7 6,872.70 7,191.90 7,339.80 7,457.10 7,669.80 7,879.50 8,122.50 8,364.90 8,607.90 9,371.10 10,015.80 10,015.80 10,015.80 10,015.80 10,066.50

O-6 5,094.00 5,596.20 5,963.40 5,963.40 5,985.90 6,242.70 6,276.60 6,276.60 6,633.30 7,263.90 7,634.10 8,004.00 8,214.60 8,427.60 8,841.30

O-5 4,246.50 4,783.68 5,115.00 5,177.10 5,383.50 5,507.40 5,779.20 5,978.70 6,236.10 6,630.60 6,818.10 7,003.80 7,214.40 7,214.40 7,214.40

O-4 3,663.90 4,241.40 4,524.30 4,587.60 4,850.10 5,131.80 5,482.20 5,755.80 5,945.40 6,054.30 6,117.60 6,117.60 6,117.60 6,117.60 6,117.60

O-3 3,221.40 3,651.90 3,941.70 4,297.50 4,503.00 4,728.90 4,875.30 5,115.90 5,240.70 5,240.70 5,240.70 5,240.70 5,240.70 5,240.70 5,240.70

O-2 2,783.10 3,170.10 3,651.00 3,774.30 3,852.00 3,852.00 3,852.00 3,852.00 3,852.00 3,852.00 3,852.00 3,852.00 3,852.00 3,852.00 3,852.00

O-1 2,416.20 2,514.60 3,039.60 3,039.60 3,039.60 3,039.60 3,039.60 3,039.45 3,039.45 3,039.45 3,039.60 3,039.60 3,039.60 3,039.60 3,039.60


Commissioned officers with more than four years of active duty as enlisted members or warrant officers

O-3E - - - 4,297.50 4,503.00 4,728.90 4,875.30 5,115.90 5,318.40 5,434.50 5,592.90 5,592.90 5,592.90 5,592.90 5,592.90

O-2E - - - 3,774.30 3,852.00 3,974.70 4,181.40 4,341.60 4,460.70 4,460.70 4,460.70 4,460.70 4,460.70 4,460.70 4,460.70

O-1E - - - 3,039.60 3,246.30 3,366.00 3,488.70 3,609.30 3,774.30 3,774.30 3,774.30 3,774.30 3,774.30 3,774.30 3,774.30


Warrant officers (Army, Navy, Marine Corps)

W-5 - - - - - - - - - - - 5,720.10 5,916.30 6,113.10 6,311.10

W-4 3,328.80 3,581.10 3,684.00 3,785.10 3,959.40 4,131.30 4,305.90 4,475.70 4,651.50 4,927.20 5,103.60 5,276.10 5,454.90 5,631.00 5,811.00

W-3 3,039.90 3,166.80 3,296.40 3,339.30 3,475.50 3,631.50 3,837.30 4,040.40 4,256.40 4,418.40 4,579.80 4,649.10 4,720.80 4,876.80 5,032.50

W-2 2,673.90 2,826.60 2,960.40 3,057.30 3,140.70 3,369.60 3,544.50 3,674.40 3,801.30 3,888.30 3,961.50 4,100.70 4,239.00 4,379.10 4,379.10

W-1 2,361.30 2,554.50 2,683.80 2,767.50 2,990.40 3,124.80 3,243.90 3,376.80 3,465.00 3,544.80 3,674.70 3,773.10 3,773.10 3,773.10 3,659.70


Enlisted members

E-9 - - - - - 4,022.10 4,113.30 4,228.20 4,363.50 4,499.40 4,717.80 4,902.30 5,097.00 5,394.00

E-8 - - - - - 3,292.50 3,438.30 3,528.30 3,636.30 3,753.30 3,964.50 4,071.60 4,253.70 4,354.80 4,603.50

E-7 2,288.70 2,498.10 2,593.80 2,720.70 2,819.40 2,989.50 3,084.90 3,180.30 3,350.40 3,435.60 3,516.30 3,565.80 3,732.60 3,840.60 4,113.60

E-6 1,979.70 2,178.00 2,274.30 2,367.60 2,465.10 2,685.00 2,770.50 2,865.30 2,948.70 2,978.10 2,998.50 2,998.50 2,998.50 2,998.50 2,998.50

E-5 1,814.10 1,935.30 2,028.60 2,124.60 2,273.70 2,402.10 2,496.60 2,526.60 2,526.60 2,526.60 2,526.60 2,526.60 2,526.60 2,526.60 2,526.60

E-4 1,662.90 1,748.10 1,842.60 1,935.90 2,018.40 2,018.40 2,018.40 2,018.40 2,018.40 2,018.40 2,018.40 2,018.40 2,018.40 2,018.40 2,018.40

E-3 1,501.20 1,595.70 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00 1,692.00

E-2 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40 1,427.40

E-1 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50 1,273.50

E-1 with less than four months: 1,178.10


Source: ATPCO calculations



Ellie

thedrifter
07-12-05, 06:21 PM
July 18, 2005

’05 goal met with time to spare

By Laura Bailey
Times staff writer


The Marine Corps met its re-enlistment goals for fiscal 2005 as of June 30, allaying concerns that heavy deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan could drive too many Marines away from the Corps.
A day later, the Corps began accepting requests for re-enlistment in fiscal 2006, receiving more than 1,000 submissions that day, according to manpower officials.

“Maybe it’s a surprise to some people, but it’s certainly not to us. The Marines understand that what they’re doing is something significant and important,” said Lt. Col. Mark Menotti, head of enlisted retention for Manpower and Reserve Affairs at Quantico, Va.

“They recognize it for what it is — it’s a hardship and a sacrifice, but they’re willing to give for a cause,” he said.

By June 30, officials had re-enlisted 5,952 first-term Marines, slightly above their goal of 5,949 first-termers.

The Corps also re-enlisted its required number of career Marines — those who are signing up for a third or subsequent tour. In all, 5,079 career Marines committed to another tour, or 109.4 percent of the fiscal 2005 goal.

This year’s first-term quota was slightly below last year’s goal of 5,974, which the Corps met on Sept. 1, Menotti said. And in 2003, which at the time was considered a banner year for retention, the Corps reached its goal of re-enlisting 6,025 first-term Marines on July 14.

Menotti attributed the strength in retention this year to the Marine Corps’ emphasis on the intangible benefits of service, such as pride, challenge and having a special place in history.

“The reality is, the percentage of Marines who enlist for intangible reasons is almost inversely proportionate,” to the other services, he said.

But Menotti said additional Selective Re-enlistment Bonus Program funds available to first-term and career Marines, along with duty station options available to first-termers, have also continued to encourage Marines to stay in.

Menotti said that although personnel officials met their minimum re-enlistment requirements, 184 boat spaces for fiscal 2005 remain open in hard-to-fill military occupational specialties, such as counterintelligence and explosive ordnance disposal.

The Corps will continue to re-enlist in those specialties through the end of the fiscal year to improve the rate of matching Marines with available MOS-specific billets. Currently, there is a 96.4 percent “match rate,” he said.


Ellie

thedrifter
07-12-05, 06:22 PM
July 18, 2005

Rushing to re-enlist
2006 starts with flood of requests

By Laura Bailey
Times staff writer


With the fiscal 2006 re-enlistment season already looking competitive, Marines who hope to sign on for another four years shouldn’t delay in submitting requests, Corps officials say.
Within seven hours of the ’06 re-enlistment season’s July 1 opening, manpower officials already had more than 1,000 requests in hand, according to Lt. Col. Mark Menotti, head of enlisted retention for Manpower and Reserve Affairs at Quantico, Va.

Personnel officials begin accepting requests at this time each year, and the number of submissions is not unusual because Marines begin preparing their packages months ahead of time.

On June 30, Manpower had met its 2005 first-term re-enlistment goal, re-enlisting 5,952 Marines. The goal for fiscal 2006 is slightly lower, at 5,862 Marines, but those numbers can fluctuate slightly throughout the year, Menotti said.

With more than 1,000 applications already in hand, the Corps will have reached about 17 percent of its ’06 goal, should all of those requests be approved. Although re-enlistment requests were streaming in July 1, Menotti said the numbers were higher last year at this time; between 1,300 and 1,400 applications were received during the first week of July 2004.

Menotti said the apparent decrease is not a concern for personnel experts because the numbers fluctuate as incomplete packages are returned to Marines, for example.

“That’s a soft number. The numbers are constantly in flux on an hourly basis,” he said.

Manpower officials also expect the publication of the ’06 Selective Re-enlistment Bonus Program “multiples” to bump up the numbers, Menotti said. Those bonus multiples should be published by the end of July, he said.

The bonuses will be offered in a number of high-density, low-demand military occupational specialties that are historically shorthanded, and where the eligibility criteria are high, such as counterintelligence specialist, explosive ordnance disposal technician and reconnaissance man.

More money for bonuses

Menotti said the budget for bonuses is still being developed, but he expects it to increase from the $52 million budgeted in fiscal 2005.

“We have already been approved for a significant increase in SRBP from last year, and on top of that, the Marine Corps has requested further additional funding,” he said.

Menotti said Manpower is planning to be very aggressive this year in retaining Marines in those specialties. MOSs with shortfalls will at least retain the same multiples as the fiscal 2005 bonus season, or will see them increase. Other specialties that didn’t see bonus offerings in ’05 will get them in ’06, he added.

Bonuses will continue to target infantry occupations. Aviation jobs, such as helicopter maintenance, will likely see increases, as well, though that is still to be determined, Menotti said.

“We’re trying to spread-load that to touch more people,” he said. “We’re still staying selective, but we want to spread them around.”

Given the number of applications in hand, it is too soon to tell which specialties are likely to be shorthanded this year, Menotti said.

Retention has improved in some traditionally hard-to-fill MOSs, he said. For example, jobs for counterintelligence specialists are 70 percent manned this year, a 10 percent increase from last year at this time.

In June, retention specialists predicted that 69 job specialties would be “fast-filling” this year, meaning applications would outnumber available boat spaces. Those jobs include specialties in aviation maintenance, personnel administration and traffic management, among others.

Instead of approving applications in those jobs on a first-come, first-served basis, manpower officials will convene screening boards in August to review re-enlistment packages. Re-enlistment requests for jobs not deemed fast-filling will be processed in the order they are received.

A good portion of the re-enlistment requests already filed are for fast-filling MOSs, some of which are starting to fill up, Menotti said. For example, 91 applications have been received for personnel clerk, but there are only 90 boat spaces.

Marines in competitive jobs will know by the end of August if they made the cut. Those selected will be able to re-enlist starting Oct. 1.


Ellie

Nagalfar
07-12-05, 10:12 PM
Shiver me timbers... a bonus for new faces... I can see it now..I can hear that calls "Shanghaied" now... ARRgggggg