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thedrifter
04-12-07, 01:25 PM
Estrada: Corps may extend re-enlistment pay
By Kimberly Johnson - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 12, 2007 11:24:30 EDT

The Marine Corps is considering extending Assignment Incentive Pay — which gives any active-duty Marine $10,000 to re-enlist — another year, according to the Corps’ top enlisted leatherneck.

“We’ve offered some generous bonuses, which were appropriated by Congress so that the commandant can pay every eligible Marine $10,000 to re-enlist during” fiscal 2007, Sgt. Maj. John Estrada, sergeant major of the Marine Corps, told leathernecks at Camp Fallujah last week during a troop visit in Iraq, according to quotes provided by a Corps official. “We’re also looking to see if we can do it for FY ’08.”

Retention in the ranks is top priority for the Corps as it readies to upsize the force by 22,000 Marines by 2011. Defense officials’ campaign to entice Marines and soldiers to stay put is costing about $1 billion in bonuses, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Estrada made a direct appeal to the leathernecks, asking them to stay in the Corps until the service reaches its authorized end strength of 202,000 Marines. “We want to keep you in this Marine uniform at least until we get through this growing period of getting our Corps where we need to get it so our Marines can enjoy the benefit of the 1-to-2 deployment to dwell ratio.”

Estrada was referring to Commandant Gen. James Conway’s goal of keeping Marines home two months for every month they deploy.

Estrada and Conway traveled to Iraq and other Middle East bases April 2-9, visiting with leathernecks in a series of town hall meetings at Marine posts in Anbar province.

Estrada outlined another option.

“If you’re set on getting out of the Marine Corps, we still want you to be affiliated with the” Selected Marine Corps Reserve, he said. Eligible Marines can tap into a $5,000 bonus for a three-year commitment, he said.

Estrada’s pitch to deployed leathernecks went beyond dangling cash rewards for staying in service. “There’re a lot of good things going on out there, and I know you’re not serving for the money,” he said. “You serve out of a sense of patriotism, and that makes you different.”

Ellie