View Full Version : enlistment bonuses?
I already have my heart set on joining the marines. Although I went ahead and Googled 'marine enlistment bonuses'. Not that I need an incentive, but I wouldn't mind a little something extra. There are a few MOS's that interest me, and coincidentally it seems there are bonuses associated with them.
This is the link I first looked at:
http://www.mfr.usmc.mil/join/bonus.asp
Then I went here to see more details:
http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/MARADMIN008-10.aspx
My recruiter is telling me that there are not any bonuses offered to active duty or reservists. I was hoping ya'll could give me a second opinion.
I appreciate any feedback.
Sgt Leprechaun
02-17-10, 01:14 AM
The first link is for the reserves.
So is the second.
So unless you are planning on a Reserve Enlistment, the recruiter is correct.
I am planning on reserve enlistment. I am only a highschool grad with some college (55 credit hours), and he said I could only join the reserves.
If my recruiter is not telling me about these programs, or he is adamant to let me get these incentives, what could I do?
Lisa 23
02-17-10, 09:04 PM
I already have my heart set on joining the marines. Although I went ahead and Googled 'marine enlistment bonuses'. Not that I need an incentive, but I wouldn't mind a little something extra. There are a few MOS's that interest me, and coincidentally it seems there are bonuses associated with them.
This is the link I first looked at:
http://www.mfr.usmc.mil/join/bonus.asp
Then I went here to see more details:
http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/MARADMIN008-10.aspx
My recruiter is telling me that there are not any bonuses offered to active duty or reservists. I was hoping ya'll could give me a second opinion.
I appreciate any feedback.
When using the word Marines, it will be capitaized at all times.
And please refer to Marines as Marines, not ya'll.
Old Marine
02-17-10, 10:00 PM
Has the Marine Corps turned to paying bonus's to worms these days? How can the government pay a bonus to these kids and they haven't even completed Recruit Training and may not complete it. Just amazes me.
I'm sorry WMarine, I did not mean to offend anyone.
Old Marine, there are stipulations that will require recoupment upon breach of contract. (i.e. failure to complete training)
My recruiter is still telling me that bonuses are not available.
Is there a way to find out what MOS's are in demand? (Besides asking my recruiter...)
FattyTheFerret
02-17-10, 11:13 PM
Bonuses are hard to come by because we're working reducing our numbers, not raising them. They can be very, very picky with potential recruits these days.
Thanks for the answer Fatty.
I'm just wondering what the incentives are that I found via Google.
Is this misinformation? I just don't understand, that's all. I mean, it says it was signed 1/7/2010.
FattyTheFerret
02-17-10, 11:42 PM
Just because there's money out there doesn't mean every recruiter can get his hands on it. The bonuses may be limited to specific MOSes, ones that may not be available in your area. As a reservist you will have to choose a job within a particular area.
3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE SMCR EB.
A. ENLIST, TO A RAP VALIDATED QSN, BETWEEN 1 JANUARY 2010 AND 1 SEPTEMBER 2010. INDIVIDUALS CONTRACTED BETWEEN 1 OCTOBER 2009 AND 31 DECEMBER 2009 THAT HAVE NOT SHIPPED MAY BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
B. MEET THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN REFERENCE A.
Reference A is REF/A/MSGID: DOC/CMC (RAP)/YMD:20001016//
Depending on what's in that reference, it may limit the bonuses to areas, units, recruiting stations, who knows.
Is there any way to remove the amibiguity via the internet?
commdog7
02-18-10, 01:49 PM
I highly disagree with offering civilians bonuses to join my beloved Corps. People should join the Corps for pride, not money.
Many units out there lack funds for better training equipment, yet the government is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars (maybe more) each year to give civilians an extra incentive to join. There's a war going on, we should eliminate these enlistment bonuses and spend the money on training/equipment that will save Marine's lives. If I were Commandant....
Supersquishy
02-18-10, 01:54 PM
I highly disagree with offering civilians bonuses to join my beloved Corps. People should join the Corps for pride, not money.
Many units out there lack funds for better training equipment, yet the government is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars (maybe more) each year to give civilians an extra incentive to join. There's a war going on, we should eliminate these enlistment bonuses and spend the money on training/equipment that will save Marine's lives. If I were Commandant....
My thoughts exactly. On that note todays economy is the #1 sales pitch.
havoc0351
02-18-10, 02:37 PM
^ Lmao...
havoc0351
02-18-10, 02:43 PM
I am planning on reserve enlistment. I am only a highschool grad with some college (55 credit hours), and he said I could only join the reserves.
Did you ever ask WHY you could only join the reserves or is that all you want to do?
Old Marine
02-18-10, 03:25 PM
Bonus. Its almost the same as a young college kid getting a signing bonus to play Pro Football, except the football player gets much more on his bonus. Something is not right here.
Neither of them has performed in their new employment.
Has the Marine Corps turned to paying bonus's to worms these days? How can the government pay a bonus to these kids and they haven't even completed Recruit Training and may not complete it. Just amazes me.
Nah, they don't get it unless/until they complete MOS school.
But it's odd that the Corps would be handing out bonuses right now when there's a new MarAdmin saying select Marines will be eligible to leave active service 90 sooner than their EAS-so the Corps can save money.
My recruiter simply has me on a need to know basis. Why? I don't know. It's his job to meet certain demands.
Also, you can't tell me that if you wanted to do something, AND they offered you something else to sweeten the deal, you wouldn't take advantage of it?
I'm not trying to **** anyone off.
I've noticed a lot of times people ask questions on here, and many replies are disrespectful, or questioning someones character, or so on.
I don't understand why many on this board get so aggravated, we (non-Marines) just want some insight before we sign our life away.
All I want to do is make an informed decision. Not a decision in haste or in ignorance.
Thank you all for replying.
Nah, they don't get it unless/until they complete MOS school.
But it's odd that the Corps would be handing out bonuses right now when there's a new MarAdmin saying select Marines will be eligible to leave active service 90 sooner than their EAS-so the Corps can save money.
Do you have a link or a number to that Maradmin? I've had Marines talking about it and want to read it for myself.
Do you have a link or a number to that Maradmin? I've had Marines talking about it and want to read it for myself.
I'll try to get it for you tomorrow when I go to work.
FattyTheFerret
02-18-10, 06:19 PM
I don't understand why many on this board get so aggravated, we (non-Marines) just want some insight before we sign our life away.
Don't get me wrong, some of us view the snarling by some toward potential recruits for minor infractions to be silly. But it also teaches you to get used to it.
As for the bonuses; as I explained, there may be a lot of information behind the order that came out that your recruiter doesn't have. We don't know what the requirements are. That order may be limited to a certain recruiting region. It may be limited to a particular city for all we know. It may be limited to once specific MOS.
Either way, it's 5 grand. I wouldn't worry too much about it. If your recruiter is telling you there isn't a bonus you have two choices. Believe him or find a recruiter elsewhere. Dollars to donuts that second one will tell you the same thing but there's always a chance he might know something the first one doesn't.
There's nothing wrong with being informed but remember that a bonus is just that, a bonus. Don't focus too much on it, especially when they order said it was $5,000. If it was 45 grand and you were signing up as an Arabic cryptolinguist, then I'd tell you to fight for it. But unless you're applying for something the Marine Corps really, really needs right now and can't train any dingbat straight out of high school to do, don't count on it.
Thanks Fatty, I'm trying to reach another recruiter. I asked mine what the links I posted were about and he pretty much says nothing and asks if I'm really interested. I am really interested, and I want to do something that is going to really challenge me. (ie. Recon or LAV)
Is there a way to see what MOS's are in demand? He was telling me the only infantry MOS's available are Mortarman and Assaultman.
FattyTheFerret
02-18-10, 08:03 PM
Remember, signing a reserve contract means you're limited to what the units in your immediate area have available. If he's telling that's all that's available it's because whatever grunt companies are around are only requesting those slots to be filled.
Recon and LAV would no doubt be challenging but don't expect to get a bonus.
Him asking if you're really interested makes sense. Like I said initially, we are downsizing. So he has very limited recruiting slots. He doesn't need to offer a bonus if he has ten other guys wanting to join that aren't asking for one.
Just because a bonus is available doesn't mean that it has to be given out.
Bottom line: don't expect to get any special incentives unless you can do something that 202,000 other Marines can't. Can you speak fluent Arabic and understand integer factorization?
I have yet to take the ASVAB (taking it next week), and I know I will do pretty well. Not that I am alone, or that is any huge accomplishment.
The bonus is ancillary to my desire to join. My biggest concern is mainly my MOS.
Lisa 23
02-18-10, 08:15 PM
Take it one step at a time. There are practice ASVAB's out there. Take them and get the best possible score you can. The better the score, the better your chances are of obtaining the MOS you want, or other MOS's that you may qualify for.
In my opinion, it's better to have more MOS's to choose from than just settling for just one MOS.
Good luck to you! :thumbup:
haebyungdae
02-19-10, 12:46 AM
Agreed, take the ASVAB and get through all your other MEPS requirements to able to join and then discuss your options for MOS, bonus, etc. You gotta remember that recruiters see hundreds of kids each year that say they want to join and only handfuls of those actually do, if they are going to work for you, then you have to show them that you are serious, which is doing first what I said above. If you go in there and make demands about jobs or bonuses then the recruiter is going to set you aside because they are going to think of you as one of the ones that don't follow through. Anyways, good luck.
There MARADMIN for the early-out program can be found here: MARADMIN 025/10 Manpower Update (http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/MARADMIN025-10.aspx). Not sure how the early-out is going to work cause they never did post the official requirements for it.
When is a recruit actually assigned an MOS? Is it after boot camp, or in the contract?
I'm not trying to be demanding, I just want to do all the right things to achieve my goals.
Does my performance at MEPS affect what my MOS might be?
Wheels123
02-19-10, 01:51 AM
I don't understand why many on this board get so aggravated, we (non-Marines) just want some insight before we sign our life away.
If you think you are signing your life away, you are an idiot and would not hack it. Marines get aggravated because of the stupid things that are said by individuals that do not read other posts and think to themselves "How should I word this so I do not appear full of crap or sound like an idiot.":mad:
As far as enlistment bonuses....who cares? Is earning the title of Marine not a good enough bonus?
commdog7
02-19-10, 06:20 AM
I've noticed a lot of times people ask questions on here, and many replies are disrespectful, or questioning someones character, or so on.
I don't understand why many on this board get so aggravated, we (non-Marines) just want some insight before we sign our life away.
You need to understand where our anger is directed towards; it's not always towards the poolee.
I'm not disagreeing with you. I don't know one Marine who would turn down a bonus if it were offered to them for something they intended to do anyways. But I do disagree with the policy, I don't think the Corps should offer bonuses for enlistment.
No one's mad at you for trying to get that bonus, and no one's questioning your character either. Don't take personal offense to anything not directed towards you.
There MARADMIN for the early-out program can be found here: MARADMIN 025/10 Manpower Update (http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/MARADMIN025-10.aspx). Not sure how the early-out is going to work cause they never did post the official requirements for it.
According to that I'm now eligible to reenlist on July 1 (If I'm off limdu). Too bad they cancelled rerenlistment bonuses for the rest of the FY.