Big Bucks for Grunts...

[FoxtrotOscar]

Damn, wish they had this kind of thing back in the day...

Marine officials are reminding squad leaders that there are big bucks for those willing to re-enlist as the service continues its push to professionalize the infantry.

The Marine Corps wants to retain its experienced infantry noncommissioned officers. To get them to stay, officials with Marine Corps Plans, Policies and Operations put out a video message last week highlighting the tens of thousands of dollars in bonus pay they can earn by signing up for another term.

Time is running out for corporals and sergeants to get in on the bonuses, which were first announced last summer.

There's a $10,000 bonus for those willing to spend another two years at their current duty station. Those who re-enlist for four years can earn up to $25,000. Those squad leaders must serve in infantry battalions for at least 24 months.

And Marines willing to move into the Squad Leader Development Program can pocket as much as $70,000, but it comes with a six-year commitment, at least three of which must be spent in the operating forces.

The move is part of a multipronged approach to restructure the basic Marine rifle squad. As warfare gets more technical, rifle squads are shrinking down to 12 Marines from 13. That includes an assistant squad leader and a systems operator who will help run drones and other high-tech gear infantry Marines now carry.

The Corps is also experimenting with 15-person squads, which would leave infantry leaders managing additional personnel.

"This is an effort to professionalize the infantry a little more -- to move in that direction of having a more mature infantry cadre," said a Marine official familiar with the bonus push. "We're offering this money because we want to have the best Marines in the right jobs."

That's not to say today's squad leaders aren't hacking it, the official stressed. But the infantry must hold onto as many experienced NCOs as possible.

The Marine Corps has also seen a "disappointingly low" number of grunts earn the squad-leader military occupational specialty, Marine Corps Times reported last year. As of last summer, 359 Marines had moved into the MOS after it was created in 2014.

There's no limit to how many Marines can earn the fiscal 2019 re-enlistment bonuses, but time is running out to apply, said Maj. Craig Thomas, a Manpower and Reserve Affairs spokesman. The deadline is July 31 and, so far, 119 Marines have taken the bonuses, he said.

All the Marine Corps' 648 squad-leader billets are currently filled, Thomas added. But getting Marines to re-up helps ensure rifle squads are persistently staffed by sergeants who’ve completed Infantry Small Unit Leader Course for the next five to seven years.

"This program is intended to provide those mature, experienced and fully trained second-term sergeants additional options to re-enlist and remain in the operating forces to serve as an infantry squad leader," he said.

The target audience are first-term infantry riflemen, machine gunners, mortarmen, assault Marines, and anti-tank missile gunners. Since each re-enlistment option requires time in the operating forces, the infantry will immediately benefit from the NCOs' experience, said Capt. Karoline Foote, a Marine spokeswoman at the Pentagon.

Like other incentive programs, this one is meant to develop a highly qualified and professional career force, she added.

"The Marine Corps has to compete with outside opportunities to retain our best and brightest," Foote said. "Infantry duty is challenging, and we value the experience and expertise of our young infantry Marines. As a result, we are looking to incentivize these Marines to remain in the operating forces and become squad leaders."

Similar Threads:

• Two bucks, one shot
• Bucks Marine sees changes
• Bucks soldier dies in combat
• More bang for the bucks
• Bucks County, PA. Marines

[advanced]

Those are some strong incentives being offered. As a squad leader I never went through any of the courses they have now for NCO or squad leader, my training was all OJT and my ability to keep coming out of really bad places alive. I guess that was more than enough back in the Nam.

[Kegler300]

I received a $2,500 Combat Arms Bonus when I enlisted in '75 … Big money back then.

[Bigstevemac]

bonus baby, they should up it to 50 grand today..with todays lame society, these men joining the corps are carrying alot more of societys weight

[SGT7477]

I received a $2,500 Combat Arms Bonus when I enlisted in '75 … Big money back then.

Never had that in 73, SFMF.

[advanced]

All I got back in 67 as an 0311 was "Every Day's a Holiday, and every Meal's a Feast." And then they put me in Hell where they tried to kill me every day, and if that didn't work they also tried to starve me. But I found out something important in life, I'm hard as hell to kill. Just saying. Survivor of the 5th Marines, 1968.

[Mongoose]

Our Bonus was getting Home alive......

[gkmoz]

All I got back in 67 as an 0311 was "Every Day's a Holiday, and every Meal's a Feast." And then they put me in Hell where they tried to kill me every day, and if that didn't work they also tried to starve me. But I found out something important in life, I'm hard as hell to kill. Just saying. Survivor of the 5th Marines, 1968.

Do you know when the 5th mardiv came back to the US as a unit?

[advanced]

Not sure gkmoz, I was with the 5th Regiment, 1st Mardiv. It was just the 1st and 3rd Divisions in the Nam.

Maybe Billy can help, I think he being in the 26th Marines I believe they were 5th Mardiv TAD to the 3red Mardiv, with the 3/26 (Billy's Battalion) assigned to the 1st Mardiv as our reserve Battalion.

[USMC 2571]

When I was getting out, end of 1967, they were offering 10k bonuses for our MOS, choice of duty station, and next highest pay grade, a tremendous package in those days----used to be called Variable Reenlistment Bonuses.


but I thought people were beating down the doors to get into the Corps these days and for the past several years---had no idea they are having trouble retaining people.

[gkmoz]

Here is the reason I ask? I was in staging in march of 69 and I was "blue tagged" to Camp Del Mar with the 5th mardiv, I was told that the unit had just come back from Nam and my mos 1833 wasn't needed ? I ended up at Pendleton for the rest of my active duty.
Do not remember all the details, so many before me and so many after me !

[advanced]

Like I said, to my knowledge only the 26th Marine Regiment, including all of their Battalions, went to Nam from the 5th Mardiv. At least I believe that's what Billy told me some time ago. He was with the 3/26 Marines and they operated in my AO out in the Arizona, Dodge City, No Go Island, Happy Valley, Ashaw Valley, etc. including Operation Meade River with us in Dodge City. He and Jack saved my life at the Hook (early Dec 68) during Meade River.

I came home the middle of Feb 69, I believe the 26th was still there when I left. By the way, you didn't miss anything by staying in the states except a more than hard time.

[oldtop]

I went to 2/28 when I came back to the world in January, 68... when the TET offensive started, we were all put on stand-by to go back to the Nam... at that time, 2/28 was mostly VN returnees that were short-timers, with a few boots fresh out of school thrown in for good measure... when the unit was finally deployed, anyone with less that 90 days to do was left at Pendleton as 2/28, the ones going to Nam were merged with 27th Marines and sent directly to the battle for Hue City...

[HST]

Haven't been here in a while but I saw your post. We must have crossed paths in 68. I came back from Nam in Nov.67, was with the Fox 2/27 FAC Team When 2/27 got sent to Nam they told us E-5 and above had to go below could stay if they didn't have a year back. I was an E-4 and had my share of Nam after Prarie, Hickory, Cimmiron and especially Buffalo, so a bunch of us went to 2/28 at Matio I was with the FAC Team there too but we didn't do much FACing except to FAC around..... I was bumming around with a career Cpl named Tarrant that I knew from 3/4 in Nam he'd been in for something like 13 years then He loved to hunt fish and drink and knew all of the places on Pendleton to do all three...I wondered if you knew him he was up and down the ranks a few times. Good Marine when he was sober, a fun Marine when he was drunk which was a lot

[USMC 2571]

Tony, welcome back!!!!!