It’s good to be a grunt

[thedrifter]

Issue Date: September 27, 2004

It’s good to be a grunt
Infantry among big winners of ’05 re-enlistment bonuses

By Gordon Lubold
Times staff writer


It’s the year of the grunt. We’re talking re-enlistment bonuses — big ones in some cases, especially if you’re a ground-pounder.
This year, the Corps will pay out $52 million in bonuses to Marines in more than 140 job specialties under the 2005 selective re-enlistment bonus program, which begins Oct. 1.

Through the program, Marines in retention-challenged job specialties can get up to $35,000 in lump-sum bonus money in return for re-enlisting. Overall, retention rates are healthy this year, but many fear that the pace of deployments may discourage some Marines from re-enlisting in fiscal 2005 and that the Corps is throwing money at the potential problem.

And this time around, officials are trying to dole out the dough smartly by reviewing the bonuses every quarter and making adjustments as necessary to ensure the money is going to the right job fields.

Among the highlights of this year’s program:

• More cash for infantry Marines.

• Bigger bonuses for fewer leathernecks.

• More frequent changes to the list of bonus-eligible jobs.

The aim is to target the right group of Marines with the right amount of cash with more accuracy.“This year, we’re being careful with who gets the money,” said Capt. Scott Vasquez, a career force planner with Manpower and Reserve Affairs at Quantico, Va.Corps officials have been meeting since May to determine how to best keep the Marine Corps staffed and healthy.

One key theme emerged by the time they wrapped up their discussions in August: the infantry field needed a little extra love.

Good news for grunts

Marines of all types are deploying or have been deployed for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond.

But it’s the grunts who have shouldered the biggest share of the operational burden, and it shows. So, officials decided to beef up the bonuses.

With one exception, bonuses have tripled in each infantry job — and the bonus doubled for recon Marines.

Consider riflemen (MOS 0311). An 0311 corporal with three years of service would be eligible for a bonus of nearly $20,000 in fiscal 2005. Under the bonuses offered riflemen in 2004, that same corporal would have seen only about $7,000.

Career planners said they are happy to hear there is a little more for grunts this year.

Infantry Marines have worked hard and many have paid a high price. The extra cash for them is well-deserved, said Maj. Susan Seaman, the head personnel officer for the 1st Marine Division, based in Ramadi, Iraq.

“Combat-arms Marines have sacrificed tremendously over the past few years, even before [Operation Iraqi Freedom] began,” Seaman wrote in an e-mail from Iraq. “[Operations tempo] has forced them to sacrifice time from their loved ones, the pursuit of a ‘normal’ life and in many cases, without complaint, these Marines have lost their families while they gave everything the Marine Corps asked of them.”

Seaman cited one infantryman who said he didn’t want to re-enlist. In his eight years in the Corps, he’s been on seven deployments and has gone through two divorces. “They’ve earned these bonuses and more,” she wrote.

The Corps needs to re-enlist about 1,000 first-term infantrymen and 500 career Marines across seven jobs, out of a pool of 4,500 first-term Marines who are eligible for re-enlistment in those jobs.

Panic now to avoid the rush

Manpower planners will be watching this year’s bonus program more closely than in past years. So expect to see bonus money dry up quicker if boat-spaces begin to fill up.

In fact, Vasquez expects more than 10 percent of the bonus offerings to decrease or be cut altogether by the end of January. This should help direct money to only those specialties that need it to fill their boat-spaces.

This year, the more focused SRB program means you have to act fast. For first-termers, what you see is what you get — bonus multiples will not be increased for Zone A leathernecks, Vasquez said. Career Marines in zones B and C, however, still may see multiples increase later in the year.

You can get all the cash upfront and don’t forget — if you’re in a combat zone when you re-enlist, Uncle Sam doesn’t get his usual cut.


http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/stor...PER-355097.php


Ellie

[Sparrowhawk]

I think we should also pay them bonus by the body counts.

Each Iraqi raghead killed fighting us or the Iraqi government should be worth a certain amount and those we kill in Iraq that came from other countries should be awarded an extra bonus.


Machine gunners should also get peaches and pound cake everyday!

[HardJedi]

DANG! 20,000.00? CRAP! how about for re-entering service after an almost ten year lapse in service? can I get some love for THAT as a former 0311? LOL

[greensideout]

Woooooo, who's paying for all of this? SOF is the new way to serve?

It seems the government feels that it takes money, BIG MONEY, to field a standing military that once served for the duty and honor of serving their country! There's no draft here folks. Just guns for hire?

What we are seeing is a huge change in the way that the military serves it's government. "Pay me big bucks and I'll fight your war".
I can't put my finger on it right now, but something is very wrong!

Why not just let them get out and come back on contract? They could make, (not earn) even MORE MONEY! (You cannot "earn" and "give" at the same time.)

I guess my old ideas need to get out of the way and let the money flow!

Just remember Marine, if you go back for the "Bucks", the "Bucks" will be your reward. But if you ship over because you love your country and the Corps, I say God speed, may you be home and safe soon.

[HardJedi]

Lord, I couldn't go back if I wanted to. the body just couldn't pass the pysical anymore.

[hrscowboy]

hell i can remember if we shipped over in the 70s for 4 more years all my reenlistment bonus was only 4,000 bucks damn i need to go back in with them kind of bonuses..

[kentmitchell]

Considering the most I ever made was 120 a month (Cpl. with four years) that looks like a fortune.
People used to look at grunts as dumb animals. These guys today aren't and they're worth every penny they get.
Semper Fi

[decuervo]

I wonder if i'll get that bonus if I sign up? Hmmm. Gonna make sure I ask about that today.

[Doc Crow]

Almost makes me want to come out of retirement oh damn I was an HM we got nothing Oh well nice thought

[snipowsky]

03's lead the way!

[Doc Crow]

I was given this defination year ago about Grunt
Gulliable
Restless
Unruly
Nasty
Thing
Hence GRUNT