Posted on Apr 12, 2016
SFC Randy Purham
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With downsizing in effect and budgetary constraints affecting readiness on many levels - should reenlistment contracting go away and eligible Soldiers do service extensions to their discretion? This would eliminate bonuses and auto-promotions in certain career fields with re-up options of that nature.
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Responses: 11
SFC Wade W.
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No, there are MOS's that need good, qualified and trained personnel. That requires that the Military offer bonuses to keep those people. There are too many great soldiers that leave because the civilian sector offers them more than the service does. A bonus can make all the difference sometimes.
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PFC Assistant Gunner
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Its sorta why the intel branch promotes so fast and gives nice bonuses. Every high speed intel officer or enlisted soldier could nab a 100k base salary job in private sector or federal.
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MSgt Student
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Bonus are a great incentives besides awards and comp time. Its not like pay raises can be handed out for retention and to those who do a great job.
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SrA Roy Cooper
SrA Roy Cooper
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SFC Wade W. - That's why the Air Force looses Fire Protection Specialist. They don't offer bonuses to them. Yes, they spend the money to train them for aircraft emergencies/crashes, structural emergencies/fires, HazMat, 911 Telecommunications, EMT Training and more. But rather than trying to keep them. They seem to think, it's cheaper to train the next person in all the same training. It's an endless cycle. Wash, Rinse, Repeat until America runs out of recruits.
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SGT(P) Unit Supply Specialist
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PFC (Join to see) that's until they get stationed at Fort Meade and they ETS as soon as they finish their time of assignment. I've seen so many people leaving once they hook up with a good job in this area.
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SGT Aaron Atwood
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Depends on who this is supposed to target. I know one Marine who turned down a six-digit figure at Sikorsky because he didn't want to leave the Corps yet (and there's no way he's making a six-digit figure right now). I myself reenlisted without seeing any bonus, special pay, promotion, etc. I do agree with SFC Williams though. The civilian sector has no issue offering lucrative benefits to getting employed by them; something the military as a whole is behind in by at least 10-20 years (except in civilian contractors; now those guys make bank) and that can make the right people eventually turn away from the military to fulfill the same job in the civilian side. The wrong people for the job, though, might try to stick around if the benefits are juicy enough.
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SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
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No.
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