Posted on Mar 23, 2023
Boosting enlisted pay to boost recruiting? Nope.
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They'll provide a "mix of bonuses and financial incentives," but yet AGR Soldiers do not get reenlistment bonuses, which doesn't make sense to me because Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve Soldiers are all eligible typically for reenlistment bonuses, but again not AGR. I had to turn down a reenlistment bonus in 2020 because I already had orders for the AGR Program, and if I had accepted the bonus, it would have been recouped due to me no longer being in the position for which I reenlisted. What are your thoughts? PFC (Join to see) SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL LTC Stephen F. CPL Dave Hoover SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SSG (Join to see) Lt Col Charlie Brown LTC (Join to see) MSG (Join to see)
Boosting enlisted pay to boost recruiting? Nope.
Posted from armytimes.com
Recruiting
Money
AGR
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 4
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It makes sense if you understand what a bonus is.
Bonuses are to enlist/retain members in shortage MOSes.
The money for bonuses comes from MILPAY that was budgeted but not paid out because those positions are not filled.
AGRs do not get bonuses because we typically do not have a problem filling AGR positions, in fact, ARNG has been over their AGR allocation for at least the last few years, at an unfunded cost of tens of millions per year.
But then, we don't really do this for the money or the bonuses, we do this for the selfless service aspect of taking care of our MDAY Soldiers; getting them paid on time, resourced and trained with minimal distractions.
Bonuses are to enlist/retain members in shortage MOSes.
The money for bonuses comes from MILPAY that was budgeted but not paid out because those positions are not filled.
AGRs do not get bonuses because we typically do not have a problem filling AGR positions, in fact, ARNG has been over their AGR allocation for at least the last few years, at an unfunded cost of tens of millions per year.
But then, we don't really do this for the money or the bonuses, we do this for the selfless service aspect of taking care of our MDAY Soldiers; getting them paid on time, resourced and trained with minimal distractions.
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
SGM (Join to see) I understand what you're saying, but for example, I'm 12B and there's only a handful of 12B positions in the entire AGR program. People are leaving military in droves and aside from Marines, the other services are not making enlistment quotas. Seems to me offering an incentive to already highly qualified AGR personnel would make sense.
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
COL Randall C. yes sir, but as I said to SGM (Join to see) 12B only has a handful of positions in AGR program, anx with enlistment quoaltas not getting meant and many people leaving service, it seems it would make sense to offer incentive to keep qualified people sir.
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SGM (Join to see)
SSG(P) (Join to see) - Offering an incentive to those leaving and for positions we can't fill makes sense, because we have all that money left over from not having folks in those positions to receive paychecks.
But again, in the Army National Guard, we have the opposite problem: we have more AGRs than we are authorized.
While Active Duty may be leaving in droves, and they always have, 70% traditionally separate by the end of the second enlistment, a very high percentage of AGRs stay in to 20 years or beyond.
We don't have an AGR retention problem in ARNG, which is why AGR bonuses ended for good in FY08.
And while ARNG is overpaying for over-strength AGRs to the tune of tens of millions of dollars every year, it would be criminal to give an AGR a bonus for "retention"...
And there is something you need to understand about AGR:
Your specific para/line/mos is not an "AGR position". Your BN is authorized x number of AGRs to allocate as needed to best meet mission needs for their BN staff.
-ARNG dictates how many AGRs each UIC gets every year.
-Your TAG takes those total allocations, and with information and recommendations from your AGR Branch and CoS, decides how many AGRs by grade go to each BDE.
-Your BDE and BN AOs and commanders decide how to best allocate those AGR positions within the BDE.
In your BN, the result of that process can be to choose to use an E6 12B position for AGR in S3, or they could choose to use the 74D position for that AGR job in S3, or any other duty position/MOS on the MTOE.
And for a new hire, even if they opt to use the 12B position, they could just as easily hire an 11B or 19D or 36B or 92A applicant and send them to the two week 12B MOS-T course in their first year of AGR.
Bottom line, you don't have an "AGR MOS", and ARNG doesn't have an AGR retention problem, it has a very expensive opposite of an AGR retention problem.
And if we did somehow have an AGR retention problem and had an AGR bonus today, you still wouldn't qualify because you hit 13 years, 1 month of total service in July, and I have to assume your current ETS is well after that.
But again, in the Army National Guard, we have the opposite problem: we have more AGRs than we are authorized.
While Active Duty may be leaving in droves, and they always have, 70% traditionally separate by the end of the second enlistment, a very high percentage of AGRs stay in to 20 years or beyond.
We don't have an AGR retention problem in ARNG, which is why AGR bonuses ended for good in FY08.
And while ARNG is overpaying for over-strength AGRs to the tune of tens of millions of dollars every year, it would be criminal to give an AGR a bonus for "retention"...
And there is something you need to understand about AGR:
Your specific para/line/mos is not an "AGR position". Your BN is authorized x number of AGRs to allocate as needed to best meet mission needs for their BN staff.
-ARNG dictates how many AGRs each UIC gets every year.
-Your TAG takes those total allocations, and with information and recommendations from your AGR Branch and CoS, decides how many AGRs by grade go to each BDE.
-Your BDE and BN AOs and commanders decide how to best allocate those AGR positions within the BDE.
In your BN, the result of that process can be to choose to use an E6 12B position for AGR in S3, or they could choose to use the 74D position for that AGR job in S3, or any other duty position/MOS on the MTOE.
And for a new hire, even if they opt to use the 12B position, they could just as easily hire an 11B or 19D or 36B or 92A applicant and send them to the two week 12B MOS-T course in their first year of AGR.
Bottom line, you don't have an "AGR MOS", and ARNG doesn't have an AGR retention problem, it has a very expensive opposite of an AGR retention problem.
And if we did somehow have an AGR retention problem and had an AGR bonus today, you still wouldn't qualify because you hit 13 years, 1 month of total service in July, and I have to assume your current ETS is well after that.
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LTC (Join to see)
COL Randall C. I don’t view that as anything close to a bonus but rather a way to lose money.
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The argument that civilian and military pay are equivalent is somewhat specious. Comparing civilian pay to military compensation is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. In addition to basic pay, sailors and soldiers do get get generous tax-free housing allowances as well as bonuses, special pays and more. Yet troops surrender more control over their career moves, commit to potentially dangerous work assignments and make frequent family moves that can jeopardize spouses’ earning potential and family stability. Our troops deserve the higher pay and if it improves recruiting all the better.
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
PO2 Marco Monsalve I don't think I would even mention housing since many military locations are dealing with housing issues due to mold and not being upkept, not to mention many onpost housing places take all housing allowancr regardless of rank or size of house.
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SGM (Join to see)
SSG(P) (Join to see) - All privatized on post housing takes 100% of your BAH regardless of rank, the same deal as before housing was privatized when you got on post housing and they stopped your BAH.
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