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Corps offers big bonuses for re-enlistment

Every Marine who re-enlists before Sept. 30 will get at least $10,000, including those who already re-enlisted this fiscal year, according to a Corps-wide message released Wednesday.

“Enlisted Marines with less than 20 years of active service who re-enlisted or will re-enlist ... for a period of 4 or more years are eligible,” states MarAdmin 103/07, which outlined the awarding of Assignment Incentive Pay to those Marines. “This designates all enlisted Marine Corps assignments as eligible.”

Marines with 20 to 27 years of service can re-enlist for three years for the $10,000 bonus.

In two other messages, Corps officials announced that incentive pay — $500 per month — also will be available to recruiters who agree to extend their tours six to 12 months on top of their 36-month tours, as well as Marines whose deployments have been extended and who agree to extend their enlistment or re-enlistment to finish out their tour.

Deployed Marines approaching the end of their enlistment can extend in Iraq and receive the pay for as long as their unit is assigned there, according to MarAdmin 105/07.

Recruiters have the option of extending for six months to a year, according to MarAdmin 102/07.

The service is in the midst of adding 22,000 Marines to its ranks — about 5,000 leathernecks a year — by 2011, for a total of 202,000 Marines.

To help make it happen, Corps officials did away with boatspace requirements Dec. 28, meaning that anyone who wanted to re-enlist would not be turned away.

Commandant Gen. James Conway also has called on current and former Marines to re-enlist, saying the Corps needs those devil dogs.