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Some jobs lose bonuses

Deciding whether to give the Corps four more years is a tough decision any time. But as the halfway point of the fiscal year rapidly approaches, many enlisted Marines still sitting on the fence may find those decisions tougher, thanks to newly released rules for fiscal 2008 Selective Re-enlistment Bonuses and Broken Service SRBs.

The guidelines for the back half of the year, released March 3, throw thousands of dollars at Marines in a handful of critical occupational specialties, with one key condition: Those troops must currently serve in the operating forces and must agree to stay there for at least two more years. That would likely mean another trip or two to the sandbox.

But all that cash could stack up to a bonus of up to $80,000 for some Marines.

Discuss: Does money talk?

The changes also signal the closing of the door on re-enlistment bonuses for nearly two dozen jobs, ending payouts of up to $34,500 for any Marine who waits too long to sign on the dotted line.

Those who miss out don’t have to lose completely, however. The new rules reinforce opportunities for many Marines to pick up a re-enlistment bonus by moving laterally into a new job.

Grunt bonuses for non-grunts

The most significant change is the opening of seven noninfantry specialties for an extra $20,000 SRB kicker under a plan that previously was available only to various infantrymen.

The “operating forces” re-enlistment bonus was opened up early in the fiscal year, on Nov. 1, 2007. It initially applied only to grunts with the rank of sergeant or below, asked them to re-enlist for 48 months and required them to spend at least the first 24 months in the operational forces. The aim was to keep infantrymen in the fight and ready for possible deployment.

Now, the Corps is offering that same deal to intel specialists, fire support men, combat engineers, special communications signal operators, Middle East cryptologic linguists, logistics vehicle systems operators and military police officers.

The bonus applies only to Marines with the rank of sergeant or below in Zone A, which includes those with between 17 and 72 months of service at the time of re-enlistment. The extra $20,000 is available only to those Marines who are currently serving in the operating forces in those specialties, not those who are looking to make a lateral move or are working in non-operational commands.

The extra $20,000 comes on top of the existing SRB, but the Corps has placed a cap of $80,000 total. For example, some Arabic-speaking sergeants already have the option of an SRB of $61,000, and could now seek the $20,000 operational forces bonus. But the Corps will not allow the combined payments to exceed $80,000.

Bottom line: It’s a lot of cash.

For the intel specialists, fire support men and Middle East linguists, the new rules mean lance corporals or below are eligible for a $45,500 traditional SRB for re-enlistment and, with an agreement to spend the additional 24 months in the operational forces adding $20,000, are looking at a total of $65,500. For corporals, the total is $72,500. A sergeant would max out at $80,000 because the existing SRB offered since November has been $61,000.

For combat engineers, logistics truck drivers and military police officers, junior Marines can add the new $20,000 bonus to the existing SRB of $26,000 for a total of $46,000. Corporals would receive an even $50,000, and sergeants who agree to stay in the fight are eligible for $54,500.

For special communications signal operators/analysts, junior Marines can get a possible bonus of $49,500. Corporals rate a total of $54,000, and sergeants are turning down as much as $59,000 if they leave the Corps.

Ultimately, the change affects about 500 Marines who meet all of the criteria, have contracts ending in fiscal 2008 and have not yet re-enlisted, manpower officials said. But the expansion of the former “grunt bonus” also signals a growing need to retain experienced Marines in the operating forces in a variety of critical jobs.

The Corps has not indicated whether additional military occupational specialties will be offered the SRB kicker in fiscal 2008, and it remains unclear what effect the need for such incentives will have on re-enlistment efforts in fiscal 2009.

Last chance for 21 specialties

Not everyone is faring as well as the Marines receiving an additional $20,000. About a thousand Marines with contracts ending in 2008 have only a few more weeks to make a decision before they lose out on the bonus options laid on the table last year.

As of April 3, the Corps is eliminating SRBs for almost two dozen military occupational specialties, including a variety of clerks and aircraft mechanics.

The Marines in those 21 jobs can still re-enlist, but will not be eligible for an SRB.

Helicopter power plants mechanics, T-400/T-700, are taking the hardest hit as the Corps cuts back on re-enlistment cash. Bonuses from $32,500 to $43,500, depending on rank, disappear in April.

The loss of the bonus may seem transparent to some Marines in these affected specialties, as many of those affected would receive only modest bonuses, far below the $80,000 others rate. For example, personnel, postal and warehouse clerks, construction wiremen, traffic management and legal services specialists rate bonuses of only $11,000 for sergeants, $10,500 for corporals and $10,000 for lance corporals and below. The Corps is also no longer offering a bonus for packaging specialists, eliminating the SRB of $13,000 for sergeants, $11,500 for corporals and $10,000 for lance corporals and below.

But that doesn’t mean money isn’t out there.

Lateral move with benefits

“These Marines may request a lateral move into over 40 MOSs which are authorized a lateral move SRB,” said Maj. Jerry Morgan, enlisted career force planner at Manpower and Reserve Affairs in Quantico, Va.

Those lateral moves are not eligible for the additional $20,000 operating forces kicker, but there are some decent bonuses available for Marines willing to pick a new career. Zone A Marines who want to become counterintelligence/HUMINT or intel specialists, reconnaissancemen, explosive ordnance disposal or aviation communications systems technicians or Middle East, Asia-Pacific and European I (West) cryptologic linguists can cash in on huge lat-move re-up bonuses. These are some of the highest paid to any specialty, bringing in $45,500 for junior Marines, $52,500 for corporals and $61,000 for sergeants and above.

Bonus rules for lateral movers are slightly different than for other Marines re-enlisting. For instance, lateral move re-enlistments are generally available only to Marines in the Zone A and B categories. Additionally, bonus payments for lateral move re-enlistments are not paid immediately after re-upping, but after successful completion of the new job training and awarding of the new MOS.

Lateral move bonuses are based on the deal in effect at the time of re-enlisting, and any Marines who are in training at the end of fiscal 2008 will receive the lat-move SRB when their record books reflect the new MOS has been awarded.

There is a danger to the lateral move SRB plan, however.

“Lat-move Marines failing to complete required lateral move MOS training will be redesignated according to the needs of the Marine Corps and will not receive the SRB,” according to the message outlining fiscal 2008 re-enlistment bonus guidelines, Mar-Admin 349/07.

The message also includes a full list of dozens of occupations offering bonuses for lateral movers, plus details on exceptions to the rules and additional policies that apply.