Select officers who are early in their careers will be eligible for up to $20,000 again this year as part of the service's efforts to draw young leaders to the Reserve and fill critical billets.

Officials wouldn't say exactly how much money is available this year, but did note say that the Reserve is seeking to fill no more than 200 billets. Interested Marines should act quickly, officials warn, as the Reserve is are shrinking year over year as budgets tighten and the force Reserve nears its officer manpower goals. In short, interested Marine should act quickly.

"If you sit there and wait it out, there probably won't be bonus money left," said Lt. Col. Tony Licari, the Reserve Manpower Plans Section officer in charge. "We run though bonus money pretty quickly. Mid year or earlier we are out of it, so don't think too long."

He said The Reserve is looking to fill no more than 200 billets in all with most units only have one or two openings.

he said.

Those eligible include Marines on active duty, Marines, reservists already in the SMCR, those in the Individual Ready Reserve, those and in the Active Reserve. Also eligible: individual mobilization augmentees, and prior-service Marines, so long as they were released under honorable conditions , according to Marine administrative message 597/14, signed Nov. 14.

Additionally, Former Reserve officers must not have more than a more than four-year break in service and those already in the SMCR must be within 90 days of the end of their current service obligation to qualify.

Most who affiliate with the program will be eligible for $10,000, but those who fill vacancies in one of 58 specific units will receive double. The higher amount is designed to lure qualified Marines into units with critical shortages. Those 58 units include units of all sorts across the country, from 3rd Civil Affairs Group in Great Lakes, Illinois to Bravo Company, 4th Amphibian Assault Vehicle Battalion in Jacksonville, Florida and Detachment 1, Maintenance Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 453 in Abilene, Texas, to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 764 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.

The lower $10,000 amount is more generally intended to entice lure young officers into the Reserve and offered as an incentive to fill spots in units that may, for example, require travel to reach on drilling weekends.

((travel to reach??? or involve costly PCS moves??? They were referring to Marines who have to travel on weekends when they must drill with the unit.))

While 58 many units remain eligible for the more generous $20,000 bonus, that's more than a 40 percent drop from the there are significantly fewer this year when compared to 98 units that were eligible last year. Reserve officials estimate current officer manning is between 80 percent and 90 percent full, which compares to just 28 percent in 2006.

That reflects a positive trend in Reserve officer manning indicating that fewer units have critical shortages.

In 2006, for example, the Reserve ((Reserve???)) had an abysmal abysmal 28 percent of the total number of officers needed. Today, Licari said, things are doing well and getting better.

"We've had to give out less bonuses because company grade officer population in reserve is growing," Licari he said. "It is getting to the point that it is almost healthy. The target has been 90 percent and we are in the mid-80s. I don't know a time when the Reserve component has been close to that."

The active-component drawdown has helped bolster the Reserve ranks with Reserve retention as some Marines sought to continue may leave active duty, or be pushed out as part of the Manpower drawdown, but want to still serve.

Interested Marines interested in affiliating with SMCR must request a bonus no later than Aug. 27. Approval must be received by Aug. 31 and Marines must accept payment within 60 days of approval or before Sept. 25 — whichever is first.

Interested IRR Marines should speak with a prior-service recruiter. Those in the SMCR or IMA Marines should speak to their unit career planners. Those Active component and Active Reserve Marines should speak with a Reserve transition coordinator.

Under certain conditions, the affiliation bonus may be recouped at a prorated amount. That includes Marines who:

if a Marine:

  • Fail to complete their three-year obligations.
  • Execute a lateral move to a new military occupational specialty, without approval.
  • Switch billets, without approval.
  • Transfer units, without approval.
  • Perform active duty for more than 90 days in a fiscal year with a unit other than their own.
  • Transition to the active component, the Active Reserve, or becomes and IMA.
  • Transfer to another service.
  • Resign his or her commission.

Marines can retrain to make a lateral move and fill an empty billet in a unit of their choice to receive the bonus. However, they will not receive the bonus until they have successfully completed training.

With several of the units looking for company grade officers in the intelligence field, that could be​ a good option for some Marines hoping to take home $20,000 while also learning a highly marketable skill.

Interested Marines should act quickly.

"Due to budgetary constraints, incentives will be issued on a first-come/first-served basis until funds are exhausted, or existing unit shortfalls are overcome," the message reads.

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