Christian Science Monitor
January 22, 2005
WASHINGTON - In a bid to stanch an outflow of elite U.S. troops skilled in combatting terrorism and insurgencies, the Pentagon has approved an unusual incentives package aimed at retaining Special Operations Forces such as Green Berets and Navy SEALs.
Facing stiff competition from private security firms, the CIA, and other government agencies that are luring the seasoned commandos with six-figure contracts, the Pentagon plans to budget over $100 million a year for bonuses and special pay for junior and senior Special Operations Forces (SOF) members who agree to stay in the force, according to senior defense officials and military sources.
In an unusual departure, the package approved Dec. 22 offers lump sum payments to keep the most experienced special operators in the force past the military's traditional 20-year retirement mark.
The policy underscores the urgency with which the Pentagon needs senior noncommissioned officers to maintain high standards as the 49,000-strong force expands its ranks to meet heavy demands around the globe and has become a more integral part of the war on terror.
"We are offering handsome rewards to agree to substantial service beyond 20 years. That's a new objective," says David S.C. Chu, under secretary of Defense for personnel and readiness. "We're reaching a point ... where we're going to want more Special Operators to stay past 20 years of service than has been true historically, and particularly to be successful in the war on terror."
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Special Operations Forces have faced their biggest deployments in history, playing central roles in defeating the Taliban in Afghanistan and overthrowing the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. They've also conducted smaller campaigns against terrorist and anti-government groups in a number of other regions, including the Philippines, Colombia, and the Horn of Africa.
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