$5,000 re-enlistment bonus offered to GIs in terror war, Korea (LOL!)

[lebkuchen]

Soldiers in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq or Korea who are up for reenlistment can score an additional $5,000 bonus if they do the deed by Sept. 30 and commit another three years to the Army.

The short-term addition to the Army’s Selective Reenlistment Bonus program began Sept. 19, and ends on Tuesday, Sheryl Carroll, the Army’s Selective Reenlistment Bonus program manager, said in a Friday telephone interview.

<snip>

A soldier’s military occupational specialty (MOS) doesn’t matter, but he or she must be currently deployed to Afghanistan, Kuwait or Iraq, or assigned to Korea, in order to qualify for the money.

http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=17741

Comment: This means that an engineer could become a latrine orderly for all the Bushies care. All they want is a pair of boots.

BTW, that's $5,000 American dollars divided by 36 months BEFORE taxes. Now we know what happened to the cuts in hazardous duty pay.

The Bushies have no shame.

[No Passaran]

1. if they're overseas...

...they don't pay taxes so their bonus is actually tax-free. It's still a chump change if you ask me.

[lebkuchen]

2. Yes, they do pay taxes if they're overseas

at least federal taxes. They may be state tax exempt depending on the state, TX, FL, and CA, for example.

[underpants]

3. Right and they can change their official address when re-enlisting

a PO Box will do. I tried to do that when I was in the service and was told only at "significant events" could I do that but if you re-enlist......uh no thanks.

[No Passaran]

15. not true..

I just came back from an overseas tour in Kuwait/Iraq. For 11 months I didn't pay any taxes (State or Federal). Bonus is tax free (I've seen all this firsthand).

[lebkuchen]

16. You paid no federal taxes on your LES??

I'm overseas DOD, and I have to pay federal taxes.

Do you have a link to provide that information? What's the criteria?

How many exemptions are you claiming, btw? 25?

[VLC98]

18. Re-enlistment bonuses are tax free...

if you are in a hostile fire zone, not overseas.

[No Passaran]

23. I forgot to mention that

I was in a hostile zone (Kuwait and Iraq).
My apologies. I keep calling it "overseas tour" because that's what I got out of it. At least it's keeping me away from PCSing to Korea for a while

[TahitiNut]

4. Shades of Vietnam.

We were offered such bonuses, reportedly up to $25,000 for critical Military Occupational Specialties, during my tour in Vietnam in 1969. As I recall, I could've re-upped for 2-3 years and gotten 30 days leave and $20K. (IIRC, there was an IRS provision that made this tax-free.) I sometimes wonder whether I should've done it. :crazy:

[underpants]

5. I'd wait that is just the first offer -by Sept 30th?? damn that is Tuesday

Great now we are bribing our soldiers. I wonder how this will affect command and control.

[lebkuchen]

7. Yep, they have/had 12 days to decide

$5,000 can seem like a lot of money to a dirt poor country boy barely 19 years old.

[underpants]

9. I believe they are under a movement freeze anyway

I wonder if that is being used to sell them on staying 3 more years as they can pick up an extra $5,000 anyway.

Yes many are probably very impressionable but let's not make too many assumptions, at this point I think they see what is going on.

[lebkuchen]

11. I think you're right on that last point

Check out this week's letters. Only the god-fearing Christian soldiers are somewhat positive about their deployment status.

[underpants]

13. I wonder what message the R&R troops will take back with them

I saw one on the news Friday night saying that seeing a NEW and CURRENT newspaper was one of the first things he noticed. Flushable toilets were something else he liked seeing again.

I know what they will be doing for at least the first few days but eventually they are going to watch the news or read a paper.

[SWPAdem]

6. "Boots" is right

How many non-infantry MOS types have you seen pulling patrol duty in Iraq? Engineers, and artillery are doing it, not to mention the FEMALE medical specs that I have seen on occasion. I wonder if Schafly, the International Women's Forum, and DACOWITS know that Bush has expanded the role of women in the military to include combat duty. Lock and load, sisters!

[DulceDecorum]

8. Did you say bonus or BOGUS?

What use is money when you are dead?
Or dying?

WASHINGTON -- Thousands of veterans across the country are rising up in anger over the biggest overhaul of their vast medical care network since the end of World War II -- including downsizing at VA hospitals in American Lake and Walla Walla.
"It's like you are putting me in a quagmire," said Ed Davis, a Vietnam veteran who joined a recent protest at New York City Hall to complain about a plan that would force him to use a Brooklyn facility miles from his home.
Such a change would mean a longer and more difficult trip on public transportation for the 55-year-old man, who suffers from knee injuries, diabetes and high blood pressure.
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20030927/frontpage/110313.shtml

[Nottingham]

10. Unfortunately the Economy is the Pits! But 5,000 dollars is a joke!

:bounce: It will be interesting to see how many sign up again!

[lebkuchen]

14. The Army’s Selective Reenlistment Bonus program manager doesn't know

"Carroll said she did not have data available on the number of soldiers who have signed up under the bonus program since Sept. 19."

Comment: If the reenlistment bonus program manager doesn't have the stats, who does?

You might want to ask the writer of the piece (whose e-mail is in the article). I think she's tired of my asking questions. :)

[alfredo]

12. $5,000 is chicken feed. In 1969 10 to 25 grand was offered.

Rummy wanted this war on the cheap.

[tsipple]

17. Why Bother? Why Not Quit and Work for Halliburton?

Much more profitable, isn't it?

[7th_Sephiroth]

19. how much are YOU profitting from this "war"

Mr Cheney? billions? tax free you say? writeing your own checks straight from the taxpayers pocket, eh? and your giving the soldiers chicken feed?

[Nlighten1]

20. $5000 dollars is a joke.

Back in the 80's they were giving $20,000 dollar reup bonuses and we weren't at war.

[Dover]

21. Considering the story today about the Pentagon stashing millions

of dollars covertly in special ops programs for later use, and the missing 2.3 Trillion dollars reported by the Pentagon earlier, I'd say that the $5000 is a joke. But the point is that the Pentagon is having to bribe other countries and its own soldiers to stick with this bogus "war"!

And they continue to cry poverty and bilk their own citizens of every last dime.

[Zhade]

22. Hmmm...

RECRUITER: Five grand for ya if you stick around a few more years!

SOLDIER (packing bags): Uh, thanks, I like living a lot more than a stack of green paper. Tell Bush to stick it straight up his ass.