Corps tightens eligibility criteria for AIP

[unhappycamper]

Corps tightens eligibility criteria for AIP
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 24, 2008 20:07:08 EST

Marines whose deployments are involuntarily extended now must have “boots on ground” within the Central Command area of operations in order to receive assignment incentive pay, thanks to a tightening of the Corps’ Deployment Extension Program.

Previously, some Marines serving in units outside CentCom or serving in a capacity other than “boots on ground” were authorized to receive AIP if their expected deployment completion date was involuntarily extended, officials said in Marine administrative message 623/08.

In a statement, officials with Manpower & Reserve Affairs said the original intent of offering AIP under the Deployment Extension Program “was to compensate all Marines extending their while serving BOG in a unit involuntarily extended in , who otherwise would not have been able to complete the deployment.”

The revised policy was “written to clarify any misunderstanding of the original intent, since the policy did not specifically state before that Marines must be involuntarily extended while in CentCom with ‘boots on ground,’” officials said in the statement.

The Corps pays $800 per month in AIP and $200 per month in additional hardship pay to service members extended beyond 365 days with “boots on ground.” It also pays $250 per month in AIP to Marines who are extended 30 days or more beyond 210 days, such as some members of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, which had its deployment in Afghanistan extended.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/11/marine_warpay_112408w/%2e