10-12-2007, 06:45
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#1
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Occupied America....
Posts: 4,740
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Six-Figure Bonuses Retain U.S. Commandos
Six-Figure Bonuses Retain U.S. Commandos
October 12, 2007 - 8:37am
By RICHARD LARDNER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon has paid more than $100 million in bonuses to veteran Green Berets and Navy SEALs, reversing the flow of top commandos to the corporate world where security companies such as Blackwater USA are offering big salaries.
The retention effort, started nearly three years ago and overseen by U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa, Fla., has helped preserve a small but elite group of enlisted troops with vast experience fighting the unconventional wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Defense Department statistics.
http://wtop.com/?nid=116&pid=0&sid=1265710&page=1#
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Ret10Echo is offline
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10-12-2007, 06:47
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#2
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SF Candidate
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: On land.
Posts: 97
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..........because you guys deserve it, and more.
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Dominus_Potior is offline
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10-12-2007, 11:30
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#3
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 20,929
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dominus_Potior
..........because you guys deserve it, and more.
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It's also the realization that, at 20 years, you're only working for 50% of your normal salary. 
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Team Sergeant is offline
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10-12-2007, 11:40
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#4
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And for most ranks, the fogey raises stop shortly after 20 years of service. Up, out, or hit a glass ceiling.
I am not sure that the bonus drives the train. It is a band-aid for retaining more senior (E-7 through E-9) SF personnel over 20. By and large, they are not your team guys. A better question would be what are we doing to retain our younger and mid-career NCOs?
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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10-12-2007, 12:38
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#5
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Kitsap WA
Posts: 213
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Sounds like some people are tired of seeing SF Staff NCO's get out just to go and get hired by some private security firm.
Throwing money at the situation might not fix the problem in this case.
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Pete S is offline
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10-12-2007, 13:35
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#6
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Fayetteville
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With a chance to lose it all
Quote:
Originally Posted by Team Sergeant
It's also the realization that, at 20 years, you're only working for 50% of your normal salary. |
Once you go over 20 you're working for 1/2 pay with a chance to lose it all if some general wants to make brownie points by charging you with murder.
Gee, where have I read about that in the recent past? 
Pete
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Pete is offline
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10-12-2007, 16:50
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#7
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: N.E.WA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
And for most ranks, the fogey raises stop shortly after 20 years of service. Up, out, or hit a glass ceiling.
I am not sure that the bonus drives the train. It is a band-aid for retaining more senior (E-7 through E-9) SF personnel over 20. By and large, they are not your team guys. A better question would be what are we doing to retain our younger and mid-career NCOs?
TR
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When given the opportunity I asked General Brown about this about a year and a half ago. He stated that it got eaten up in Congress, and the Bonuses for the Senior guys was hard enough to get, without getting more fat (for other bills), and chopped up through the process.
I agree that the guys in over 10, that are looking at in or out, should be targeted especially, but I would doubt if you will see anything else coming down the pike.
I just hope that the bonus will still be there in another 1 1/2 yrs when I become eligible, especially if we have a party change!!!!!
Also why Ive stated that we need to go back to a 100% retirement w/benefits and start paying extra after 20, as well as being Tax Free for life at 20 yrs.
A man can dream, can't he?
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"Most of us here can attest that we never took the easy way. Easy just is............easy. Life is a work in progress, and most of the time its a struggle." ~ Me
"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956)
"A Government that is losing to an insurgency is not being outfought, it is being out governed." Bernard B. Fall
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LongWire is offline
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10-12-2007, 18:16
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#8
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LongWire
When given the opportunity I asked General Brown about this about a year and a half ago. He stated that it got eaten up in Congress, and the Bonuses for the Senior guys was hard enough to get, without getting more fat (for other bills), and chopped up through the process.
I agree that the guys in over 10, that are looking at in or out, should be targeted especially, but I would doubt if you will see anything else coming down the pike.
I just hope that the bonus will still be there in another 1 1/2 yrs when I become eligible, especially if we have a party change!!!!!
Also why Ive stated that we need to go back to a 100% retirement w/benefits and start paying extra after 20, as well as being Tax Free for life at 20 yrs.
A man can dream, can't he?
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Did you ask him how many billion per year SOCOM spends on infil platforms?
How about JSOC and their units? Did you ask him how much they were given in bonuses and specialty pays?
SF is the most cost effective force in SOCOM. Period.
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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10-12-2007, 18:43
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#9
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Colorado
Posts: 581
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LongWire
I agree that the guys in over 10, that are looking at in or out, should be targeted especially, but I would doubt if you will see anything else coming down the pike.
I just hope that the bonus will still be there in another 1 1/2 yrs when I become eligible, especially if we have a party change!!!!!
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While I agree with you in concept I don't believe we'll ever see much more dollars targeting those levels.
Believe it or not, there just isn't a problem with guys getting out at that level. Everybody talks about it, but when push comes to shove we as a Regiment dont lose that many guys over the 10 year mark and those individuals are already targeted with the highest bonuses allowed. The Army G1 views bonus money as a "lever" to apply to correct a problem; if there was a problem at those years of service we would quickly throw more money at it. Its just not there.
There WAS a problem with guys retiring to take the high paying contract work at 20-22 years. Thats when we tagged along onto the CSRB program. So far its been effective, with roughly 60% of those eligible taking some portion of the bonus.
I think the CSRB will be around for a long time, at least through the growth of the 4th Battalions so you should be fine in a year or so.
Of course I'm out of the loop by a few months so STU, feel free to jump in and add your .02 on the current incentive situation.
mp
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Last edited by mffjm8509; 10-12-2007 at 21:29.
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mffjm8509 is offline
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10-12-2007, 19:24
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#10
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Philadelphia,Pa.
Posts: 1,490
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Required Reading for Active Army Special Forces QP's
I jusr received the Fall Issue 2007 of "The Drop",and I read the article by Major General(R) James A. Guest Titled "The Long Farewell", In the article he mentions The Capstone Concept of Special Operations being developed for USSOCOM includes the concept "Global Expeditionary Forces," and all indications point to an intent to replace the SF Groups with this new concept."The Capstone Concept referenced in this article is available for download at www.specialforcesassociation.org. Regards,tom kelly
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tom kelly is offline
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10-12-2007, 20:50
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#11
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Savannah, GA
Posts: 2,307
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hey tom, where on that site is that concept? I can't find it. anyone??
So true, TR. So true.... AC and RC , SF accomplishes miracles with the funding that it's given. We get peanuts percentage-wise of the total budget.
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abc_123 is offline
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10-13-2007, 01:26
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#12
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Quiet Professional
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Here's a different link to Capstone...........
http://www.veteransofspecialforces.org/
As far as the Mid term guys go, ask yourself the same in a couple of years when the X-ray's come to reenlist.........just hypothesizing here, but I would imagine if the money is still in contracting, well then why not?
Not saying that this will happen, but I know that when I got to Group I knew it was a career, that was me at 7 yrs........wonder what the kids with 4 in will think? Its a lot different when looking down that long road, your mileage may differ.
__________________
"Most of us here can attest that we never took the easy way. Easy just is............easy. Life is a work in progress, and most of the time its a struggle." ~ Me
"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956)
"A Government that is losing to an insurgency is not being outfought, it is being out governed." Bernard B. Fall
Last edited by LongWire; 10-13-2007 at 01:46.
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LongWire is offline
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10-13-2007, 05:33
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#13
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Fort Bragg, NC
Posts: 184
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LongWire
As far as the Mid term guys go, ask yourself the same in a couple of years when the X-ray's come to reenlist.........just hypothesizing here, but I would imagine if the money is still in contracting, well then why not?
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It's already come. I had a break in service and following 9/11 I tried to come back in under an Infantry contract. Couldn't get it, but got a waiver in on an 18X contract. I was in the second group of 18X's to ship. A couple months ago, I linked up with one of those guys in a school and we talked about who got out and who reenlisted. The best numbers we have been able to come up with is less then 10% reenlisted and half of those where guys with prior service.
There was talk about 2 years ago of a mid-career retention pay that would start for guys when they crossed the 8-year mark and would inclementally rise as a soldiers time in service increased. I was over-12 and it calculated out for me at just over $800/month. IIRC, USASOC was the one behind it and the money was going to be shelled out of their budget, but problems arose when they asked DA to fund half of it.
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We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air with all our might and all our strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, What is our aim? I answer in one word: Victory Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Winston Churchill
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Para is offline
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10-13-2007, 05:53
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#14
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Ft Bragg, NC
Posts: 1,126
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Para
It's already come. I had a break in service and following 9/11 I tried to come back in under an Infantry contract. Couldn't get it, but got a waiver in on an 18X contract. I was in the second group of 18X's to ship. A couple months ago, I linked up with one of those guys in a school and we talked about who got out and who reenlisted. The best numbers we have been able to come up with is less then 10% reenlisted and half of those where guys with prior service.
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I'd be curious to see the official number's for this. Has anyone seen any studies done on it?
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Max_Tab is offline
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10-13-2007, 07:43
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#15
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Quiet Professional
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Max_Tab
I'd be curious to see the official number's for this. Has anyone seen any studies done on it?
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My understanding is that the actual reenlistment number so far for 18Xs is about 40%, which while it surprised me, was viewed as acceptable.
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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