Incentives target special ops troops

[Kyobanim]

It's about time . . .

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/21/spe...gon/index.html


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon has approved an incentives package designed to retain special operations troops in the military, Pentagon officials said Friday.

The package -- approved December 22 for $168 million over three years -- is aimed at keeping Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets and other troops trained to fight terrorists from taking lucrative positions with security contractors or other government agencies, the officials said.

The incentives are directed at troops with a good deal of wartime experience and highly specialized skills that take considerable time and money to replace.

Only "operators" -- troops on the ground conducting missions -- are targeted, not everybody in the 49,000-person special ops community, the officials said.

Depending on how long special ops troops commit to stay with the military, they could receive an additional $8,000 to $150,000 beyond their regular salaries.

There are also incentives for junior special ops troops to keep them for a "reasonably full career," one Pentagon official said.

The money will come from the fiscal year 2005 supplemental and the FY 2006 and FY 2007 defense budgets, officials said.

"This is not about a need to increase the size of the [special ops] community," said Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Joe Richard.

"It is about keeping the ones we already have and keeping that experience and skill level without having to continually train large numbers to replace the ones that left."

The package is not that unusual. In the past, the Pentagon has offered incentives to pilots to try to keep them from leaving for higher-paying jobs in the commercial airline business.

Special ops troops have been widely used since the attacks of September 11, 2001, in the war on terrorism, the war in Iraq and around the world.

They are also considered an integral part of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's plan to fight terrorism as well as transform the military.

Their constant deployments and potential future use has put greater demands on the soldiers and their families, causing them to look at their bottom line.

Pentagon officials say that a good number of these troops are reaching a point of retirement, and the military wants more special ops troops to stay past 20 years of service, the customary eligible retirement point for troops.

[The Reaper]

Band-Aid on a bullet wound.

TR

[rudelsg2]

This "incentive" is only open to SF'ers with 19 years in service. This is a totally different "incentive" package than was "briefed" to us last year. I believe whoever came up with this program is totally missing the mark.

As a Tm Sgt, I don't need a E-7 with 19 years in service on my ODA. I need to retain the E-6 and E-7 ranks that are at that 10-12 year mark and are thinking of getting out to contract. Most of these guys have just as much IF not more real world/ real combat SF experience as the 19 year TIS E-7. These guys are the future experience/ leadership base of SF that we need to retain. In the original concept that we were briefed on, they would have been targeted with larger re-enlistment bonuses and an the entire force would receive a monthly Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP).

There are also incentives for junior special ops troops to keep them for a "reasonably full career," one Pentagon official said.

Not according to the Mil-Per message on this program. Only if having 19 years in is considered a "junior spec ops troop".

Sorry, MOST (not all) of the "senior" guys I've seen take these bonuses in the last 2 years, should have been shown the door a long time ago, not encouraged to stay in. I've seen the command refuse only one guy the retention bonus and then it was a uphill fight for them to do so.

[lrd]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Band-Aid on a bullet wound.

TR

This has a been a big issue in our community since my husband joined. Your comment reminded me of an article I read a few years back:

http://www.usni.org/proceedings/arti.../PROnatter.htm

[mffjm8509]

Originally Posted by rudelsg2

This "incentive" is only open to SF'ers with 19 years in service. This is a totally different "incentive" package than was "briefed" to us last year. I believe whoever came up with this program is totally missing the mark.

As a Tm Sgt, I don't need a E-7 with 19 years in service on my ODA. I need to retain the E-6 and E-7 ranks that are at that 10-12 year mark and are thinking of getting out to contract. Most of these guys have just as much IF not more real world/ real combat SF experience as the 19 year TIS E-7. These guys are the future experience/ leadership base of SF that we need to retain. In the original concept that we were briefed on, they would have been targeted with larger re-enlistment bonuses and an the entire force would receive a monthly Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP).

I concur fully.

1/3 of my team are "junior" guys (8-14 years) and all are in their 2nd or 3rd combat tour in the past 2 years. Add to that a tours in Bosnia and/or Kosovo, and a couple of JCETS. This is the experience we need to keep and these are they guys we should aim at retaining.

This bonus targets guys who can retire next year, and those guys have probably already made up thier minds on what their next move is.

Here is another incentive just mentioned to me in a Command visit last week. Those individuals with more than 26 years TIS are about to be offered an additional $750 assignment incentive pay. Who exactly does this target? How many Team Sergeants or members do we have in SF that are over the 26 year mark?

just my .02

mp

[C/S PHOENIX 10]

I think we will see some other monthly based pays coming in the very near future. This 150,000 TIS plan is just part of a larger based package to help kept the force heathy. For those of us that heard the rumors, if you remember there was a 100,000 retention plan for soldiers that would stay beyond the 20 to 25 years. Well that has changed to 150,000 for a commitment to 26. There is still some issues being worked on the special duty pay and assignment pay. Nothing is writen in stone, but things are looking good. One may see a up to 1800 more monthly, depending on TIS. Again nothing but hard rumors as of now until we see it in our pay. If it does happen, better buy some stock in HD.