Marine Corps slashes 2010
re-enlistment bonuses
7/2/2009
by Lance Cpl. Austin Hazard
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. — The Marine Corps released its list of fiscal year 2010 re-enlistment bonuses June 24, 2009, a much shorter list than recent high-paying years.

Bonuses were anticipated to plunge after the Corps met its goal to grow the force to 202,000 Marines in the middle of FY-09.

“Now it’s more about maintaining our numbers than increasing them,” said Staff Sgt. David Killough, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 career planner.

The bonuses, listed in Marine Administrative Message 378/09, came on the heels of the FY-10 enlisted retention guidelines, which also highlighted the Corps’ increased selectiveness for future retention now that the ranks are filled.

Many station military occupational specialties were affected by the drop in bonuses.

For example, bonuses for aircraft maintenance administration specialists dropped approximately 75 percent from FY-09 to FY-10 for first-term Marines.

“For us to get such a low bonus is insane,” said Lance Cpl. Brandon Urvina, MALS-13 aviation logistics information systems specialist whose MOS bonus dropped from $19,000 to $3,500. “With bonuses like this, most of those senior technicians are going to lat move and there goes those five years of experience.”

Another bonus taking a cut was that of first-term military policeman’s, which ranged from $29,000 to $38,500 depending on rank, were trimmed to between $7,000 and $9,000.

Some jobs like bulk fuel specialist, Harrier safety equipment mechanic and aviation operations specialist that had bonuses for first-termers as high as $36,000 now have nothing.

Senior Marines also face emptier re-enlistment coffers.

Bonuses for Harrier airframe mechanics with six to 10 years of service dove by approximately 78 percent.

Aviation supply specialists with the same time in service dropped by approximately 50 percent.

Last year, 160 MOSs offered bonuses to Marines with 10-14 years of service. Now only 32 jobs are eligible.

Nearly 20 MOSs had bonuses for Marines with more than 14 years of service, but none are available in FY-10.

Despite the decrease in the Corps’ monetary incentives, Marines still have other options to sweeten their re-enlistments. Marines can still receive special duty assignments, such as recruiting duty or drill instructor duty, duty station preferences and 60 additional composite score points to help with promotions. Others may rate exclusive school seats, including the basic airborne course, more widely known as “jump school,” and the FBI’s high-risk personnel course.

Marines can receive these incentives along with re-enlistment bonuses, said Killough.

“If you rate the bonus, you’re going to get it for re-enlisting, but you can sometimes get two or three of the other incentives on top of that,” said Killough.

For a complete list of FY-10 bonuses, see Marine Administrative Message 378/09.