Prior service Army......No Bonuses?? WTF is up with that?

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Armychef

Active member
Is anyone else a bit PO'd about not being offered a bonus because they were prior service? It stinks that I will qualify for a major reenlistment bonus in 3 years, but I'm not worth a few grand to get back in the door. We are cheaper to train Four weeks of WTC instead of 8 weeks of basic to start with.

Anyone else not get a bonus due to being prior service?
 
Re: Prior service Army......No Bonuses?? WTF is up with that

Armychef said:
Is anyone else a bit PO'd about not being offered a bonus because they were prior service? It stinks that I will qualify for a major reenlistment bonus in 3 years, but I'm not worth a few grand to get back in the door. We are cheaper to train Four weeks of WTC instead of 8 weeks of basic to start with.

Anyone else not get a bonus due to being prior service?
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Well, they figure you loved the Army so much, you would gladly pay them to join - so no need for a bonus. :lol:

MEPS has never been a friend to prior service - I don't know why.

I do know of one prior service (former 11B) getting a bonus for an Opt. 40 contract two years ago. He had to plow through some brick walls to get the Opt. 40 - but when he did, they offered him 3K to boot.
 
Same crap happened to me

I was pissed, I am a Combat infantry experienced former Marine. I just joined the Army. I got nothing that was promised by the recruiter. No bonus, didn't keep the same rank and I had to choose between korea europe anf Ft Riley. Man I feel like I was just but raped.
 
Always Always Always get it in writing or put a tape recorder in your pocket and record your convos! sorry man! wish you the best though!
 
WE do not get much being prior service. What is your MOS going to be in the Army? How long were you our of the Corps? All of these things play a role in grade determinations.
 
The Australian Army loves to get it's retired staff back in the door. Particuarly NCO's. I know an artillery bombardier that was a warrant officer 15 years ago. He retired for 12 years, came back and we had different uniforms, different radios, different rifles and all new arty guns that he'd never seen and they still offered him sergeant!
 
I know the biggest problem. The bonus is usually Unit or MOS related. Which means you may have to get a new MOS in order to get a bonus, or go to a certain unit. My enlistment bonus was for my MOS. My reenlistment was for my Unit.

The best Career Management Field to get bonus are:

18 Series (Special Forces)
38 Series (Civil Affairs Specialist)
37 Series (Psychological Operations)

Those are the ones that I know of off the top of my head. All of those units, CA, PSYOP, SF will have unit bonuses for the support personnel too. Not as big as the MOS bonus generally, but some change in your pockets for sure.
 
Prior Service Bonuses

Well, in 1976 if you were prior service you could not get a bonus.

In 1984 if you were prior service you could not get a bonus.

In 1992 if you were prior service you could not get a bonus.

In 2000 if you were prior service you could not get a bonus.

And for some people, this is NEWS?

:lol:
 
As I stated previously.

The main reason the bonus is out there for a few select units is because we are deployed so often.
 
My Grandson is talking with a recruiter about a 25S MOS.

www.goarmy.com/JobDetail.do?id=239

He says that he will receive $20,000.00 signing bonus after AIT if he signs up for 5 years. I told him that the Army wants to make sure you are going to have enough time after training to serve about 4 years in your MOS.

He will have 9 weeks of Basic and 50 weeks of AIT. He thinks that he will go ahead and reup after 5 yrs to serve his full 8 years active and not have to serve any inactive reserve. He has worked in radio for a year or so and loves the communication business and he thinks this MOS will give him enough experience to find a job in that particular field.
 
Yeah, but we are talking about prior service too. I know that a lot of soldiers have been burned by coming back to the fold and getting no love, unlike your son for instance cominig into the army in the same occupation getting a huge bonus. There really is no equality unless you want to go Special Forces or something when you come back.
 
Actually, that is my Grandson. My Sons are too old for service now.

The service was born as opportunistic. What they could get from you, not what you can get from them. Even Washington ordered a unit that was experienced rough water fishermen by trade to load and pilot the boats across the Delaware river. Without that expertise, cannons, shot, and powder could have been lost and therefore, the battle.
 
Obviously if they were really hurting they would just start a draft. They seem not to hurt too much. They are just trying to keep the people that they have who have years of experience in the jobs they do.
 
greenarmy1980 said:
Obviously if they were really hurting they would just start a draft. They seem not to hurt too much. They are just trying to keep the people that they have who have years of experience in the jobs they do.
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This is cyclical. With the base closures and reassigning troops from Europe and the Pacific, someone in the Pentagon will realize that troop strength is not enough to support two simultaneous conflicts and will send out Battalions of recruiters and offer obscene re-up bonuses. I've seen it happen.

The people that are being lured in with bonuses will receive that much one time and never again. There may be retention incentives but never that size.
 
True, I mean look at the Special Forces Retention Bonus, they are competing with Civilian Contractors $150,000, tax free if you are in a combat zone. It is astounding
 
That's because of the number of SEALS mostly that are opting out when their five years are up. The President of Blackwater, who was a SEAL, said that the SEAL teams are relegated to escorting visitors to Afghanistan instead of being able to use their training. Most of the SpecOps is being done by the Special Forces. He says that there are less SEALS currently in the service than is claimed by the Pentagon. I know that's a lot of money but most of these guys don't do it for money only.
 
I do not like thinking about the whole money aspect as God & Country. I do support it if the money is needed though, I think the money should be paid differently though.

It is amazing what Triple Canopy is doing now as opposed to Blackwater.
They were going out on missions everyday with us and everything.
 
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