- Reaction score
- 63
- Points
- 530
Due to significant retention problems of Captains the Army has responded with a bonus program that will begin 1 May. Good idea and maybe it will keep some officers in that were sitting on the fence.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/04/army_officer_bonus_070420w/
Captains could soon get $20K retention bonus
By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Apr 21, 2007 7:34:26 EDT
The Army has been given the green light to offer retention bonuses of $20,000 to selected captains in return for a three-year service commitment.
The special incentive is believed to be the first of its kind ever offered commissioned officers.
Implementing guidance such as eligibility rules and application procedures had not been finalized by press time.
However, sources indicated earlier that senior leaders want to launch the program May 1.
When approved, implementation details will be announced by the officer directorate of Human Resources Command in a worldwide message.
Called a Critical Skills Retention Bonus, the incentive is similar to the bonuses available to senior NCOs and warrant officers in high-priority specialties and career fields. Those bonuses range from $40,000 to $150,000, depending on MOS and length of service extension.
In an April 5 memo authorizing the Army to launch the company-grade CSRB program, the Defense Department directed that it be limited to specific categories. Those are:
• Captains who have completed their initial active-duty service obligation and who have more than three years, but fewer than eight years, of active federal service.
• Captains assigned to Air Defense, Adjutant General Corps, Armor, Chemical Corps, Corps of Engineers, Field Artillery, Finance Corps, Infantry, Military Intelligence, Military Police, Ordnance Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Signal Corps, Transportation Corps, Medical Service Corps and Nurse Corps.
• During fiscal 2007, bonuses will be restricted to captains in year groups 2002 and 2003.
Subject to congressional approval, the program will be targeted at year group 2004 in fiscal 2008 and year group 2005 in 2009.
• Bonuses of $20,000 will be lump-sum and will be paid upon acceptance of a three-year service extension agreement by the Army.
Officers who fail to complete their service obligation will be required to repay any unearned portion of the bonus.
The CSRB initiative is part of a broader retention effort designed to bolster the commissioned officer ranks at a time when the Army is increasing active component manning by 35,000.
While observing that the Army has recently instituted some nonmonetary retention incentives, such as expanded graduate school opportunities and branch and assignment options, the Government Accountability Office reported in March that these programs “will have no immediate effect on retention.”
Citing Army projections, GAO said the service will have a shortage of 3,000 line officers this year, 3,700 next year and 3,000 annually until 2013, when the active component levels off at 547,000 officers and enlisted soldiers.
GAO criticized the Army for its conservative use of continuation pays and other retention incentives at a time when most officers have completed multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Using data from fiscal 2005, GAO analysts showed that incentives paid to Army officers averaged $13,591, compared to $18,707 for the Marine Corps, $129,273 for the Navy and $202,536 for the Air Force.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/04/army_officer_bonus_070420w/
Captains could soon get $20K retention bonus
By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Apr 21, 2007 7:34:26 EDT
The Army has been given the green light to offer retention bonuses of $20,000 to selected captains in return for a three-year service commitment.
The special incentive is believed to be the first of its kind ever offered commissioned officers.
Implementing guidance such as eligibility rules and application procedures had not been finalized by press time.
However, sources indicated earlier that senior leaders want to launch the program May 1.
When approved, implementation details will be announced by the officer directorate of Human Resources Command in a worldwide message.
Called a Critical Skills Retention Bonus, the incentive is similar to the bonuses available to senior NCOs and warrant officers in high-priority specialties and career fields. Those bonuses range from $40,000 to $150,000, depending on MOS and length of service extension.
In an April 5 memo authorizing the Army to launch the company-grade CSRB program, the Defense Department directed that it be limited to specific categories. Those are:
• Captains who have completed their initial active-duty service obligation and who have more than three years, but fewer than eight years, of active federal service.
• Captains assigned to Air Defense, Adjutant General Corps, Armor, Chemical Corps, Corps of Engineers, Field Artillery, Finance Corps, Infantry, Military Intelligence, Military Police, Ordnance Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Signal Corps, Transportation Corps, Medical Service Corps and Nurse Corps.
• During fiscal 2007, bonuses will be restricted to captains in year groups 2002 and 2003.
Subject to congressional approval, the program will be targeted at year group 2004 in fiscal 2008 and year group 2005 in 2009.
• Bonuses of $20,000 will be lump-sum and will be paid upon acceptance of a three-year service extension agreement by the Army.
Officers who fail to complete their service obligation will be required to repay any unearned portion of the bonus.
The CSRB initiative is part of a broader retention effort designed to bolster the commissioned officer ranks at a time when the Army is increasing active component manning by 35,000.
While observing that the Army has recently instituted some nonmonetary retention incentives, such as expanded graduate school opportunities and branch and assignment options, the Government Accountability Office reported in March that these programs “will have no immediate effect on retention.”
Citing Army projections, GAO said the service will have a shortage of 3,000 line officers this year, 3,700 next year and 3,000 annually until 2013, when the active component levels off at 547,000 officers and enlisted soldiers.
GAO criticized the Army for its conservative use of continuation pays and other retention incentives at a time when most officers have completed multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Using data from fiscal 2005, GAO analysts showed that incentives paid to Army officers averaged $13,591, compared to $18,707 for the Marine Corps, $129,273 for the Navy and $202,536 for the Air Force.
