Army explains Iraq extension bonuses (EXTRA hardship duty pay--LOL!)

The Pentagon is offering $1,000 monthly bonuses for all 20,000 soldiers whose tours in Iraq and Kuwait have been extended beyond a year, according to Army officials.

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The bonus kicks in as soon as a soldier has spent more than 365 days in Iraq, Kuwait or both — either as 12 consecutive months, or a total of 12 months out of 15 months, Childress said.

The payments will appear as two payments on soldiers’ Leave and Earning Statement.

First, soldiers will receive an extra $200 each month in Extra Hardship Duty Pay, in addition to the $100 per month EHDP payment soldiers in Iraq already receive.

The other $800 of the bonus will be listed as Assignment Incentive Pay, or AIP, Childress said.

Like salaries and other bonuses earned in combat zones, the $1,000 is tax-free, Childress said.

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=21653

Give 'em more money and everything will be fine! :puke:

:headbang:
rocknation

So, this is a pay cut from the promised amount-once Congress realised they couldn't afford to pay 20k troops 3k plus a month.

Not that more money makes the deployment easier-but this is just another case of the govt. paying lip service to supporting the troops then proving (as usual)that they actually don't.....

it was 100 dollars a day for any day after 365 days.


Let's see...well gee, that would be Congress who offered it and then took it back. Last year in 2003, Congress said they would pay all soldiers held beyond 365 days, 100 dollars a day, in addition to their (regular) hardship/separation.

While "contrators" get $1000 per day. This doesn't seem like it will do a lot for morale. No wonder these private companies are complaining that the military is balking at coming to their rescue.

This is obscene! The US soldiers are serving their (and our) country. The mercenaries are serving corporate entities, such as, most prominately, Oil Slick Dick's Halliburton (symbol: HAL).

Remember, Halliburton had cost-plus contracts. The more they spend, the higher their profits. We don't know how much they pay the mercenary companies. It's probably something like $5,000/day/mercenary.

Halliburton stock was $21/share when the invasion of Iraq began. It had jumped up to nearly $33/share a month or so ago. The stock has lost a few dollars/share due to the allegations of improper billing against Halliburton.

they put up a chart showing a recently approved "pay increase" for low-ranking military personnel. It went from $1333/montth to a staggering $1383/month.

I'm sorry, but $50 just doesn't buy what it used to. For those who join the service out of economic need, $1300/month -- at least to start -- is not much of an improvement.

of $1,000 + per day? I believe you, and I've heard that number bantered about, but I've never read anything specific.

$1000+ per day!

According to Time Magazine.

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the amount mercenaries are paid when many articles cite the cost (to taxpayers) of such mercenaries. By the time the 'cost' reaches the individual mercenary, the corporate plutocrats have taken their vigorish ... often as much as 50-70%. As in all corporate labor compensation, the actual compensation is only (on average) about 35% of the 'value' (as measured by net operating income). Profits (and skimming) from death and illness are a corporate abomination.

they are known to also steal BACK benefits soldiers have trusted to be there for decades, like adequate medical treatment, VA benefits, and continuing medical coverage for retired long term veterans, if my memory is correct.

I've read TONS of things this admin. has handed soldiers, like forcing them to pay for their meals, if they can even keep them down, after getting shot up and placed in hospital care, and cutting school and day-care for their kids.

Remember how much noise they made trying to trumpet slights and set backs they claimed Bill Clinton had caused for servicemen? Remember the old "food stamps" and "welfare" garbage they used during the 2000 campaign?

They are utterly nasty people. Anything they give will only APPEAR to be given, as it will disappear, as well. Can't trust these creeps.

The wives, who have a big say in this are absolutely aghast. The enlisted types are getting out in droves once the enlistment is up. All except certain types who like to kill.

Yes ... that brings back some very somber memories. It wasn't just REMFs like me who paled at those twisted warlovers. War sure does turn up some sickos.

I also remember the food pantry at Army Community Service in Berlin. I got to Berlin during Reagan and left during Bush I.

I remember soldiers on food stamps at Fort Campbell--I was there during Reagan.

I remember my sergeant major at Fort Drum put in his retirement paperwork because the day he arrived (during Bush I), one of the first things Army Community Service handed him was an application for reduced-price lunch for his kids which was approved. Said he, "I've been in the Army for 32 years, and if a sergeant major's children are eligible for reduced-price lunches, I'm in the wrong business." (The same sergeant major was asked at his retirement ceremony where he planned to settle down. He said he was going to strap a snow shovel to the hood of his car and start driving south; he would stop as soon as someone asked him what it was.)

I also remember that Clinton's army had the lowest number of troops on food stamps of any president since the end of the Vietnam War.

Seems like a fair deal to me.

As much money as possible is reserved for the defense contractors in which they and their friends and supporters have a financial interest. DOD military personnel costs are minimized to the greatest extent possible to maximize corporate profits. This is the corporatist view of the military. This was the source of the "tooth to tail" and "Army lite" fairy tales from Rumdum. There is still resistance to manpower issues.


Over-extended combat troop deployments equals greater "productivity" from labor. This is the short sighted view taken by the regime. The extensions are merely a stopgap. The one matter not addressed is the absence of replacement troops to rotate into Iraq after the three months is over. No serious commentary on this manpower deficiency. McCaffrey said Army needs extra 80,000 troops. The real need if the commitment to Iraq should be maintained and measured in three to five year increments is at least 250,000 and probably more. The Army Chief of Staff is only thinking in terms of the next year AT CURRENT TROOP LEVELS. I don't like Biden's support for neo-con policy objectives in Iraq but he is right about one thing, if accomplishing those objectives were to be attempted with any chance of success HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TROOPS ARE NEEDED IN IRAQ many with specialized skills our current forces do not possess. What is going on now is a desperate juggling act just to get us through November.

The specifics (what Bush always sorely lacks) are to be spelled out by DoD eventually, but so far, the bonus doesn't seem to indicate a time limit, though, with unit rotation as per Rummy's grand scheme, perhaps the lack of a time limit goes hand-in-hand. In Vietnam, with individualized personal rotations, a $1,000 monthly bonus might have meant something to an eastern Kentucky/western West Viriginian, non-civilian enlistee from, say, Ghana (the Army currently has lots of foreign nationals), who might choose to lengthen his/her tour--though, under these conditions, who would want to?

I think the bonus is meant to mildly appease 1AD spouses, in particular, who were expecting their husbands/wives home, now. Some 1AD did make it out, and, according to General Pace, they won't be returning. In order to compensate for "luck of the draw," those that weren't on the first hop out and have to "suck it up" for four more months, get a few extra bucks for the "inconvenience."

I agree that it is a juggling act. 1ID, for example, have no idea who is to replace their division, and I happen to know that they have already been indirectly told that they, as with the 1AD, will be extended at least 3-4 months. Imagine morale come July.

It's a mess.

...simple message from Gen. McCaffrey. I detest the guy, but he's right.

things are in very bad shape