Marines get bonus to extend tours

Marines get bonus to extend tours
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Eligible Marines who voluntarily extend their deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan beyond one year can receive an extra $500 per month, a recent Marine Corps message said.

Marines must be at E-6 or above, serve at the headquarters level or above, and extend for a minimum of 90 days to be eligible for the extra pay, officials said.

The Corps estimates that between 20 and 25 Marines will get the extra money under the program, said Capt. Phillip Bonincontri, Corps compensation policy chief.

Reasons for Marines to voluntarily extend beyond 365 days include providing expertise to help the next headquarters unit to stand up, Bonincontri said Tuesday.

Most of the Marines who get the money under the program are expected to be reservists because active-duty units who allow Marines to stay behind will not get replacements for those Marines, he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51837