Army offers up to $90K bonuses to lure troops back

[Nihilist74]

I hope the bonus money is coming out of the defense contractors and oil companies profits.

[Theinquisition]

I wouldn't re-join for the following reasons.

1. I destroyed my back. Not much else to say about it besides, I zigged when I should have zagged.

2. I suffered and continue to suffer from crippling anxiety from my time in.

3. You don't realize how much you hate not having any control over your life until you lose it and gain it back. Knowing that you can be called into work at any time for any length of time, without extra pay...well..kinda sucks.

4. Leadership on my way out was pretty shitty, the good guys either decided to ETS after deploying again and again, or were med boarded out for destroying their bodies. The ones left were the blood suckers who cared more about advancing their own career than they were about caring for their joes. Their are exceptions to the rule, but they are truly the exceptions

5. All the broken promises. In my reenlistment contract I was promised that I could attend University full time for a year when I got back, all I'd have to do is show up for piss tests and PT tests. However when it came time to pay up, my command told me they couldn't afford to let me go because too many NCO's were either ETSing or Medboarding.

6. Fucking paperwork....constant, never ending paperwork

[Gamdwelf]

more waste of the tax dollars to get people to do shitty jobs that we shouldn't need

[Theinquisition]

more waste of the tax dollars to get people to do shitty jobs that we shouldn't need

Oh boy here comes eore.

Many people working those shitty jobs get out and use their experience to get good paying jobs that you may have a difficult time getting.

[Skroe]

I'm going to quote my friend in Afghanistan right now, from Facebook. He did two tours with the US Army, and is now a contractor for BAE doing the exact same job he was doing, minus shooting people. He is currently being paid $200,000 for his third trip there. He got out of the Army as a Sergeant in December.

"HAHAHAHAHA the US Army can go fuck themselves".

[Zeta333]

None of that shit going on at the Benning School for Wayward Boys.

yeh i remember going to benning and hearing drills talk about it but we saw none of it.

[Theinquisition]

yeh i remember going to benning and hearing drills talk about it but we saw none of it.

Funny story.

While at benning for Airborne school, I saw a Drill SGT smoking a group of privates by having them do worm crawls, while in sleeping bags. The Drills would yell at us as we marched by, "hey how do you like my caterpillars"?

[Skroe]

I wouldn't re-join for the following reasons.

1. I destroyed my back. Not much else to say about it besides, I zigged when I should have zagged.

2. I suffered and continue to suffer from crippling anxiety from my time in.

3. You don't realize how much you hate not having any control over your life until you lose it and gain it back. Knowing that you can be called into work at any time for any length of time, without extra pay...well..kinda sucks.

4. Leadership on my way out was pretty shitty, the good guys either decided to ETS after deploying again and again, or were med boarded out for destroying their bodies. The ones left were the blood suckers who cared more about advancing their own career than they were about caring for their joes. Their are exceptions to the rule, but they are truly the exceptions

5. All the broken promises. In my reenlistment contract I was promised that I could attend University full time for a year when I got back, all I'd have to do is show up for piss tests and PT tests. However when it came time to pay up, my command told me they couldn't afford to let me go because too many NCO's were either ETSing or Medboarding.

6. Fucking paperwork....constant, never ending paperwork

This jives exactly with what my friend went through. In fact, he was supposed to have an office job with BAE in the US. The only reason he went to Afghanistan is because the Pentagon failed to transfer his security clearance from the Pentagon to the NSA (with whom his state-side BAE contract was for) despite saying "it's processing" for 4 months.. He could go to Afghanistan because his Pentagon clearance was still valid and didn't need to be shuffled to another building. Yes. He is in a war zone because of fucking paper work fail.

Or as I should say, he had no choice but to go to Afghanistan for his third trip. Since the Pentagon failed to transfer his paperwork, he couldn't start his BAE contract, which mean he wasn't getting paid. Which mean he had $2000 in rent + bills, and no source of income. He went on Unemployment for two months and burned through his savings from his two deployments. His options were go to Afghanistan and get paid a lot of money, or quit BAE and be poor.

And on top of that his back is fucked, his knees are fucked and his lungs are fucked.

So yeah. If his experience is indication, they need to take $90,000 a double it. And then promise to actually hire /recruit 18 year olds who dont know shit to mow the grass, and let the 28 year olds with college degrees and two deployments actually do what they're trained to do.

[Theinquisition]

I'm going to quote my friend in Afghanistan right now, from Facebook. He did two tours with the US Army, and is now a contractor for BAE doing the exact same job he was doing, minus shooting people. He is currently being paid $200,000 for his third trip there. He got out of the Army as a Sergeant in December.

"HAHAHAHAHA the US Army can go fuck themselves".

LOL

Pretty much, many of my buddies got out, and immediately got a job with L3, doing the EXACT same thing making 4 times the money, state side.

While deployed I knew SGT's that got out while making 40k, come back a month later as a contractor and make over 200k, once again doing the EXACT some thing, minus the dumb Army make work bullshit.

[Skroe]

LOL

Pretty much, many of my buddies got out, and immediately got a job with L3, doing the EXACT same thing making 4 times the money, state side.

While deployed I knew SGT's that got out while making 40k, come back a month later as a contractor and make over 200k, once again doing the EXACT some thing, minus the dumb Army make work bullshit.

Was their story of how they got that money though as Kafkaesque as his?

It may have been due in part to the change of administrations.

US Troop pay needs to basically be doubled to attract and keep talent. I think it's so amoral what the country does: "Oh we have just 8000 troops in Afghanistan... never mind the 40,000 contractors there getting paid five times as much, all of whom were in the US military, and doing the same job... they don't count".

It's all so smiling jackasses like Obama can get in front of a crowd of idiots who don't know shit and say "we're bringing the troops home".

Like hell.

My best friend is on his unexpected 3rd trip to Afghanistan because the US Army, the most powerful fighting force in the history of man, couldn't fucking fax papers to another government agency despite having 4 months to do it. It's a joke. It's worse than a joke. It screwed a decorated soldier who isn't a "troop" now.

[Theinquisition]

This jives exactly with what my friend went through. In fact, he was supposed to have an office job with BAE in the US. The only reason he went to Afghanistan is because the Pentagon failed to transfer his security clearance from the Pentagon to the NSA (with whom his state-side BAE contract was for) despite saying "it's processing" for 4 months.. He could go to Afghanistan because his Pentagon clearance was still valid and didn't need to be shuffled to another building. Yes. He is in a war zone because of fucking paper work fail.

Or as I should say, he had no choice but to go to Afghanistan for his third trip. Since the Pentagon failed to transfer his paperwork, he couldn't start his BAE contract, which mean he wasn't getting paid. Which mean he had $2000 in rent + bills, and no source of income. He went on Unemployment for two months and burned through his savings from his two deployments. His options were go to Afghanistan and get paid a lot of money, or quit BAE and be poor.

And on top of that his back is fucked, his knees are fucked and his lungs are fucked.

So yeah. If his experience is indication, they need to take $90,000 a double it. And then promise to actually hire /recruit 18 year olds who dont know shit to mow the grass, and let the 28 year olds with college degrees and two deployments actually do what they're trained to do.

Kinda wish I had maintained my clearance, thinking of getting a job with the CBP and it would help bump me up a GS paygrade.

- - - Updated - - -

Was their story of how they got that money though as Kafkaesque as his?

It may have been due in part to the change of administrations.

This was during the middle of the Iraq conflict. I had a buddy who got out in 05, went to Iraq the same time I was there and make 4x the pay he was making as a Solider

Hell, he was still there in 08 when I went back, and in 10 when I went back again. He was single and never left. Between investing his money and saving, he eventually came home with over 2 million in the bank.

[Skroe]

Good. If you are trying to build the military back up after 8 years of neglect and you have no draft, it will cost a lot. But worth it.

It's not going to work. Private sector pay is too high. And on top of that, the Army needs to grow with 18 year olds.

[ImpTaimer]

They're not even adding that many people back. They're clearly looking to solidify some areas that have become lacking due to people retiring or refusing to re-enlist due to backlash from the fake war in Iraq.

It's sad that the whole Iraq war could've been avoided if every politician wasn't sucking on Saudi dick and trying to cover their own asses. I might've actually considered joining the military if the Iraq war never happened. Sad that there are idiots who genuinely believe Hillary was even remotely considerable of a choice when she would've easily tried to draft and throw away lives for whatever cockamamie reason as long as someone was funneling her cash.

[McFuu]

I was a cunt hair from snco anyway so I'd probably go back. I get offers all the time from reserves to go support local units, my mos isn't common and the rank I left at is even less so.

[Celista]

I wouldn't re-join for the following reasons.

1. I destroyed my back. Not much else to say about it besides, I zigged when I should have zagged.

2. I suffered and continue to suffer from crippling anxiety from my time in.

3. You don't realize how much you hate not having any control over your life until you lose it and gain it back. Knowing that you can be called into work at any time for any length of time, without extra pay...well..kinda sucks.

4. Leadership on my way out was pretty shitty, the good guys either decided to ETS after deploying again and again, or were med boarded out for destroying their bodies. The ones left were the blood suckers who cared more about advancing their own career than they were about caring for their joes. Their are exceptions to the rule, but they are truly the exceptions

5. All the broken promises. In my reenlistment contract I was promised that I could attend University full time for a year when I got back, all I'd have to do is show up for piss tests and PT tests. However when it came time to pay up, my command told me they couldn't afford to let me go because too many NCO's were either ETSing or Medboarding.

6. Fucking paperwork....constant, never ending paperwork

My, uh....current paramour had similar issues. Broke his hip in basic, anxiety, reassigned him to a different job function than the one in his contract.

[jdbond592]

Weird. You would think uber patriotic conservatives would swarm recruitment office..

Or maybe their patriotism extends only to online slogans and bumper stickers?

[Mackeyser]

This happened in Navy bootcamp NTC great lakes and i thought the Navy was the most relaxed guess i was wrong.

You went to "Great Mistakes"? I went to NTC Orlando and when we stepped out of line, our senior CC busted our asses.

Funny story. We failed a practice inspection because ONE GUY couldn't fold his clothes. Blanket parties were discussed. So, we're in the middle of getting berated...again... when our Senior Company Commander (Navy Drill Instructor), Senior Chief Petty Officer Gamboa... little Philipino with a thick accent says, "I'm telling you... I cannot train you. I cannot teach you anything. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make the water drink the horse, I'm telling you!"

The other CC, looked like a younger, better looking Lou Gossett, Jr with creases on his uniform that would cut you in half... does a picture perfect about face and marches out of the bay.

ONE GUY... makes a noise, that trying to stop from laughing noise that sounds like you're holding in a sneeze, and SCO Gamboa went full Joe Pesci.

"Oh, dat's funny, huh? PUSH UP POSITION, HUT!"

And for the next three hours, we did push ups, which went like "DOWN................................STAY OFF MY DECK!............UP........DOWN............" only to switch to interlocking sit-ups.

Three. Freaking. Hours.

But he wasn't done.

He phoned ahead to the mess. When our company showed up for chow, they removed all the silverware, but forks. Only forks. And the only food they would serve? Peas. CC said, "welcome to the Shaky Elbow Cafe". Our hands were so damned shaky and dysfunctional that all we did was sprinkle the peas around the tray. I saw one guy who knew to mash the peas and two bites in, someone couldn't take it and put his face on the plate. "EVERYBODY UP. YOU ARE DONE." There were guys still standing in line.

Outside of actual refugee photos, I've never seen so many young men look... hopeless. We were defeated by... peas.

We did train up that guy and passed our inspection with flying colors (that inspection rates a story for another time). And I didn't eat peas for years after that.

As for taking back enlistment bonuses and whatnot, I'm disgusted, but not surprised. Hell, there was barely a ripple when Wells Fargo and others started blatantly and openly violating the Soldiers and Sailors Act which states that it is illegal to repossess or foreclose on any dwelling in which resides the family of a combat deployed military personnel. That shit happened in broad daylight and even the pandering politicians didn't say or do shit about it, so I'm not at all surprised that Vets and Active Duty Military are beng screwed.

I went in as a Nuke ET that would have led to becoming a Reactor Operator and I'm sure those bonuses are pretty big, but I just know too many guys who like the job and like being in the military, but are sick to death of being screwed by incompetent beauracracy.

[Theinquisition]

Weird. You would think uber patriotic conservatives would swarm recruitment office..

Or maybe their patriotism extends only to online slogans and bumper stickers?

Hate to tell you, but the military is overwhelmingly conservative.

[Magicpot]

Is this going to be like the last time when they handed out recruitment bonuses and then after a while said: "Nah, just kidding, pay us back the money please."

Stop Army from stealing back signing bonuses 10 years later, after vets completed contracts.

You know, I'm not big on the army, but this is some ridiculously low shit.

Yeah sure lets steal 6+ years of these soldiers lives and then demand the compensation they recieved back just because.

[Celista]

They baby ppl in bootcamp now a days as well. When i went in you got your ass beat and yelled at constantly i saw handfuls of grown ass men cry like girls.

What? When was that? My dad went through Basic back in the 80's and they didn't beat you.

My dad went through Marine basic back in the early 80s in San Diego, he refused to talk about his time in basic training. My grandparents told me that when he came back that he had the shit beaten out of him by his drill sergeant and a couple other people that had gone through basic already. Apparently they had messed him up pretty badly.

Something else happened too but I'm not sure what.

- - - Updated - - -

Weird. You would think uber patriotic conservatives would swarm recruitment office..

Or maybe their patriotism extends only to online slogans and bumper stickers?

Lip service about God and the flag before they send poor people to fight their wars for them.