Enlistment and Reenlistment Bonus Debts: Can the Growth Be Curbed?
Abstract
With the advent of the all-volunteer force in 1973, the military Services, particularly the Army and the Marine Corps, were faced with severe challenges in manning their combat arms skills, especially with high-quality recruits. Enlistment and reenlistment bonuses were to become pivotal in their efforts to attract and retain quality Service members in the hard-to-fill specialties. This reliance on bonuses fueled a rapid increase in bonus dollars expended. Concurrent with this growth came a corresponding increase in the size of the Services' bonus debts which accrues when Service members fail to complete their tour of obligated service. The purpose of this study is to explore the reasons for the growth in both the enlistment and reenlistment bonus debt accounts, review the Services' efforts (with particular focus on the Army) to not only reduce but also avoid unearned bonus debts, to highlight problems, and to offer recommendations to curb the growth of these debts as suggested in the title.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 07, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA209070
Entities
People
- George L. Sumrall Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army War College