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Officials up funding for ‘kickers’

The Marine Corps has added $10,000 to the re-enlistment “kickers” offered to some noncommissioned officers in fiscal 2010 and eliminated the cap on the number of NCOs eligible to receive them.

In announcing their plans for 2010 re-up bonuses, Marine officials said in late June that sergeants and below could receive a $15,000 kicker for agreeing to remain in the operating forces for two years beyond the date they were scheduled to rotate to a new command — $10,000 less than the kicker offered in ’09. At the time, they said the cash would be restricted to 800 NCOs who follow one of three paths: Infantry Battalion NCO Initiative, the Marine Corps Special Forces Operations Command Operator Initiative, and the Overseas Reconnaissance Initiative.

However, a July 10 Marine administrative message reinstituted the full $25,000 kicker and eliminated the 800-Marine limit. Officials announced the changes after more funding became available, said Maj. Shawn Haney, Marine Manpower and Reserve Affairs spokeswoman.

It wasn’t immediately clear where the extra money came from or how much was made available.

Manpower officials declined to release the number of 2010 re-enlistment packages submitted so far, saying Marines have been able to submit them only since July 1.

“It has nothing to do with falling short of our retention efforts,” Haney said.

The operational-force kicker is intended to encourage first-term, combat-experienced “leaders” to stay in infantry battalions and to encourage first-term Marines to become MarSOC operators, said 1st Lt. Joshua Diddams, a spokesman for Marine Corps headquarters.

Marines seeking the kicker through the traditional grunt tour still must agree to re-up for at least four years and serve in the same active-duty battalion for at least two.

The MarSOC kicker is available to re-enlisting Marines who agree to a five-year “critical skills operator tour.” It’s contingent upon successful completion of MarSOC training. Those who wash out will be reassigned to a standard battalion, and the Corps will keep the cash, officials have said.

The recon kicker was made available to encourage first-term recon NCOs to re-enlist and serve in Japan with one of III Marine Expeditionary Force’s recon units, manpower officials said. It is available to Marines who re-enlist for four years and serve at least two of them based out of Okinawa.

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Staff writer Dan Lamothe contributed to this report.