My husband got a (measly) sign on bonus when he joind the Army Reserves. Well one year later he switched over to active duty but did not get another bonus since he received on the previous year from joining the reserves. Well now the Army is making him pay back the bonus!!! They are withdrawing it from his checks. This is a year into active duty, he has 2 more years of active duty left, is going to Iraq in 11 months as a petroleum supply specialist. Why isn't he getting a bonus? He signed on as an active duty soldier in a time of war!!! Help us please, he is my husband. Thanks you
2007-08-09 13:59:38 · 14 answers · asked by thatgirl90 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
92F is a very high demand MOS.
2007-08-10 03:28:36 · update #1
The reason they are making him pay it back is because he did not fulfill his commitment with the reserves whatever he signed on for therefore didn't fulfill his bonus obligation. I know it's still the army but they take the seperation of army services serionsly, they'll do anything to be cheap... The army is a messed up thing sometimes and you just have to go with it.... I'm sorry for you
2007-08-09 14:11:45 · answer #1 · answered by natedawg121 2 · 6⤊ 0⤋
This could be a mistake. Have your husband talk to his Career Counselor and see what is going on here.
On why he didnt get a bonus for active duty, this is because as an active soldier they only give bonuses to certain MOS's at certain times and your husband has already got one bonus in his zone. There are only so many bonuses that a soldier can get throughout his career.
Again have him go see his Career Counselor. The Career Counselor will be able to go through his service record (and the only person that can do this, not the commander or First SGT or his NCO only Career Counselor and of course the soldier, can see a soldier's entire service contracts and bonuses). Besides pentagon and those high up like that.
I think something is messed up here. my husband received a bonus as a 63B for a reenlistment of 3 years. 5 months later he switched MOSs and was told he didnt have to pay back. So please have hubby talk to someone.
2007-08-09 19:30:20 · answer #2 · answered by ckamk1995 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
His sign on bonus was for the reserves which means the reserves were giving out a bonus becuase they needed personnel in that MOS. If he broke his contract and went active then he would have to repay his Reserve bonus. If he did not get another sign on bonus for going active this just means that the Active Army wasn't giving a bonus out for his career field at that time. Not every career field has a bonus, usually only short manned MOS's will have it as a means of attracting recruits. Bonuses have not ever been mandatory. I served for 4 years and I never recieved a bonus of any kind.
2007-08-09 14:47:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Well, he can only get a bonus if he fulfilled his obligations. If he received one from the Reserve, did he stay in the Reserve long enough? Length of service is also a stipulation of getting the bonus, not just picking the right MOS. So, if he left the Reserve early to go RA, he didn't fulfill the time requirement. If he then got a signup bonus from the RA, and he stays in long enough and meets all the other requirements, he should get the bonus. He needs to find out why someone thinks he does not qualify for the bonus any longer.
So, determine what bonus he will qualify for. If both, he should get both. If neither, he should not get any at all. Trust me, yes the government wants to keep its money and take more of ours [just look at new and inventive ways the IRS keeps coming up with to claim our money is really theirs :P], but have him ask his CO or 1SG what's up and they'll direct him to someone who can help explain things and get it all sorted out.
2007-08-09 19:30:17 · answer #4 · answered by quntmphys238 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While it's true that the bonus could have been specific to the Reserves, he should also check through legal channels to make sure that he has to pay it back. It's possible that when he crossed over the person processing the paperwork just looked at the part where he got out of his reserve contract and didn't realize that the bonus should have transferred to his active contract. I'm not saying that's definitely the case but it would be worth double checking just to make sure.
2007-08-09 17:34:27 · answer #5 · answered by Critter 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The idea that the Army wants it's bonus back is, unfortunately, a computer program asking for it. Since your husband did not complete the reserve duty, the program is asking for the bonus money back. I would recommend you write both of your Senators and your Representative in the House as letter askinig for some assistance.
You will be pleasantly surprised just how much help they can be in these situations.
2007-08-09 14:21:44 · answer #6 · answered by MICHAEL 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
thats how the army works....he switched so he has to pay it back..there is nothing that can be done..just because his job is in high demand doesnt mean anything towards bonus..he got a bonus for signing up with RESERVES...not ACTIVE DUTY..there is a difference....Just because you sign up during time of war doesnt mean you get a bonus automatically....that has nothing to do with the bonus... like i said before he signed a contract for RESERVES. with a bonus...NOT active duty contract with a bonus...and if you expect a bonus just because you join during time of war...then you had no business joining in the first place.....my husband has been in the service for going on 10 years...and if we jump areas of service then we would lose our bonus also...active duty since april 06 and now is national guard...and if he gets his AGR job,he will lose his bonus...(if you dont know what AGR is ask your husband..might help...)...
2007-08-10 04:29:58 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
actually... he has to serve out the contract to get the full bonus. They pay it up front... but you still have to do your time. And he switched over after a year.. therefore he didnt full fill his obligation.. he should know EXACTLY what that means.. it was pounded into him at training. Which he didnt do by terminating the contract early. I signed up in a time of war and got ZERO sign on bonus... it happens. But he can shop around for a different MOS too, to see what kind of bonuses they're holding.
2007-08-09 14:28:14 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
the 1st enlistment is regularly a million/2 and then something paid out like all and sundry reported. Reenlistments and changing of interest bonus are distinctive. Many reenlistments are paid in a lump sum and alter of interest bonuses are actually and back paid after polishing off the college for the hot interest. ensure you recognize precisely what bonuses you have become and once you have become them in writing till now you go away for boot camp!!
2016-12-11 15:35:15 · answer #9 · answered by carcieri 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
only thing i can tell you is to ask some who has a little more expertise than you will find on yahoo answers.
it could be that what ever his mos is on the switch does not get a bonus. should have checked it out before doing it.
2007-08-09 14:21:31 · answer #10 · answered by darrell m 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋