Army Offers Bonuses for Troops in S. Korea ( it is getting drafty in here)

[Florida_Geek]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-SKorea-US-Army-Bonus.html

Army Offers Bonuses for Troops in S. Korea
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: March 14, 2004


Filed at 3:05 a.m. ET

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- The U.S. Army will offer monthly bonuses to American soldiers in South Korea for extending tours of duty, according to a statement.

The new incentive program comes as the U.S. military juggles operations in Iraq and Afghanistan requiring routine injections of troops from elsewhere.

Washington also is trying to upgrade its forces in South Korea as part of a global realignment that comes amid heightened concern over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Soldiers who sign on for another year of duty in the South will get an extra $300 a month, the 8th U.S. Army said in a statement released Friday. American soldiers typically serve one year in South Korea.

... more at AP

Let's see you are married and been in SK for one year away from your SO and they want you to sign up for another year for $300 per month before taxes....

[izzie]

1. I read that their is a big private army being built up

That men are leaving the service and signing right up for these fighting groups at a lot more money. Hired out army.

[DarkPhenyx]

5. Any links?

Sounds interesting.

[Mairead]

19. A link

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1162392,00.html

[Robbien]

9. The men in this private army are being paid $4000/month

And they are better equipped than our troops. From the last report I read there are now l0,000 men in this private army.

[Rex]

24. Privatizing everything is the end result of Capitalism

One day Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Wal-Mart will have their own personal army.

[yltlatl]

12. Private Armies Are Everywhere

We all know that the "military services" industry has been growth industry for at least two decades, even though nobody talks about the mercenaries we have spread all over the world. What are the specifics of this army you refer to? Who controls it? What's its purpose? I second the call for links...

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

23. Here's Another Link

in an earlier article also from The Guardian. This one mentions that 10,000 man figure. I also heard Ian Masters on Pacifica Radio in Los Angeles report on the trend by private companies of luring U.S. soldiers coming home from Iraq to go back and occupy positions as bodyguards and private security at better pay. I don't have a link to that but it might be in the radio archives at Ian Master's very impressive website at Background Briefings. The thing about Mercenaries and the privatization of the military is that no one mourns them in general and they do not figure into the military bodycount. Their deaths tend not to create the same political embarrassment that the deaths of citizen soldiers make. If you hear in the News about the death of a U.S. "civilian" in Iraq, you tend to think it was an oil company executive or a missionary, but not a soldier or someone performing private paramilitary duties.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1103566,00.html

[teryang]

2. This is a novel approach

...for the Army. Who gives a shit about your family ties? This is a part of the callous and short sighted exploitation of this corrupt regime.

They don't want to face the real cost of their jackass policies. They still think they can pull a rabbit out of a hat every two weeks or so.

The new democratic administration is going to be facing an economic and national security catastrophe. It will probably be faced with an uncooperative (and corrupt) legislature.

[Florida_Geek]

3. And they are CHEAP

8 dollars a day to stay in SK (after taxes) does not sound like a good deal to me. Maybe if it was $10,000 for one year and a two week leave in Hawaii with your SO, maybe there would be some takers.

[DarkPhenyx]

6. Rhetoric, opinion and spin.

How do you figure that this is the case? What makes you think that the Army dosen't give a shit about family ties?

[teryang]

7. What I said was...

...this was a novel approach for the Army. Novel means of a remarkably new and different kind. The background is that the Army has been very concerned about family relationships in the past because it is directly related to retention. Now with the prospect of two year unaccompanied tours, that policy is apparently changed. Ultimately, the costs will far exceed the $3600 the Pentagon leadership is coming up with. It is nothing more than a stopgap, another political quick fix to avoid the true costs of their diastrous policies.

It is an opinion but not spin. I base it on my extensive observations of US Army operations for six years including 3 in Korea.

[DarkPhenyx]

18. The policy hasn't changed.

It has always been possible to have a two year unaccompanied tour. Or two back to back ones. They are now being paid for it.

[teryang]

22. Very few stayed

...the option was always subject to command approval.

[DarkPhenyx]

4. Paying them more for staying...

...as opposed to forcing them to stay by involuntary means is a good idea. It will be much more fair and a lot easier on families. I applaud the move.

[teryang]

8. It will break up families

Longer unaccompanied tours typically result in divorce, mortgage foreclosures, lawsuits and attrition of personnel for legal reasons and increased administrative expenses. This is what the bonus will encourage.

[tlcandie]

13. Something to help back up your opinion ... albeit reserves and

for only one year...

http://news.tbo.com/news/MGAIXHJOSRD.html

There's a little of everything in this story as it interviews several who have returned from Iraq.

<snip>
When Sgt. Todd Simmons returns to work Monday, 14 months will have passed since his last civilian coffee break. While he busily defeated Iraqis, he slowly lost battles on the home front.

The Tarpon Springs Army National Guardsman missed a major promotion at his St. Petersburg office. His wife, Nancy, forfeited a six-figure income in Orlando to hold down the family fort.

They refinanced their house, cashed out retirement annuities and almost had to sell their cars to pay mounting bills.
<snip>

[DarkPhenyx]

17. And it is the personal choice...

...of each soldier to make that decision. Additionally, this bonus is being offerd to all soldiers, not just the ones with families. Unless I missed something in the story.

[teryang]

21. Such bonuses imply institutional approval

...for making the wrong decision. Young soldiers and soldiers inclined to avoid their social obligations will make the wrong decision and their families and the Army as an institution will suffer.

Your lack of insight into this situation is profound. Were you ever responsible for the welfare of men or women in a military unit? You seem incapable of perceiving the adverse outcomes from such a policy.

[CRK7376]

26. BUSHIT

It's bad enough for one year unaccompanied tours! THey can take their money and shove it.

[SideshowScott]

10. Um does it look like that Bush is blowing the election to avoid the draft?

I mean Bush is really not going all out it seems..Im waiting for the Bush Blitz but so far its been quiet.. Im starting to think that Bush is trying to get out of being the pres who started the Draft..I think its commin ..I really hope im wrong

[yltlatl]

11. Not such a bad idea...

if you're a GOP strategist. I think the odds are about even that for this reason and many others the real power behind Shrub will hang him out to dry. He's probably beginning to look like a real liability to them lately, what with Iraq, the flailing economy and his flopping ad campaign. If they hand the country to Kerry in a sorry enough state (not to mention dirty tricks) there won't be a damn thing Kerry can do about it over the heads of a Repug Congress, and the right can sweep to a major victory in 2008. You think things are bad now... I really hope I'm wrong too.

[JitterbugPerfume]

14. My niece Amanda

and her children , are in SK with her husband as we speak.

[JitterbugPerfume]

15. I am not

defending a policy, just stating a fact

[tlcandie]

16. I wish them well Jitterbug ... I can't say that I would want to be there

:hug:

[chenGOD]

25. Why wouldn't you wanna be in South Korea?

It's a great place to be.

[beanball]

20. One more year in Korea

that is great news for the hookers,they are now happy hookers.

[CRK7376]

27. They can take their extra money

and shove it somewhere dark and deep....I don't care how much extra they would be willing to pay...I've been here for 7 months and my wife and kids are back in the states, all are miserable. Yeah Korea is a nice assignment, if you have your family with you...for those of us that are here unaccompanied it's pretty miserable. Everywhere you go, PX, on a bus or subway, walking through town you see families...that is a dagger in the heart for those of us that are unaccompanied...

My kids and wife are angry because I'm here and not able to help when the kids are sick, the car dies or there is a plumbing problem in our old farm house, homework...All I can do is email daily and call home once a week. The Principal of my daughters' school took my place at the Father's Day luncheon, because I'm in Korea....after a tour in Afghanistan no less....THe Principal is a great guy and he and I were in serveral Education classes together back in our undergraduate days..he went Elementary Education and I went into Secondary Education while I was a teacher....He's a friend and knows that my kids need help on days when Dad's are supposed to come for lunch etc...but it's still not the same as Dad being there.

So when the Bush admin offers more money to stay in Korea, I vehemently say NO WAY! I've done my year in Korea, and more than ready to get back to the states and my family. Besides I doubt the deal will be offered to officers in the first place. For the single service members, Korea is a great assignment. For those of us unaccompanied troopers, it's a miserable year. We compare our spouses and kids problems and are amazed that regardless of the location in the states our families are all going through the same difficulties...It's the soldiers fault that the car died, the kids misbehaved at school and the dog or cat peed on the floor...Some will take the offer, most of us will say no way and get the hell out of my way, I'm going home to my family! At least that's the way I and several of my fellow officers feel about our unaccompanied year in Korea.