• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

US Military

  • Branches
    • Army
    • Navy
    • Air Force
    • Marine Corps
    • Coast Guard
    • National Guard
    • Air National Guard
    • Find A Recruiter
  • Find A Recruiter
  • Military Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • VA Loans
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Friendly Colleges
    • Money
  • Jobs
    • Military Pay Chart
    • Veteran Jobs
    • Civilian Jobs
  • VA Loan Rates
  • Military News
    • Top News
    • Benefits
    • Careers
    • Education
    • Featured Columnists
      • Larry Fowler
      • Scott Ostrow
      • Kim Lengling
      • Dr. Sasha Toperich
      • Rick Stewart
  • GI Bill
  • VA Loans
  • Military Scholarships
  • Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities in America

All Services Offering ‘Enlist’ Bonuses – Get Your Share of the Cash!

November 23, 2007 By admin

Even without the enlistment bonus, the military offers quite a great deal when it comes to one’s career. Through the military one can become fit, get a free education and learn how to properly defend themselves and others. Yet, many soldiers don’t realize these things until after they join. So for them one of the motivating factors for signing up is the enlistment bonus. This may also be the case with individuals who decide to reenlist once their term is over.

So, what is specifically is an enlistment bonus? It is simply when the military pays people money to sign up for the service. Before the Iraq War the average enlistment bonus for newcomers was about $5,000. However, after the Iraq War the amount jumped into the thousands. Nowadays a person can earn between $15,000 and $40,000 just for signing up for the military.

If an enlistment bonus is being provided to a person who has already served in the military, it is considered a reenlistment bonus. However, not every military person may qualify for a reenlistment bonus, as there is strict criteria associated with who is eligible to receive it. For example, a soldier must be qualified in a skill that is deemed to be useful, as defined by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security. They also need to have been on active duty for at least 17 months. Additionally, soldiers have to agree to reenlist voluntarily for at least three years. They must also not be receiving payments for nuclear training. If a military person fits these and other criteria, they can earn up to $90,000 in reenlistment bonuses.

The downside to either the enlistment bonus or the reenlistment bonus is that once a person receives it, they are legally obligated to complete their military service. If they do not, they must find a way to pay the money back. Granted, they don’t necessarily have to pay the whole amount, but they are still responsible for a good portion of it. Specific payment arrangements will depend on the unit they join. For example, some units may deduct the money out of a soldier’s taxes while others may create more formal payment arrangements.

However, if a person does complete their military service, (as most do), they are allowed to keep all of the money, minus whatever is deducted for tax purposes. Additionally, even if they receive a more generous bonus, they will still have all of the benefits associated with being in the military. Neither the National Guard nor the Army ‘punishes’ the soldier for being eligible for such a large amount of money. In fact, it is given as an reward for being willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for one’s country.

Yet, it should be noted that enlistment or reenlistment bonuses can be spent very quickly, despite being so large. For this reason once the money is received it should go immediately into a savings account. One of the best savings accounts that can be used is a money market account. Through these types of savings account, a person will earn generous interest on the money it would contain.

Filed Under: Enlist, Updates

Recent Posts

  • What Makes Navy SEALs The Best Special Forces Operators in the World Today?
  • How Was Military Time Created And Why?
  • The Best 5 US Military Bases In The World
  • Congrats To Recent Graduates And Is The Military A Great Place For Young People Today
  • The Best Jobs in the United States Army
VA Loans

Primary Sidebar

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE

USMilitary.com is a privately owned website and is NOT AFFILIATED (or endorsed) with the U.S. GOVERNMENT, U.S. ARMED FORCES, or DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

USMilitary.com Career Guide

Sign up to receive USMilitary.com email updates and to hear what's going on with all military branches!

Featured Columnists

Larry Fowler

Larry Fowler is the publisher of USMilitary.com Network one of America's premier privately owned

Do You Know The Army’s Most Dangerous Jobs?

Scott Ostrow

Lt Col (Dr.) Scott A. Ostrow retired from the Air Force in September 2005 and has been teaching

Congrats To Recent Graduates And Is The Military A Great Place For Young People Today

Kim Lengling

Kim Lengling is a Air Force Veteran whose passion is to help support veterans and their

This Memorial Day: The Knock On The Door

Dr. Sasha Toperich

Dr. Sasha Toperich is the Senior Executive Vice President at Transatlantic Leadership

Sarraj’s Dangerous Dance With Power

Rick Stewart

Rick Stewart is a former United States Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)

Announcing American Patriots Unsung Magazine

Nathan B. Nelson

Capt (ret) Nathan B. Nelson is the Director of Military Affairs for the 1st Congressional district

Three Critical Considerations for Every Veteran Prior to Leaving Active Duty

Laquan Daniels

Laquan Daniel is a military recruiting expert with over 17 years of specialized experience in the

Important News For Military Transitioning Veterans

Veteran Buzz

High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

5 High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

July 2, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High Paying Jobs Not Requiring a Degree

June 28, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

7 Best Military Careers That Lead To High Paying Civilian Jobs

June 10, 2018 By larryf

VA Loans

Footer

  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write For US
  • Link to Us

Recent

  • What Makes Navy SEALs The Best Special Forces Operators in the World Today?
  • How Was Military Time Created And Why?
  • The Best 5 US Military Bases In The World
  • Congrats To Recent Graduates And Is The Military A Great Place For Young People Today
  • The Best Jobs in the United States Army

Search

© Copyright 2022 USMillitary
Web Design by Goebel Media Group


THIS IS A PRIVATE WEBSITE THAT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, U.S. ARMED FORCES, OR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE NOT REVIEWED THIS INFORMATION. THIS SITE IS NOT CONNECTED WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.