There are some different types of bonuses that you can qualify for when you join the military service or Armed Forces. You receive compensation in the form of pay and benefits when you join the military but there are some situations where you can qualify for an additional bonus when you join the service. There are at least two types of basic enlistment bonuses: the enlistment bonus, and the reenlistment bonus. Currently you can qualify for up to $40,000 dollars in special enlistment bonuses depending on what service you join and the situation.
When you join the service, you join and often can receive a cash bonus. If you have a special skill, or you qualify for a particular job you will qualify for a bonus. If you enlist and you join a particular service or sign up for a job that is under staffed, the military will often offer a cash bonus to increase the amount of people who will sign up and staff that job. This can be lucrative, and there is a current limit of $40,000 dollars that a Servicemember joining or enlisting the service can receive.
Another type of bonus that is available after you have served your first term of enlistment is the Re Enlistment bonus. This is a specific bonus that is designed to try and keep people from leaving the service, and is especially acute in jobs that have had a lot of training, or that are very technical and have a high need for personnel. If you serve and are considering re enlistment you can be eligible for a bonus of up to 15 times your basic pay rate, or the product of another figure depending on the number of years you choose to re enlist.
This is specifically for voluntary re enlistment in jobs that are designated critical by the Secretary of Defense (or in the case of the Coast Guard, Secretary of Homeland Security).
If you don’t currently receive nuclear training special pay, and you have completed at least 17 months but not more than 14 years of active duty, you may be eligible for a re enlistment bonus.
Every year members of the military re enlist without checking to see if they qualify for a bonus. It is worth your time to make sure and check when it comes time to re enlist and see if you are eligible.
