U.S. Pays Troops Bonuses To Stay In Iraq
Around 63 million dollars have been earmarked for the efforts in the 2004 U.S. defense budget, said army spokeswoman Kristen Carle, adding the payouts would differ "depending on their specialty, rank and how long they are re-enlisting for."
The "stop loss order" means troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will have to remain in service while their units are deployed – and for up to 90 days after they return to their home bases, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
U.S. military officials argued re-enlistment bonuses are common practice, although it does not usually involve such large financial offers, reported the BBC News Online.
The "stop loss order" was rarely used prior to the U.S. war on Afghanistan, and it was first used in the 1991 Gulf War.
In return for a lump sum, it temporarily prohibits soldiers from retiring or quitting when their enlistment is up, and can be a hardship for those who had made plans to leave the service.
U.S. army spokesperson Major Steve Stover said the measure, which will affect about 7,000 soldiers currently in Iraq, is "imminent" and "going to happen this week."
He added that the servicemen being courted are in leadership positions, with high experience levels.
Col. Elton Manske, chief of the army’s enlisted division, said the move was necessary to maintain cohesion and combat effectiveness of units now operating in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Against Will
Ted Carpenter, a defense analyst with the Washington-based Cato Institute, a public policy research foundation, charged that the measure contradicts the concept of volunteer military service.
"Clearly, if large numbers of personnel have their terms extended against their will, that violates the principle of volunteerism.
"It also suggests just how strained the military is in trying to provide for the Iraqi occupation plus all the other U.S. obligations around the world," he asserted.
