quote:

Ok. Womak got back with my SGM and the word from 20th and Army G-1 is that all remaining SSGs, around 40 SMs, on the approved list will be paid on 1 Aug 08 "The check is in the mail" Lets hope this is true.

keeping my fingers crossed...so 02 Aug we calling our Congressmen?

The 2nd is the cut off, here something a friend came up with.

The Honorable 20 June 2008
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
RE: Critical Skills Retention Bonus


Representative,
I am an enlisted member of the U.S. Army and I am writing in reference to Military Personnel (MILPER) message number 08-039 which designates critical skills and establishes eligibility and application procedures for the Critical Skills Retention Bonus (CSRB) program. This MILPER message became effective 01 February 2008 and is set to expire NLT 01 January 2009. The following URL is a link to this document: http://PERSCOMND04.ARMY.MIL/MILPERmsgs.nsf/All+Documents/08-039?OpenDocument
According to the MILPER message, based on the following criteria, I am eligible to receive a lump sum bonus under the 89D Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Military Occupational Specialty (MOS):
MOS: 89D
Pay Grade: E6
Time in Active Federal Service (TAFS): 6-14 years
Reenlist for 72 months: $100,000

I submitted my CSRB packet in April of this year. I know many people that submitted theirs in February of this year. None of us has been paid. I have spoken with my career counselor about this issue and she, in turn, has been in contact with the Army Human Resources Command (HRC) Point-of-Contact for this MILPER message. The only bit of information that I have been able to obtain is that none of the E-6 pay grades has been paid a CSRB because Army G-1 states that a CSRB can not be paid to a service member with less than 16 years TAFS. But, as stated earlier, the MILPER message specifically targeted E-6 pay grades with 6-14 years TAFS.
I reenlisted for 6 years and then added a 1 year extension in order to meet the criteria for this bonus. I have been waiting for over 2 months and others have been waiting for over 4 months to find out if we are actually going to receive what we were promised and what we reenlisted for. We have received no such information. What little information we have gathered had to be solicited. This would be just a little easier to deal with if we were at least kept informed of what is going on. My chain of command is just as much in the dark as I am.
The details that are holding this CSRB up really should have been addressed and corrected before the MILPER was ever released. Since those issues were not fixed beforehand, they should be corrected now and as quickly as possible. Four plus months is just too long to wave the CSRB around in faces of our military members.
Any help that you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, sir, for your time. I look forward to hearing your response.


Respectfully,

quote:

Originally posted by ilikec4chris1:
Ok. Womak got back with my SGM and the word from 20th and Army G-1 is that all remaining SSGs, around 40 SMs, on the approved list will be paid on 1 Aug 08 "The check is in the mail" Lets hope this is true.

Interesting. An actual date has been given and not just a rough estimate of days. Has a possibility to be true. Everyone will be reporting back that there is actually money in the bank or printing off the letter and sending it to their congressmen.

I just received a call to confirm that we will be getting paid on the 1st. $80 - taxes then $20 - taxes...

quote:

Originally posted by Crimper:
I just received a call to confirm that we will be getting paid on the 1st. $80 - taxes then $20 - taxes...

Thanks for the update. Are you saying that they are paying a sum of $80K and then a second payment of $20K minus all the taxes on both payments? I don't know if it is taxed at 25 or 28% but taxes taken out will be at least $25K of a $100K sum.

Did they say if that was 80 and 20 in the same day, week or what??? Glad to hear more good news though

I don't know who is saying all this but DFAS,they have nothing on us getting paid. I talked to the one who will be actualy paying us and he hasen't had any news as of yet. hopefully this happens on the 1st. The taxes will be 25% didn't ask about the time between payments i'll ask tomorrow.
any news,
post as soon as possible.

quote:

Originally posted by madbomber2:
I don't know who is saying all this but DFAS,they have nothing on us getting paid. I talked to the one who will be actualy paying us and he hasen't had any news as of yet.

Who is the "one" that you talked to?

a gentleman named lance he has our packets on his desk waiting for the OK.

It is my understanding that they are signing an exception to policy this week on this matter and that we will be paid $80,000 minus taxes and $20,000 minus taxes should get about $75K after taxes. I do not know if there will be any time between the checks or if they will just show up as two deposits...this is just what I have been told. I think the fact that we have a date from two different sources is at least a lot more than we had a few weeks ago. I still am not holding my breath and not spending anything until the money is in the bank...

quote:

Originally posted by madbomber2:
I don't know who is saying all this but DFAS,they have nothing on us getting paid. I talked to the one who will be actualy paying us and he hasen't had any news as of yet. hopefully this happens on the 1st. The taxes will be 25% didn't ask about the time between payments i'll ask tomorrow.
any news,
post as soon as possible.

It has to be approved first...we were told that it would be approved this week and that the payments would be made by the first. Youi just verified that the packets are at Dfas just waiting to be released. They sign the paperwork, Lance releases the money...hopefully.

See, now things are getting hinky again. We have heard that Womack and G-1 have said it will be paid on the first. Now it is being said that the exception to policy has to be signed and that is being done this week. In order for anyone to be paid any part of the bonus by 1 Aug, all paperwork and signatures will have to be completed no later than 20 July. I also think it is weird that it is coming in two payments not one. Lump sum means one payment not two. I get the feeling, yet again, that no one all the way up the chain has a clue what is going on.

quote:

Originally posted by ilikec4chris1:
Army Re enlistment, I know that you've been the one explaining this process and telling us to wait it out. Are you agreeing with this course of action now or just trying to give us some advice?

I was saying (without as many words), that since it's taken months and still no resolution, if everyone with this same issue would contact their state representatives, you may get a quicker answer that by just having one person doing it.

When a Soldier's and their familyies money is being held up for a sentence in the DoD, this is really unacceptable.

I received another e-mail from another source that confirmed the "exception to policy" and the payment would be approved and sent by 01 August...

Could you email this to my AKO? I'll PM it to you.