NATIONAL GUARD ENLISTMENT BONUS CHANGES ARE FINALLY HERE

If you’ve ever had an issue with your payment, then you’ll be able to relate heavily to the plight of Guardsmen over the last few years. Tens of thousands of service members in the Army National Guard have been facing issues with bonus payments that have continuously slipped through the cracks. The National Guard enlistment bonus has a flawed system and the military is working on fixing the problem during a time in which recruitment is finally seeing some positive signs of life.

Ongoing National Guard Enlistment Bonus Issues Are Being Solved

The National Guard enlistment bonus system is now largely being automated after incentives were found lacking in a backlog reaching 41,000.

For most of those affected, their initial Army National Guard enlistment bonus, a figure capable of reaching $20,000, never hit their bank accounts.

This all came during a period in which the military as a whole continued to struggle to find recruits, though recently, these tides have turned a bit more favorably.

Still, with Guardsmen having to wait years in some cases before receiving compensation, it’s not a good feeling for those serving nor is it a good look for the military.

Army National Guard Incentive Management System (GIMS) and Staffing Issues

The main problem with National Guard bonuses is GIMS, which has a reputation for being a terrible system to use within the government.

Even though there has been a push to rectify the issue with bonuses, GIMS has been an obstacle to making a viable solution possible for quite some time.

Combined with a lack of staffing in some states, each enlistment bonus the Army National Guard did have backlogged still took manpower to complete. Manpower that simply wasn’t there.

Four people are required from each state to process the bonuses, with a combined 104 clicks.

Furthermore, even where the staffing was in place, should someone take a vacation, need a personal day, or get sick, say, like, during a pandemic, the process could not be completed.

Automating the system has been a positive solution because hiring can take months. Even when you do find the right person, you can expect at least a year of experience to be necessary for adequate performance using GIMS.

Many Guardsmen in the backlog were found ineligible for bonuses due to contract violations, relocations, or disciplinary issues, while others had already received bonuses through alternative payment methods during system outages but remained listed as unpaid in GIMS.

Heightening the issues for everyone were two 10-month GIMS outages in 2018 and 2021.

GIMS, managed by Tiber Creek Consulting, was initially rolled out in 2012 following a fraud scandal involving the California National Guard, which sought to recover $195 million in improperly paid enlistment bonuses.

The scandal led to prison time for the incentives manager, Master Sgt. Toni Jaffe, who admitted to inflating contracts under recruiting pressures.

GIMS 2.0

The North Carolina National Guard will welcome GIMS 2.0 before Arkansas does the same, as the force is rolling out the improved system to all 54 states and territories by the end of 2024.

Unlike the previous system, bonuses for National Guard service members will only need contract signing and final payment approval by the United States Property and Fiscal Officer (USPFO).

This update eliminates manual processing at the unit and state levels, which means there are only two points of contact rather than four.

States will still have staff for oversight and to assist service members with payment issues, but they won't handle enlistment and reenlistment bonuses manually.

When Do I Get My Enlistment Bonus from the Army National Guard?

You’re supposed to receive half of your bonus after training and then the other half when you’re halfway through serving. Ideally, your bonus is supposed to be paid within a 30-day window of each point of the timeline.

Clearly, for years now, there have been issues making this a reality for tens of thousands.

Improvements have come for the National Guard enlistment bonus in 2024, yet it still remains to be seen if automation will work in practice as it does on paper.

The plan for current Army National Guard enlistment bonuses and the backlog of previous ones do appear promising and will hopefully help the finances of military families affected by these issues, sooner rather than later.

On a positive note, despite reporting 13,000 people affected and growing the backlog to 41,000, the National Guard enlistment bonus issue has been cut by around 50% already.

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