(TotalConservative.com) – The US Department of Defense (DOD) announced that military service members will receive “economic hardship bonuses,” although the bonus only amounts to about $20 per month for a limited time.
The DOD will grant rank E1 to E3 soldiers the bonus for “economic hardship,” according to a defense official who spoke with reporters at Military.com on Friday, July 19, to confirm the news. The official said the monthly bonus was based on funds made available by Congress and would “total approximately $120” over a six-month period.
The funds for the bonus will come from the budget set by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2024 passed last year by Congress. Although the funds were authorized in December 2023, the DOD did not receive the money until March 2024. The bonus will benefit at least 266,000 service members, according to Pentagon calculations, excluding the rank of E6.
House Armed Services Committee spokeswoman Justine Tripathi said that while the news of temporary bonus payments to junior enlisted members was welcome news, “more must be done.” She said the 2025 NDAA will provide a pay increase of 19.5% to junior enlisted service members.
The bonus follows a study published by the Armed Services Committee in April that showed junior members and service members “supporting large families” are having trouble keeping up with the increased cost of living. The study showed that affordable housing and groceries are becoming difficult to sustain for these service members, who have received little to no significant pay increases for eight years out of the last four decades.
Another study in June conducted by the Military Family Advisory Network found that half of the military families, veterans, and active service members were struggling financially, decreasing enthusiasm for military service and the chances of active members recommending others join. A similar study in 2019 found that 74% of respondents would recommend others to enlist, which has now fallen to 57%.
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