A soldier stationed in Korea was about to reenlist in the Army when his reenlistment officer suggested he reconsider. The officer told him to check out a story online at www.desertdispatch.com about bonuses being frozen, saying it could might make the soldier consider delaying his re-up. The soldier said he was planning on using his reenlistment bonus, about $17,000 to finance a home and pay down some bills, but after learning about the freeze on bonuses for the beginning of the year, he paused.

He was referring to Saturday’s Desert Dispatch story Enlistment, reenlistment bonuses frozen across military.

The soldier, after reading the story, called my to ask one question: How long would he have to wait to reenlist before getting his bonus?

Unfortunately, I did not, and still do not, have an exact answer. The Congress will return on Jan. 15 and will most likely consider the 2008 Defense Authorization Act, vetoed by President George Bush at the end of 2007, early in the new year. Bush vetoed the bill due to concerns over language that would expose the Iraqi government to expensive lawsuits seeking damages from the Saddam Hussein era.

The bill, however, determines military policy for the new year and funds the war in Iraq. It also secured a 3.5 percent pay raise for officers and authorized the enlistment and reenlistment bonuses for 2008. How long it will take for Congress to agree on a bill that the president also approves, I am not even going to try to venture a guess.

Sorry I could not be more assistance, soldier, but please continue reading the Desert Dispatch over there in Korea.

Aaron Aupperlee | City Editor