Other pay: Enlistment Bonus - Military Pay & Allowances - Military Times

Other pay: Enlistment Bonus

Enlistment bonuses go to new recruits as an incentive to join. Often, part of the bonus is a lump sum, with the remainder paid in installments. Each service has its own program. Currently, the maximum enlistment bonuses are $40,000 in the Army and Navy, $17,000 in the Air Force and $15,000 in the Marine Corps.

The 2009 Defense Authorization Act contains a provision that prohibits the services from requiring repayment of the unearned portion of any bonus and requires the services to pay out the remainder of any bonus not yet paid, to the estates of service members who die on active duty or to service members who retire or separate due to a disability that is determined to be combat-related.

Enlistment bonuses are taxable.