The US army is to introduce new measures including bonuses to prevent soldiers serving in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan from leaving once their term is complete or they are scheduled to retire.
The army is expanding what it calls a "stop loss" order to keep soldiers in uniform - even those who have met their contractual service obligation or are scheduled to retire - during a rotation of tens of thousands of troops that begins this month and is scheduled to finish in May.
Col Elton Manske, chief of the army's enlisted division, said that then move was deemed necessary to maintain the cohesion and combat effectiveness of units now operating in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He did not explain why the army could not manage the readiness of its forces in Iraq and Afghanistan without forcing soldiers to stay in the service beyond their scheduled retirement or enlistment period.
Critics say it is because the army has too few soldiers and too many overseas commitments. Supporters of the plan say it is to ensure that experienced soldiers remain with their units.
The order affects all army units scheduled to return from Iraq, Kuwait or Afghanistan in coming months. Soldiers will be required to remain with their unit until it gets to its home base, and for a maximum of 90 days afterward, he said.
The order mirrors one already in place for the units that are scheduled to deploy to those three countries to replace the units there now.
Col Manske said the army is offering bonuses of up to $10,000 for soldiers in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan who are willing to re-enlist for three years or more, regardless of their military speciality.
Col Manske said the order was expected to take effect "within days," but he had no specific date.
PA