“I think all of this will happen in January,” said a House Armed Services Committee aide who is trying to work out some of the details.
Details include making the 3.5 percent all-ranks pay raise retroactive to Jan. 1, which would result in lump-sum payments of the difference between the 3 percent raise that took effect under Bush’s veto and the 3.5 percent raise intended by Congress. Because of the time needed to make military payroll changes, the catch-up payment is likely to appear in mid-February paychecks at the earliest.
Also on the agenda is providing retroactive authority for bonuses and special and incentive pays so that anyone who made a new enlistment or retention commitment since Jan. 1 will be able to receive payments just as if bonus authority never lapsed.
The services have issued guidance that generally calls for enlistment and re-enlistment commitments to go ahead now, with an addendum that promises bonuses will be paid as soon as they are available.
