Rep. Dusty Johnson demands National Guard fund incentive program

Bonuses to Guard soldiers suspended amid recruiting shortage

(Jonathan Ellis/The Dakota Scout)

A sudden halt to the disbursement of agreed upon bonuses for National Guard soldiers is a concern for South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson.

The third-term congressman wrote the Washington D.C.-based National Guard Bureau (NGB) Chief General Daniel Hokanson Thursday, following up on disruptions to the incentives program paid out to soldiers at the start of a new contract with the armed forces.

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“The importance of enlistment and reenlistment bonuses cannot be overstated,” Johnson wrote. “At a time when recruitment is at a record low, the NGB should prioritize the availability of bonus contracts to ensure the Guard is attracting and retaining the best talent America has to offer.”

Last month, a memo sent to all of the state National Guards from Washington said that payment of bonuses to soldiers who already re-committed to the Guard would be suspended until further notice, due to a miscalculation of how much funding was available for the program. Additionally, enlistment bonuses — paid to soldiers joining the military for the first time — would be put on halt as well. In the face of national headlines, the reenlistment bonus was reinstated just a week later, while the ability of first-time soldiers to get one-time payments remains in flux.

The bonuses, which typically range anywhere between $10,000 and $25,000 are intended to sweeten the deal for those considering the possibility of continuing a career with the Army.

With new soldier recruitment levels at an all-time low, Johnson says it’s important to continue to support and manage the program correctly. He asked the Guard’s highest ranking officials why they failed to anticipate a budgetary shortfall and what needs to be done to prevent it from happening in the future.

“The NGB should prioritize the availability of bonus contracts to ensure the Guard is attracting and retaining the best talent America has to offer,” Johnson continued. “Members of the National Guard have made tremendous commitments to serve our nation, and our government should uphold the commitments we make in return.”

It’s not the first time that members of the Guard have had issues with receiving promised incentives, Johnson notes. He says that in 2023, soldiers dealt with delays in receiving bonus paychecks and student loan assistance, some up to five years. Similar problems also came across his desk in 2021, impacting a number of the roughly 4,200 soldiers in the South Dakota National Guard.

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