The Army National Guard is revamping its system that pays out enlistment bonuses, automating much of the process, after Military.com reporting revealed the service component has an extensive backlog of unpaid troops.
In October, Military.com reported that the service was behind in paying out thousands of soldiers’ incentive bonuses, most of which are for their initial enlistment into the service component and can be up to $20,000. New reporting has shown the backlog was as high as 41,000 soldiers versus the initial tally of 13,000, though the Guard has since cut that number roughly in half.
Those bonuses are crucial to filling positions struck by the recruiting drought much of the military is suffering from. The Guard’s bonus backlog was so severe that soldiers went years — sometimes fulfilling entire enlistment contracts and leaving the service — without seeing those checks.
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At the heart of the problem is the Army National Guard Incentive Management System, or GIMS, the online system that pays out the bonuses. Guard officials have reported that the platform is particularly unwieldy, even among government systems known for poor usability.
“Everyone wants to do the right thing, but the system itself is so cumbersome that it becomes very difficult,” Col. Danielle MacDonnell, division chief of Army National Guard G1 operations,…
