The Pentagon is offering six-figure bonuses to members of the special forces in an attempt to stop the haemorrhaging of America's élite military units to far better paid jobs as civilian "mercenaries". About 1,500 NCOs will be eligible for a range of incentives depending on how long they re-enlist for. The highest payments of $150,000 (£80,000) will go to the most experienced NCOs who pledge to serve six more years. | |  | | Private security firms can offer over £100,000 to experienced soldiers for work in Iraq |
A further 7,000 members of the Green Berets, Navy Seals and Air Force para-rescue crews will be offered salary increases from between £200 and £400 month based on their experience. The new employment packages are aimed at staunching the flood of experienced soldiers who have left the military in the past three years and signed up for lucrative contracts with private security firms in Kabul and Baghdad. "Our investment in these professionals is great, and the experience gained through years of service makes them invaluable assets to our nation's defence," Lt Col Alex Findlay, a personnel officer with the Special Operations Command, told the New York Times. "Younger replacements can be trained, but experience is irreplaceable in the current worldwide war on terrorism." America's special forces played a key role in the overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan and a critical part in the swift overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. While senior members of the Green Berets or Seals earn about £27,000 and have a £12,000 pension, private security firms offer up to £106,000 a year. "They're the best in the world at what they do, so there is going to be that competition," said Major Ken Hoffman, a spokesman for the US Special Operations Command. | 
