Pay Incentive Replaces Guard ”Stop-Loss’

National Guard soldiers who remain deployed past their end-of-service dates will qualify for bonuses of as much as $6,000 beginning Sept. 1. The new Deployment Extension Stabilization Pay would replace Stop Loss, which was implemented after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. to ensure that the Army had sufficient strength in key combat specialties. Under Stop Loss, soldiers in those jobs could not leave unless the Army released them from their obligations. The new bonus would be paid out incrementally, depending upon when a soldier decides to extend an enlistment contract. Soldiers who extend beyond 90 days would qualify for standard retention bonuses.