I am beginning my last year and can't decide whether or not to take the ISP bonus. My obligation is until the end of August and I planned on taking it because that adds only an extra month to my obligation. Recently, a classmate of mine from residency told me that physicians at his command were receiving orders to detach in October of the following year rather than September. The ISP should obligate me until September 30 and my orders should say detach in September. If they say October they can keep me until 31 October which is what was happening to the physicians at this other command. I spoke with my chain of command and they gave me the typical, "we would let you go October 1 as long as your replacement is here". Does anyone know who writes the final orders and how they determine the month of detachment? Is this the Navy's way of getting yet another month out of me that I don't owe? The bonus is worth the extra month but not two!
ISP Bonus, To Take or Not?
- Thread starter rmw
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I agree with NavyFP you should probably take the ISP bonus. Here are some other thoughts I have:
It is important to point out that you will be taking a pay cut for the last remaining months since you won't be able to renew your ASP bonus.
I took the last ISP bonus and was extended several months. Do you have school aged children? My wife and kids moved in the summer so the kids could start school on time while I stayed behind to finish my obligation. In retrospect I wished we could have all moved together and maybe that would have been less painful.
There is rush for physician hiring during the late summer when the residents graduate. The market is pretty good right now for physicians but it might be advantageous for you to secure a job/start work in late summer.
It is important to point out that you will be taking a pay cut for the last remaining months since you won't be able to renew your ASP bonus.
I took the last ISP bonus and was extended several months. Do you have school aged children? My wife and kids moved in the summer so the kids could start school on time while I stayed behind to finish my obligation. In retrospect I wished we could have all moved together and maybe that would have been less painful.
There is rush for physician hiring during the late summer when the residents graduate. The market is pretty good right now for physicians but it might be advantageous for you to secure a job/start work in late summer.
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Keep in mind you can delay your decision a few more months and then take it retroactive to Oct 1. Usually you can sign it up until Dec 31st and still back date it. I plan to do that and see what deployments I'm looking at during my last year. For example if I'm deployed Jan-Jun, I would come back in early July, get ~3 weeks leave, get back on the schedule for 2 weeks, then start outprocessing and separate Sep 1. No point in missing out on the ISP in a situation like that.
