November23, 2006: The U.S. Marine Corps is, like the other services, offering more money to keep essential personnel in uniform. Now the marines will offer bonuses of up to $18,000 a year to some pilots. Previously, this Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP) varied from $3,000 to $10,000 a year. The U.S. Army Special Forces are offering even higher bonuses to its most experienced operators. All this is basically paying attention to market forces. Certain highly trained military specialists, like pilots, or Special Forces (for security work) are in big demand by civilian firms. The military has taken years, often ten or more, and over a million dollars, to train these people. It makes economic sense, not to mention military sense, to offer appropriately high sums to keep them at the job. The navy is also offering bonuses who transfer to specialties that are most needed (medicine, security, construction.)