$40,000 Cash Bonuses to Retain Military Personnel

Australian defence personnel will be offered two bonuses depending on their number of years in service.

Personnel from the Defence Forces of Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States, plus officers from the Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Police Force, participate in a boarding exercise as part of training activities for Exercise Pacific Protector 2024, at Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 26, 2024. DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is set to enhance its retention strategy with a renewed Continuation Bonus, which offers two separate $40,000 bonuses to members at critical career points.

The government announced on Nov. 5 that after the current bonus pilot—which offers a one-off $50,000 payment for a further three years of service—ends in June 2025, defence will launch an expanded initiative that will run until June 2028.