Baqouba, Iraq ? At a checkpoint on the barren plain east of Baqouba, word of a new U.S. Army plan to pay soldiers up to $10,000 to re-enlist evoked laughter from a few soldiers.

“Man, they can’t pay me enough to stay here,” said a 23-year-old specialist from the Army’s 4th Infantry Division.

His comments reflect a sentiment not uncommon among the nearly two dozen soldiers in Iraq who have spoken with The Associated Press since the Army announced the increased re-enlistment bonuses for soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait on Monday.

Griping about Army life is a tradition among soldiers, and it is unclear how many will actually opt out.

However, Staff Sgt. Julian Guerrero, 38, who runs a re-enlistment program for a battalion in the 4th ID based in Tikrit, said only 10 of the battalion’s 80 eligible soldiers had taken the deal so far.

At Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, a few soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division preparing to ship out to Iraq seemed evenly split over whether the Army was offering enough money.

“For three years, that’s kind of cheap,” said Spc. Derek Gay, 24, of Tampa, Fla. “Some people would re-enlist anyway, but there’s more incentive for a good chunk of money.”