In an effort to extend military discipline beyond the barracks and into civilian life, Russia has announced that contract soldiers who break domestic laws while off duty will forfeit one-time bonus payments central to their compensation. The measure reflects a deeper tension within modern military governance: how a state manages a volunteer force whose loyalty is partly purchased, and whose conduct at home shapes the institution's public standing. It is a reminder that when a government monetizes service, it also gains the power to unmake that bargain.