Army sets steep recruiting goals (mo' money)

[Barrett808]

Army sets steep recruiting goals
January 18, 2006
By Lolita C. Baldor Associated Press

WASHINGTON — After falling well short of its recruiting goals last year, the Army has set even higher monthly targets for this summer, hoping that new financial incentives will attract high school and college graduates in the face of mounting deaths in Iraq.

From June to September, the Army will try to recruit between 8,600 and 10,400 soldiers per month — well above the numbers achieved last year. To reach those goals, recruiters will be armed with more than catchy slogans and national pride.

A new law will allow the Army to give larger financial bonuses for enlistments and re-enlistments — doubling the maximum payment to new active duty recruits from $20,000 to $40,000, and from $10,000 to $20,000 for reservists. It also will let older recruits sign on by raising the top age from 35 to 42. And the top re-enlistment bonus for active duty soldiers would increase from $60,000 to $90,000.

"We're going to have heavy recruiting goals in the summer, so the timing of these incentives is good," said Douglas Smith, spokesman for Army Recruiting Command. "The idea was to focus some more on those high school and college students who will graduating from school in the summer."

In fact, the goals for June and July — as graduates leave school and begin their search for jobs — are as much as 2,500 higher than recruitment numbers for those two months last year. That means the goal for June — as well as April's — is about 40 percent higher than last June's total, and the July number jumps up by about 30 percent.

(more)

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060118/NEWS/601180357/1002/NEWS01

[EST]

1. "Catchy slogans and national pride..."

:puke: :puke:

[saigon68]

2. A mercenary force of illiterate rustics

[TX-RAT]

4. illiterate rustics?

Please give us your definition of illiterate rustics.

[saigon68]

6. You know

Aaah lifers--the ones who used to tell YOU to button your pockets--those illiterate rustics.

If you were in the service YOU know who they are.

LOL

[TX-RAT]

3. Sure beats the 230 dollars a month, when i joined the Army

But that was a long time ago.

[hobbit709]

7. $230???

I got $110 before taxes.

[VegasWolf]

5. "The poor die young" Asshole for Oil wants more fodder.

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[Army]

8. Bigger Force is Needed

But upping the bribes is not the way to do it. 2200 dead and no exit strategy isn't either.