Army’s ‘quick ship’ bonus proves popular

[Fran Kubelik]

Recruits receive $20,000 if they agree to leave within days.

More than 90 percent of the Army's new recruits since late July have accepted a $20,000 "quick ship" bonus to leave for basic combat training by the end of September, putting thousands of Americans into uniform almost immediately.

Many recruits who take the bonus -- scoring in many cases the equivalent of more than a year's pay -- leave their homes within days, recruiters said. The initiative is part of an effort by Army officials to meet year-end recruiting goals after a two-month slump earlier this year. With the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, the Army hopes the extra cash motivates those interested in joining or entices those just considering enlisting.

<snip>

"The Army is intent on trying to meet its recruitment goals in terms of numbers by the end of the fiscal year, so they're doing just about anything they can to bring those numbers up," said Cindy Williams, an analyst at the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "To me it signals something that we've been seeing already from the Army, a trade-off in terms of quality and quantity. My sense is that right now, they're willing to take anybody who is willing to walk in the door and ship by Sept. 30."

Army officials have lowered standards and increased waivers in recent years to meet their recruiting goals, in part to deal with the strain of the wars and to quickly expand the Army. But the Army has been more concerned with nose-diving public opinion about the war in Iraq and the role of "influencers" -- parents, teachers and coaches -- who have been increasingly unwilling to recommend the military as a career option to young people.

more here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20453080/

So this is how we do it - bribe people with quick cash to convince them to sacrifice their lives for America's access to oil.

[Bluebear]

1. Army’s ‘quick ship’ - is this terrorist code?

Sorry, we have to turn you in. :hi:

[Fran Kubelik]

2. It sounds like an Amazon.com shipping option

Not a way to get our youth to Iraq and in harm's way as fast as possible. x(

[Tom Joad]

3. sign up for quick ship and get into deep shit in no time!

[Fran Kubelik]

5. you should write slogans for the army!

:thumbsup:

[Crabby Appleton]

7. just sign the paper, we'll tell you what it means later. nt

[saigon68]

4. YOU CAN BE THE FIRST ONE ON YOUR BLOCK

TO HAVE YOUR BOY COME HOME IN A BOX

(in pieces)

[Starbucks Anarchist]

6. I thought it said "Aramaic."

:rofl:

[Junkdrawer]

8. Looks like someone is gearing up for something....

:scared:

[youngdem]

9. I still can't believe people are willing to fight and die for $17,000 a year

I just can't believe anyone is willing to get shot at for that.

That's less than fucking McDonald's pays, and you don't have to shave your head, get beat up in basic training, flown to the desert or shot at.

I don't get it.

They should offer a $50,000 bonus if you are killed in action and see what the enlistment rate gets up to. :crazy:

Greed trumps everything, I guess.

[Fran Kubelik]

10. I'm not sure if it's fair to call it greed.

Hopelessness maybe? What if that was the only way you could imagine making enough money to pay off your debts, etc?

[youngdem]

11. There are ALWAYS other ways. ALWAYS.

You don't have to sell your soul and kill brown people.

You can work in Alaska's fishery or canneries, work in a mine, work on an offshore oil platform, work in Alberta's oil sands, work as a long haul trucker, work on a long line fishing boat or shrimp boat. Or, you can just get $1300 together and declare bankruptcy and regain your sanity, or move to Texas or another state with no garnishment.

I don't see how it is EVER the right choice to take poverty level wages to go half way around the world to kill innocent people and face death yourself.

I understand what you are saying, but I still don't get it. I guess deep down, they must WANT to go.