90% of the Army's new recruits, accepted a $20,000 "quick ship"

[slipslidingaway]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/26/AR2007082601266_pf.html

"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.

The program began on July 25, and in three weeks the Army had enlisted 3,814 recruits using the bonus, according to the U.S. Army Recruiting Command in Fort Knox, Ky. Those recruits accounted for 92 percent of the 4,149 recruits who signed contracts between July 25 and Aug. 13.

The $20,000 bonus is a hefty sum for many of the individuals the Army targets most aggressively: young men and women who have not settled on a career. The Army estimates that soldiers coming out of initial training are paid $17,400 a year on average."

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. When they absolutely, positively

have to be there overnight. :eyes:

[indepat]

2. Gad, it's almost like making mercenaries, not soldiers, of our recruits

[Wiley50]

3. If I Were Gonna Do It: I'd Wanna Get It Over With Quickly

I hate waiting around for something I know is gonna be bad

It drives me mad

Poor Fuckers!

[Middle finga]

4. Under no circumstances would I be willing to put life, limbs or

sanity on the line for $20K. Especially if means supporting an illegal occupation, there's no honor in that, no homecoming parades held for that immoral mission. Besides $20K could be gone in a year but the physical and mental injuries will last a life time. Parents talk to your kids, tell the government your kid don't want or need their blood money.

[Raine]

5. $20,000

guess that is what they judge to be the value of an American's life. It seems like alot to people that don't have too much but it won't buy much of anything really. Maybe a car with a little change left over or maybe not(depends on what kind of car it is). x(