Dupe

[Toots]

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[DrDan]

1. that was certainly my first thought

hard to blame the unemployed if they qualify. People need to work.

[Mari333]

2. no but they offered my son tons of money to re-enlist , huge amounts

he just extended his contract for a yr, and said no to the huge re enlistment money for 3 yrs. it was hard for him to say no, he is out of work, but his unit goes to afghanistan in 16 months, and he knows his family cannot go thru that nor can I. keeping my fingers crossed he gets work soon.
as for the money, it was a LOT. they are handing out a lot of dough to soldiers to stay in and re up (for their damned fucking wars)

[Statistical]

3. Enlistment & renlistment is simply supply and demand.

Even in good economies the bonuses vary widely depending on how hard it is to meet the goals.
When the military size was declining (Bush first & Clinton) and there were no wars going on bonus dropped to next to nothing.

Even with a good economy the supply of soldiers willing to enlist or "re-up" was greater than the demand.

Only recently with the never ending war on terra combined with real risk of mortality and the "costs" of war on military families has there been a need for continual and record high bonuses to keep supply & demand balanced.