New Initiatives to Reach Recruiting Goals Email This Story Print This Story

New Initiatives Raise Hopes for Army to Reach Recruiting Goals

September 4, 2007
By Donna Miles

WASHINGTON (American Forces Press Service ) – The Army’s new “quick-ship” bonus program is showing success in getting prospective recruits to enlist and is expected to help the Army make its end-of-year recruiting goal, the Army’s recruiting chief told Pentagon reporters today.

Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commander of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, credited the $20,000 quick-ship bonus with helping to motivate would-be soldiers who were “on the fence” into joining the ranks.

The program was introduced in late July to provide a financial incentive for recruits willing to ship off quickly to basic training. In August alone, 200 recruits who were planning to ship in September went a month early.

Bostick said it’s one of several recruiting initiatives the Army has put in place to ensure it meets its fiscal 2007 goals.

This year, for example, the average bonus was up to about $15,000, but some run as high as $40,000, the maximum allowed by Congress.

A new $15,000 bonus and a two-year Army College Fund contribution for soldiers taking the two-year enlistment option are gaining momentum, too, Bostick said. The combination, introduced in July, doubled the Army’s two-year enlistments, he said.

Educational incentives like the Army College Fund, Montgomery G.I. Bill and college loan-repayment programs are important, Bostick said, because many recruits hope to further their education.

He called these incentives critical to the Army’s effort to fill its ranks with high-quality recruits at a particularly difficult time. “This is the first time that we have had to recruit an Army into the all-volunteer force during protracted combat operations,” he said. “So it is a bit more challenging.”

Many prospective applicants are concerned about the war in Iraq, he said. That’s reflected in the lowest interest among recruitment-age youth in joining the military than at any other time during the past two decades. Twenty years ago, 25 percent of 17-to-24-year-olds said they’d likely serve in the military during the next three to five years, Bostick said. Today, it’s 15.7 percent.

Meanwhile, parents, coaches and other adult influencers concerned about the war are less likely to encourage military service, he said. Right now, 25 percent of mothers and 33 percent of fathers say they would recommend military service to their children. That’s down from 40 percent and 50 percent, respectively, in 2004.

This is all occurring when unemployment is at historic lows, giving young people many career options.

“But we’re not wringing our hands,” Bostick said. “We are manning this Army. We are doing a pretty good job of it. I think we have a lot who are answering the call to duty.”

As of July 30, 83,000 recruits had joined the active Army and Army Reserve. Nearly 62,000 of them went on active duty, bringing the Army about 1,000 troops ahead of its year-to-date recruiting goal. Nearly 21,500 recruits had joined the Army Reserve by the end of July, about 180 behind its year-to-date goal.

Bostick reported “a very good month” in August, but declined to reveal the Army’s recruiting numbers until the Defense Department releases them next week.

He vowed to close any remaining gaps by Sept. 30 and meet the active Army’s year-end goal of 80,000 recruits and Army Reserve’s goal of 26,500.

The mission of manning the Army isn’t just a challenge for the Army, he said. “This is a challenge for the nation. And if this nation wishes to remain free and enjoy the democracy that we have in this country, it will take soldiers that are willing to stand up and defend this country as they are in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world.”

Article Opinions

Mario Hopkins wrote:

They should extend the quick ship bonus past September and into October that way they could more than exceed their numbers of recruits by the end of the fiscal year. But regardless im joining!
09/18/07 15:36:10

Lee wrote:

I agree because that is when I will be joining. I really could used the money. I would like to be rewarded since I'm joining for the cause really and not the money.
09/19/07 08:29:15

Kimberley wrote:

When would we know if they are extending the enlist bonus through October???
09/20/07 11:13:37

mario Hopkins wrote:

they will probably have an artical on it sometime in the near future no worries!
09/20/07 22:23:50

Ryan wrote:

What better branch of service to serve than the united states army
(new recruit)
09/21/07 17:33:20

MBOK TABOT AGBOR CHRISTIAN wrote:

IF THEY WANT TO MEET THEIR GOAL, THEY SHOULD RECRUIT PEOPLE WHO WISH TO APPLY FROM OVERSEAS.I BELIEVE IN DOING THAT THEY WOULD BE SUCCESFULL , BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PPEOPLE WISHING TO JOIN WHO ARE NOT THERE
09/22/07 11:10:56

EX.E5 REED wrote:

I'M EX-ARMY, OLDEST SON STILL ARMY RESEV, YOUNGEST SON TRYING TO GET IN FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS, AND THEY WON'T EXCEPT HIS ONLINE DEPLOMA, CAUSE HE WAS HOME SCHOOLED. NOW THEY HAVE LOST HIS BIRTH CERT. AND DEPLOMA, BUT TELL HIM IF THERES A DRAFT HE WILL HAVE TO GO. NOT GOOD ENOUPH NOW BUT HE WILL BE IF THERES A DRAFT. WHAT HAS OUR ARMY COME TOO.
09/25/07 23:41:37

Carlos wrote:

I was not aware of this. They should extend this program at least till the end of October. If they do so, I think I would be interested to join.
09/28/07 13:05:44

walter wrote:

if they want get the goal,they have to let join all the peoplo done the high school without paper,they also wanna joi
09/29/07 11:54:30

BILLY wrote:

IF THEY EXTEND THIS PROGRAM. IM SURE THEY WILL MEET THEIR NUMBERS.
09/29/07 13:17:58

COlby wrote:

I dont think they will be able to meet there goals if they do not extend the bonus. It would be great if they did. It would make joining next month that much nicer
09/30/07 13:47:10

simple wrote:

does any one knows until what age males can enlist? some wed site has from 17 to 34 and others 17 tll 42, anybody knows?
09/30/07 14:54:37

Elton Perrez wrote:

I hope they do extend this program till the end of this month at least. I also believe that the enlist limit age is from 17 till 42.
10/01/07 07:06:23

Ray Amalfitano wrote:

it would be very nice if the guard had a program for man that would love to join the guard to stand by to defend the homeland but have career jobs cant go away for the nine weeks of training but train at the home station.
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