WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A top U.S. Army official is calling the latest recruiting bonus a successful means to encourage potential soldiers to join the service.
Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commander of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, said the Army's new quick-ship bonus program that offers recruits $20,000 for those willing to ship to basic training immediately has been a successful incentive, according to the American Forces Press Service.
In an effort to make end-of-year recruiting goals the Army introduced the quick-ship bonus in late July as a way to help motivate would-be soldiers who were on the fence.
Bostick said that in August, 200 recruits who were planning to ship in September went a month early.
Bostick says the quick-ship is among several recruiting initiatives as the Army has faced declines in recruiting and missed monthly goals. Officials say that the average joining bonus was up about $15,000 compared to previous years.
A two-year Army College Fund, Montgomery GI Bill and college loan-repayment programs have been important tools for recruiting. As of July 30, 83,000 recruits had joined the active Army and Army Reserve, bringing the Army about 1,000 troops ahead of its year-to-date recruiting goal.
“This is the first time that we have had to recruit an Army into the all-volunteer force during protracted combat operations,” Bostick said, in a statement. “So it is a bit more challenging. … We’re not wringing our hands. 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.”
