The U.S. Army is offering a maximum $50,000 enlistment bonus to highly-skilled recruits who join for six years for the first time, at a time when officers are struggling to attract soldiers. to certain crucial jobs during the pandemic.
Maj. Gen. Kevin Vereen, chief of the Army Recruiting Command, told the press that last year’s school closures and competitive job market have posed significant challenges for recruiters. So with the toughest recruiting months of the year looming ahead, the Army is hoping that some extra money and a few more changes will encourage qualified young people to enlist.
“We’re still living through the implications of 2020 and the rise of Covid-19, when school systems pretty much shut down,” Vereen said. “We lost an entire class of young men and women that we didn’t have face-to-face contact with.”
The two years into the pandemic have made it harder to recruit at schools and public events, and the competition for quality workers has intensified as young people weigh their options.
Some, Vereen said, are taking what he calls a gap year, “and deciding they don’t necessarily need to work right now.”
The annual recruiting goal fluctuates, as soldiers who are on duty decide whether to re-enlist or leave. Over the past two years, amid the ravages of the pandemic, many have decided to stay, taking pressure off recruiting to keep the Army’s full strength at 485,000 troops. Last year’s recruiting goal was 57,500, and Vereen noted that this year the number will be about the same.
To attract recruits, those who enroll for six years in one of the most in-demand careers can receive bonuses of up to $50,000. Due to the high level of demand, it will be difficult for many to qualify for the highest bonus.
The final figure depends on when they agree to undertake the training, whether they already possess crucial skills, and whether they choose positions in air sectors or on the ground. Certain careers—such as missile defense crew, special forces, and signal intelligence and fire control specialists who coordinate weapons operations on the battlefield—typically receive the highest bonuses.
But other crucial jobs include infantry, intelligence analyst, combat medical specialist, military police, combat engineer, and several more. And the bonuses in those positions could change each month, based on available training slots and other service needs.
Until now, the Army had offered a maximum bonus of $40,000.
