Archive for August 27th, 2007
The Army, hurting for fresh bodies, paid out $76,280,000 in bonuses during the first three weeks of the program. The failed war in Iraq is already placing a huge debt burden on our country and creating new terrorists faster than we can eliminate them. Throwing more money at recruits just exacerbates the problem.
The Army, in essence, is bribing new recruits to become cannon fodder at a quicker pace while simultaneously doing severe damage to our economy.
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.
