The United States Army (US) added its biggest enlistment bonus of 25% from the previous year. The move is to interest enlisted soldiers in the country, at a time when the need is increasing for important positions in the military.
Reportedly, the maximum bonus has been raised to $50,000 from $40,000, the Associated Press (AP) reported Wednesday, citing the head of the US Army Recruiting Command. Only skilled recruits committed for six years in certain high-demand areas will qualify for the highest payouts.
Major General Kevin Vereen said, “The Covid-19 lockdown has disrupted recruitment efforts at schools and other public places. Meanwhile, the army faces stiff competition from other companies for the most valuable new hires."
"We're still living through the implications of 2020 and the onset of Covid, when the school system basically shuts down. We lost a class full of young men and women we never had face-to-face contact with," he said.
Vereen did not specify the jobs in which skilled recruits could get the maximum bonus. Positions in niches such as special forces and missile defense often have big bonuses, according to the AP report.
However, the target slots for the highest payouts may change from month to month as recruiting needs fluctuate. “We are in a competitive market. How we incentivize is very important, and it's really something we know is important to try to get someone to come and join the military," he said.
"We want to promote the value of serving your country first, but we also know that this generation and I think human nature, you know, it's all about compensation too," he said.
Army recruiting bonuses totaled more than $233 million in the fiscal year ended September 30, down from a previous record total of more than $485 million in 2018, when the largest branch of the U.S. military failed to meet its recruiting goals. The 16,500 new soldiers who received enlistment bonuses last year were paid an average of more than $14,000.
Vereen said this year's recruitment target will be almost the same as the 2021 target of 57,500 people. The military's Covid-19 vaccine mandate could also be a factor in new recruits.
More than 10,000 Army soldiers still haven't had their first shot last month. US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth warned those who continue to refuse vaccines face the threat of being fired.
