US Army: recruits $20,000-signing bonus

by Barry ORegan | August 11, 2007 at 08:24 am

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Opinion

Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

Somehow the phrase made immortal by John F Kennedy "Ask not What your Country can do for you, Ask what you can do for your Country" seems to have lost all meaning in society as the new phrase " Ask how much will you give me to serve my Country" seems to be the incentive.

Pretty sad state of affairs when one's Pride and Loyalty has a Monetary value in order to serve one's country.

Will this create anomosity amongst fighting troops who volunteered gladly to "Serve their Country with Honour" versus those who were essentially paid to join. One wonders?

Veterans alive and dead must be shaking their heads in wonder what they went to war and died for?

My Final Thought

Perhaps if the US Government, like most Governments including Canada displayed honour and integrity in giving dignity instead of a superficial parade with their veterans and current troops who willingly give their lives for their country overseas along with caring for their families in their absence would go a long way in instilling pride and honour in the men and women who serve and will bring back honour and pariotism and JFK's "Ask what you can do for your country" without using monetary incentives.

Media reports of abuse, and a noncaring government of our returning veterans perhaps is the cause and effect of offering cash in exchange for their lives. In ending, no one feels it is an even trade, money for your life, especially for those troops who joined for America.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Army exceeded its July recruiting goal, aided by 20,000-dollar sign-up bonuses offered after two straight months of enlistment shortfalls, officials said Friday.

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All other active-duty services met or surpassed their monthly recruiting targets in July.

The army signed up 9,972 new recruits in July, about two percent above its goal of 9,750, according to Pentagon statistics.

Shortfalls in May and June raised concerns about meeting the army's annual goal of 80,000 recruits with youths and their parents leery of wartime military service.

The army responded by offering 20,000-dollar bonuses if recruits signed up starting July 25 and shipped out to boot camp within a month and before September 30, said Julia Bobick, a spokeswoman at the army's recruiting command at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

The signing bonus and other incentives can add up to a maximum 40,000 dollars for new soldiers.

"It was introduced as a way to get as many folks shipped and into training as we can this fiscal year to try to ensure that we do meet our mission," she said.

The army said it is now 957 recruits ahead of its pace to meet an annual goal of 80,000 recruits.