U.S. Army again raises enlistment bonuses

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mywesttexas.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14414686&BRD=2288&PAG=461&dept_id=475626&rfi=6

For at least the third time in eight months, the U.S. Army again has raised enlistment bonuses to all-time highs in an attempt to reverse a national recruitment shortage, a strategy some are calling misplaced.

Pinkerton, 26, enlisted Friday and will leave Wednesday for basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. He received a $14,000 bonus for choosing an infantry job. He received another $6,000 for agreeing to leave for basic training so soon. snip

The Army currently is offering a $14,000 bonus for high-priority military occupational specialties or jobs, such as combat arms jobs (like infantry) and certain language specialists. This particular bonus was raised from $7,000 to $9,000 in August, then to $10,000 earlier this year before being raised to $14,000 late last week. snip

As financial incentives continue to climb, recruitment numbers continue to sag both locally and nationally.

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[Rainscents]

1. What... they can't find people to join???

[NNN0LHI]

2. They raise it again and I am joining. Hey, we all have a price

:sarcasm:

[Montauk6]

3. Oh, this makes sense... lure 'em in...

and then hit 'em up at the door when it's time for them to leave.

[Dhalgren]

4. If they would just give the salary and benefits that the

mercs get, there would be no problem. You just can't run a mercenary army on the "cheap". These "contractors" in Iraq are making big money and have all sorts of "bennys". If you're looking for mercs, you're gonna have to pay 'em...

[bushisanidiot]

5. Do they offer 1/5 of that price to the illegal immigrants they are herding

into the military?

i'll bet they make them sign a paper that ensures nobody gets their "bonus" money if they die in combat.

[Robbien]

6. The sub-contractors offer much more than this pittance

Why would anyone go with the military when you can get four times the amount being a merc?

[AnneD]

14. They target

the young, poor and naieve.....that is who goes in.

[neverforget]

19. They should target the College Republicans, but then again, they are

nothing but chickenshit cowards.

[0007]

7. What a fucking joke! The only thing that stops us from being

viewed as a banana Republic is that junior isn't in uniform with 108 medals plastered on his chest.

[NNN0LHI]

10. "junior isn't in uniform with 108 medals plastered on his chest"

Thats next. Chimpy and Musharraf will look like twins then.

Don

[Roland99]

8. Trouble finding rubes to die for lies?

[ClintonTyree]

9. Quick, quick...

we need more cannon fodder for bush's slimy little war. STAT! Not only Iraq, but for the coming invasion of Iran or Syria. It's just so hard to make ends meet now days for the Pentagon. Maybe we should increase their budget a little more. :eyes: Cut Medicare and children's programs, they won't notice.

"Pinkerton, 26, enlisted Friday and will leave Wednesday for basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. He received a $14,000 bonus for choosing an infantry job. He received another $6,000 for agreeing to leave for basic training so soon".

Hurry, hurry, hurry! "Be the first one on your block to have your boy come home in a box"! (courtesy of Country Joe McDonald) We can't wait any longer, we're running out of warm bodies. What do you want to bet they'll be cutting a few corners in basic training to get the cannon fodder over there sooner? I'm willing to bet the house that they're cutting basic training short. Fools. Sending ill-prepared, ill-equipped young men and women off to the middle east to plug all the holes that remain.

Didn't Wolfie tell us we didn't need that many soldiers? 125,000 would do JUST fine, remember? Oh that's right, Wolfie got PROMOTED for HIS fuck-ups. Never mind. :grr:

[NNN0LHI]

15. I really think Venezuela is next on the list

Lots of oil and not much of a military. Iran and N Korea are both too dangerous to mess around with. I just have a feeling.

Don

[yodermon]

11. This is a prelude to my Prediction.

Scenario:
Shrub attacks Iran.
China/Japan dump T-bills, switch to Euros.
Dollar plummets.
Hyperinfation ensues.
Interest rates skyrocket.
Those with lots of consuer/credit-card debt (i.e, ~$7,000 per household ? thereabouts) are hit HARD. Really hard.

So hard, in fact, that Shrubco presents a wondrous solution:

DEBT RELIEF FOR YOU AND YOURS IF YOU ENLIST.
DEBT RELIEF FOR YOU AND YOURS IF YOU ENLIST.

How's that for incentive, in desparate times?
How's that for having a Draft without having to say you're having a Draft?

WATCH OUT FOR THE DEBTOR'S ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES!

(end prediction)

[Zorra]

12. HTF are we going to pay for all this? Republicans are spending our money

almost as fast as they borrow money from Chinese bankers.

And there is no end to their borrowing and spending in sight.

It's totally insane.

[renaissanceguy]

16. It's OK. There will be a draft soon.

That way, they won't have to pay these bonuses. They will just wrap themselves in the flag and call anyone who refuses to go unpatriotic.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.21326152

[BR_Parkway]

13. So, if Pinkerton comes out of the closet the minute the check clears

does he have to pay it back?

[lebkuchen]

17. $14,000 is a lot of money to an 18 year old

about to graduate and no place to go, but overseas, asap.

The Army. It's an adventure~!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

18. America: We have the best army money can buy...

Subtitled: America, we'll do anything for money.