Army Signing Bonuses Bring In Recruits

Aggressive Recruiting Push That Includes A $20K Incentive Seems To Be Paying Off

(CBS)  Twenty-nine-year-old Joan Marte thinks now is the right time to join the army.

"I get to travel, basic training sounds like fun," he says.

Yemin Ko, 24, who describes himself as a patriot, is also signing up.

"I wanted to do something important," he says.

The Army needs them both to meet its enlistment goals for this year.

It surpassed its July recruitment targets by more than 200 new soldiers, CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller reports, by adding recruiters — and with an unprecedented incentive: $20,000 signing bonus given to soldiers willing to ship out to basic training within a month.

"The intent of the bonus is to get folks to ship quickly so they can attend basic training and we can meet the end strength the army is required to have," says Lt. Col. Joseph Feliciano.

In New York, recruitment commanders say they're already seeing better numbers this month since the signing bonuses were put on the table. And the army hopes to pump up those numbers by September 30th, the end of the fiscal year.

"Is this what we really want? To bribe people to get them to go and fight an unpopular war?" says Larry Korb, who served as assistant secretary of defense in the Reagan Administration. Korb, who is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, says the new policy will be bad for the army.

"They've already lowered the standards. Last year, when they did meet their recruiting goals, they had lowered the educational and aptitude standards," says Korb.

Under the new deal, recruits could be serving in a combat zone within four months.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take, and I’m proud of it," says Ko.

Yemin Ko says he'll be ready to serve, and at a time when every body counts, the Army is banking on the same thing.

[oakishpines]

the civil war was a long time ago, but is it over?

here's a quote from the civil war:

'... there were no ******* allowed in congress, or on the trails, or on the front pages: so we nuked new york, and that fixed it ... there were no sand ******* allowed in congress, or on the trails, or on the front pages: so we nuked l.a., and that fixed it ... there were no ******** allowed in congress, or on the trails, or on the front pages: so we nuked chicago: and that fixed it ... we nuked miami for the ***** ... we nuked seattle for the naked kids, dallas for the lazy ones, houston for the ignorant, las vegas for the profane ... we did charlotte for the tired and sleepy, san francisco for the sad and scared ... atlanta for the hungry and lusty, and washington for bored and lonely, portland for the prostitues and pedophiles, and honolulu for the fatties and ******* ... we went on and on, until there was nobody left to save '

[oakishpines]

eco logic eco nomic i raq i ran rea gun burning bush koup wait bag dad dare and shock and awe, raped and killed and tortured and starved millions babies and more but that's all good cause they each one begged all lusty and such, they wanted that for twenty seconds or twenty minutes and sometimes even twenty days


can they destroy us, sure, we wouldn't scream so loud if they couldn't: but if they do, who'd they slay? is it best to die a girl or boy or to live a man or woman? will girls and boys get the market share, tax money, armor, weapons, alcohol, parades, votes, sexes only after they've raped and starved and slaved and killed the men and the women?


authorities dictate folk must 'get well feed world' with sick beds, comforting afflcited? and folk dictate authorities must 'get sick tax world' with well beds, afflicting the comfortable?


there's infinite languages and dances to discover with which to starve the market share of all the rest? and infinite currencies and bouquets to stuff our pockets with?


can 2000 square feet of dirt farm and spore farm and such really feed fifty folk? and a 140 million such farms really feed the world?


each death, an infinite number of infinite immortal lives erased forever?? which came first: eternity or the earth?


eternal storyboards swimming oceans of eternal storyboards

[oakishpines]

' discipline doesn't rape and slave and starve small children, disciplinarians do; but, they're only trying to help '


' a girl came running in screaming about how some man was preaching in the square: 'after a couple thousand years with four year old mouths on the ***** of good christian men, it's time that savage and holy adults alike lay some tongue on the bodies of youth ''


' though no small percentage of folk are sinners, thankfully 99 percent of market share 99 percent of time is reserved for those not ******* filling prisons, sand ******* filling wars, ******** slaving 20 to a closet, ***** into forclosure, prostitutes, pedophiles, fatties, *******, nakeds, lazys, ignorants, profanes, tireds, hungrys, lonelys, sleepys, boreds, lustys, sads, scareds, or just plain blemisheds '


' people build and dance virtual worlds, and someday will build and dance really real worlds ... or maybe swim with whales from here to pluto on 'wings' and 'trails' paved by 'super creatures' 'mortal' and 'immortal' alike '

[michellem99-2009]

Randy and Grammawhamma said it best. Randy A war over oil and bloody money. I am heart broaken over the boys and girls putting their right paw up to be there to fight for lies. Heard the same in 74 in lessons, this boy said can go to NAM, but too young to buy a beer too young to know much,but wave money in their face and they sign,raise their right paw. They think cool. So off they go. Grammma hope yer son keep writing ye on computer, What is sad they come back /messed up. Poor troops,,THANKS.

[randalds]

GrammaWhamma, I feel for you. It would be nice if the age was returned to 21, but by then the kids have 3 more years life experience and the military doesn't want that.
Posted by kaiyo4u at 11:33 AM : Aug 12, 2007

That's true, because in those three years many of them will be past the point where the Army has them thinking this is one big video game or the lie that this war has anything to do with protecting America or defending freedom, instead of the truth that it's a war for profit and that they'll die for nothing.

[kaiyo4u]

IMO I think the age should be raised to 21 to enlist...not 18.
Posted by GrammaWhamma at 11:05 AM : Aug 12, 2007

GrammaWhamma, I feel for you. It would be nice if the age was returned to 21, but by then the kids have 3 more years life experience and the military doesn't want that.

[grammawhamma]

Part of the problem is 18 year old high school kids are not really mature enough to know what they are getting into (even though they think they know it all). They think they are infallible and will live forever. They are bored by or uninterested in watching the news or reading a newspaper so generally uninformed of current events. But most of all they are tempted by money...to a kid 20K is a fortune. Therefore they sign on the dotted line and it's a done deal.

My son in law arrived in Iraq 36 hours ago to start his tour of duty. I am worried sick about him. He left as a happy go lucky kid but I know he will not come back that way. My husband served in Vietnam...I know the horrors of war that haunted him until his death. Please support our troops!! IMO I think the age should be raised to 21 to enlist...not 18.

[armymomof4]

Well said. I wonder if recruiters have a hard time sleeping at night?
Posted by kevboom at 10:08 AM : Aug 12, 2007

Probably not. I imagine meeting their monthly quotas, by whatever underhanded means, insures that they are not sent to Iraq. They just think "better them than me".-
-------------------------------------
Alot of recruiters are former vets of iraq. Either they have been placed in that job by their own choice or not. Did you know that the recruiters have the highest suicide rate in the military? Don't be so harsh on matters you think you know about.

[samrensho]

Well said. I wonder if recruiters have a hard time sleeping at night?
Posted by kevboom at 10:08 AM : Aug 12, 2007

Probably not. I imagine meeting their monthly quotas, by whatever underhanded means, insures that they are not sent to Iraq. They just think "better them than me".

[kevboom]

"before kids not even old enough to buy a beer start being killed and maimed and lives being ruined forever for no reason, we need to question are we protecting America from a threat, or are we protecting someones profit? These patriotic young people deserve the best America has to offer and that includes not being lied to."

Well said. I wonder if recruiters have a hard time sleeping at night?

[kaiyo4u]

We all know the fortunate sons will never be drafted. Much less will they join the Guard or the Reserves as an effort to keep out of this "war".
The sad irony is that our commander in chief was/is a fortunate son who joined the Guard and never saw Vietnam. But it is he (Bush) who is activating those in the Guard and Reserves to fight in this melee.
I support our troops in that they are doing what they feel is right and are as they believe protecting our country.
It is those who are in Congress and the White House that are "doing" them wrong.

[michellem99-2009]

I do non raise my paw in this matter as I truly against this illegal war. I see it as battle over oli and the bush famaily. The Bush father started it. Then Bush son carryed on where daddy left off, Think before ye raise yer paw. That ARSE belittled the constution calling it* a g*dd*mn piece of paper.* Yet he raised his right paw and took the oath of office and he feels that way about the constution. I was not too happy when he said that. Nosah never voted for him. I am not too happy with sorry lot running for the office. The draft not worth it. Gramma,I do think of the boys and girls over there who are fighting Bush's war not America's. Yes I have kin in that crazy war of his.

[samrensho]

If people are so desperate that, for a lousy 20K they will put their life on the line, in some useless war started by the alcoholic looney in the whitehouse, that says a lot about the sad state of the US.

[grammawhamma]

Hmmm...I'm a little bit confused. So those of you who are against the war want a draft? What would you do if you got drafted...run to Canada?I am not for the war either, however I am grateful to those that enlisted so there is not yet a draft. Please support our troops.

[figuy30]

I agree America needs to be able to defend itself when it comes time to protect America. We should always be ready. However I do not believe we should give up American lives for some worthless cause. Being a veteran myself I know what it's like to be young and proud, and how good it feels to serve your country, but before kids not even old enough to buy a beer start being killed and maimed and lives being ruined forever for no reason, we need to question are we protecting America from a threat, or are we protecting someones profit? These patriotic young people deserve the best America has to offer and that includes not being lied to.

[aznyron-2009]

I do support the draft but I do not want to take a kid out of college to serve but I do think the person in college should serve upon his or her graduation like I said there a job for every one stop picking on Pres.Bush for not serving in combat in Vietnam at least he served more than what I can say for Cheney or many others who now sit in congress both D & R as for Former Pres. Clinton he was opposed to the war and publicly demonstrated that so for that I do have to respect his choice as for Cheney he is just a first class phony who only objective is to fatten his bank account by selling American lives to the Defense contractors for war

[aznyron-2009]

I think every one should do a 2 years in the service and you do not need a college degree to shoot a enemy or chip rust of the side of a ship or fuel airplane there are jobs for every one up or out was the dumbest policy the armed services made what did they think having a troop full of college grads it only the street kids with no future who want to enlist but they are turned away because of education we as a nation should educate our men & women in uniform and no one should be turned away as long as they are honorale and trustworthy people who have no physical or mental defeacts or criminal records
if I was leading a charge on enemy combatents I would want those street kids behind me not some kid who moma wipe his nose even when he or she was in college just a reminder Audio Murphy was a street kid from texas in WW2 he was awarded the Medal of Honor along with many other medals including the purple heart but some brainac in Wash/DC decide to have a army full of college kids what a joke just another reminder if the private sector was to impose the same rules on there employees they would be sued and they would lose so why is the military exempt?

[armymomof4]

As an Army wife,
I respect those who CHOOSE to serve our country. Who coose to fight for your ability to speak your mind with out worring about if your family and yourself will be killed for speaking out.
Everyone should be thankful they live in America, things could always be worse...count your blessings.

[randalds]

Bush ran from active duty

Posted by j-whitman at 09:54 PM : Aug 11, 2007

And so will his mouthy supporters here. Just like him they're happy to cheer others on to die for a war they only support as long as they don't have to put their own cowardly as*s on the line or that of their kids. Ask Mitt Romney. he thinks the war is fantastic, because he's gutless kids aren't fighting in it. bring back the draft and send some of the neocons kids off to die and this war will be over before you can say chickenhawk.

[j-whitman]

Here you bo Bush Lovers -- Now's your chance to show how patriotic you are ---- Enlist & serve on active duty in time of great need for your country ----- Bush ran from active duty